“Embarrassing” was the only word senior forward Steve Krates could use to describe the club’s pair of losses to Michigan-Dearborn last weekend.

The Illini lost 5-4 and 7-3 to the No. 9 Wolves, but for a second straight week lacked five starters and head coach Chad Cassel – selected to play for the United States in the World University Games in Innsbruck, Austria.

Already shorthanded on the bench, the Illini were forced to play shorthanded on the ice as well Friday night, taking penalties all game.

Senior defenseman Justin Stock said he wasn’t happy with his performance or the team’s play as a whole.

“Even though we did have a shorthanded goal, you aren’t going to score much while you’re killing (penalties),” Stock said.

Stock was kicked out of the game in the second for high-sticking, and the Wolves quickly capitalized on the power play opportunity with two goals to tie the game after the Illini had a 4-2 lead. A goal late in the third won the game for the Wolves.

“We just played too aggressive and took too many penalties,” Krates said. “A lot of it was that guys were trying really hard to make an impression in order to get into the line-up.”

Saturday was worse for the struggling Illini and after a goal was disallowed, Stock said the game went downhill from there.

Since break, the Illini have dropped three out of four, but have yet to play with their full roster.

“The guys gone are big-time leaders, even though we still have leaders now,” Krates said. “But it hurts when you take the top five players away.”

Every position has been affected, and Stock said he is confident that when the players come back from Austria, the team will not only be better up and down the roster but will be hungry.

“We’ll be ready to make some noise,” he said.

However with the losses, the Illini are now vulnerable to losing their edge in the league standings to Ohio University – an edge the team worked hard to earn in December. Stock said he wasn’t upset at the timing of the world tournament or that the players went during the season.

“It’s an opportunity for them, and if I had made the team I would have gone, too,” he said. “That’s a once in a lifetime chance, and I’m sure if we don’t win the season championship, we’ll win the league tournament.”

Across the Atlantic, Team USA upset Slovakia 2-1, but then lost to both Italy and Finland, 4-0 and 5-4 – ending any hopes of a medal. The team rebounded against Korea, and senior forwards Jim Rogers and Brian Coleman each scored in the 4-3 win.

At home, the Illini have a chance at redeeming themselves in Champaign against St. Louis University who are winless in 10 league games.

Illinois will once again be without their best, but both Stock and Krates said they believe it’s a great opportunity for different guys to step up and get experience, which will help down the stretch.

“It allows a lot of guys to get into the mix,” Stock said. “We’ll have a very, very deep team once (the starters) come back.”