The pursuit for a perfect season continues, and a heated rivalry resumes as the Illinois hockey club takes on No. 8 Ohio at the Ice Arena this Friday and Saturday.

“This is the weekend we’ve all been waiting for,” goaltender Mike Burda said. “This is the one we need.”

Now at 23-0-0, the Illini are closing in on an incredible year. Eight regular-season games remain, along with the Central States Collegiate Hockey League Tournament in three weeks and the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Tournament in late February.

Standing in the way this weekend are the Bobcats, who have sparred with the Illini countless times in recent years.

“It’s the biggest rivalry we have,” Burda said.

The Illini and Bobcats have consistently made it a two-team race for the top spot in the CSCHL. One of the two has won the regular season title each of the last five years, with the Bobcats taking home the hardware in the last four.

The rivals have also met in the finals of the CSCHL Tournament four of the last five years, with each team winning two titles. In 10 games over the past five regular seasons, the Illini have a 3-5-2 record against the Bobcats.

“I’m 1-5 against them (in my career), so I definitely haven’t had the best luck,” winger Jordan Pringle said.

While the Illini are ranked No. 1 in the latest ACHA poll, the Bobcats are having a relatively disappointing season.

Losers of three of their last five games, the Bobcats are third in the CSCHL standings with a 18-11-0 record – unfamiliar territory for a perennial national title contender.

But Illini head coach Chad Cassel won’t concede that the Bobcats are having a down year.

“We’re going to have to come out and play hard all weekend,” Cassel said. “We’re going to have to play better than we did (against Kent State).”

Cassel added that his team was looking for “a little more consistency” on the offensive end. Despite scoring 11 goals in two games against Kent State, all but three of them came in the second period of play.

“As we play better teams, you can’t do that,” Cassel said. “That’s what we’re gearing up for, and that’s what we want to judge ourselves on.”

To protect their perfect record, the Illini will need to forget their recent history with the Bobcats and do what they’ve done all season – win.

“It’ll be good to get them on our home ice and hopefully get two big wins,” Pringle said.