Check off goal number two for the Illinois hockey club.

After earning the Central States Collegiate Hockey League’s best regular season record, the Illini collected more hardware this weekend, cruising through the CSCHL conference tournament at the UI Ice Arena on their way to capturing the William W. Easton Cup.

Illinois had a noticeable advantage during the tournament, which was hosted at the Illini’s own “Big Pond” for the first time since 1998. Undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation, everything came together for the Illini in front of their home crowd.

“It’s been a great weekend for us,” head coach Chad Cassel said. “Our fans have just been outstanding.”

On Friday, the Illini dominated a Robert Morris team that limped into the playoffs at 12-22-0. In an emphatic 10-0 victory, Drew Heredia netted a hat trick while goaltender Mike Burda earned his sixth shutout of the season. It was the Illini’s third straight victory against the Eagles, whom Illinois swept last week.

Saturday’s semifinal featured another familiar matchup when the Illini faced Kent State, a team they beat twice in January. The Golden Flashes’ defensive style was effective early but the Illini never trailed in a 4-1 win. Jordan Pringle scored twice, while Heredia tacked on his fourth goal of the tournament. The win secured a spot for the Illini in the CSCHL tournament finals for the sixth straight season.

The final was not only a matchup of the conference’s top two teams but the nation’s best as well. On Sunday, the Illini faced ACHA No. 2-ranked Lindenwood, whose only losses in CSCHL play came in October against the Illini.

It was the fourth time the Illini faced the Lions this season and the second time they participated in a matchup of the ACHA’s top two teams, the first being a two game sweep of then-No. 1 Penn State in October.

After Drew Heredia broke his skate on the ice in the first period, JJ Heredia, the younger brother of the senior forward, shifted to the power play line and netted his first goal of the season nine minutes into the game to give the Illini an early 1-0 lead.

The Lions would answer back midway through the second period, scoring a shorthanded goal to tie the game.

Lindenwood could not capitalize on the rest of their scoring chances; however, as Burda’s 24 saves, along with the strong play of the defense, proved crucial in stopping a desperate Lions offense.

“Every 2-on-1, every chance they had, our defense was coming up big and stopping them,” Burda said.

Brad Hoelzer, who was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, proved pivotal in directing the Illini defense.

“We just made sure to tighten the defensive zone and have a third guy high, that sort of thing,” Hoelzer said. “Once we play good defense, the offense will find the net.”

The Illini would ultimately wear down the Lions’ defense, as Alex Park and Johnny Liang each notched a goal to retake the lead.

“They were tired, and we just out-skated them,” Heredia said.

Despite playing three games in as many days and dealing with a short, 15-hour gap between the semifinal and final, the Illini were not fazed.

“Some guys are a little tired but with our four lines we’re not as tired as everyone else,” Heredia said. “By the end of the game, I wasn’t even thinking about it.”

In the third period, Hoelzer would add the exclamation point to the tournament’s championship, scoring with two minutes remaining to put the game out of reach. The win ensured the Easton Cup, which had made its way to the UI Ice Arena, would not be traveling far.

During the trophy presentation, the Illini collected additional accolades. Along with Hoelzer’s MVP honor, four players were named to the CSCHL’s First Team All-Conference, while Cassel was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.

“We’re undefeated, so it’s almost like we deserved it, especially with the way the guys have been playing,” Hoelzer said.

Having improved their flawless record to 32-0-0, next weekend’s matchup with No. 24 Adrian College will serve as a tuneup for March’s ACHA national tournament. The Illini will likely be the heavy favorites to accomplish their third and final goal of the season.

“These wins, they’re definitely a big confidence boost going into nationals,” Heredia said.