Illinois hockey looks to increase its current two-game win streak this weekend against the visiting Minot State Beavers. The Illini (3-1-0, 6 pts.) currently occupy first place in the Midwest College Hockey Division.
Senior goaltender Nolan Woodring has been no small part of the team’s early success. Woodring leads the American College Hockey Association in wins (3) and shutouts (1), and is second in minutes played (240). He also posted a 2.25 goals-against average and .900 save percentage while playing every minute for the Illini this season.
The team in front of Woodring has been buzzing as well. In total, ten different skaters have scored a combined 15 goals this season, which leads the division.
Junior forward Gregory Etingen leads the team in goals (3) thanks to his opening night hat-trick. Right behind Etingen are senior forward Alexander Matveev, freshman forward Carson Mitchell and sophomore forward Anthony Varrassi, all three of whom have two goals.
Matveev and Mitchell share the team lead in points (4). They each have a pair of assists in addition to their two goals. Four players have three points: Etingen, Varrassi, forward David Ras and senior defenseman Atticus Helfer.
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Additionally, the Illini also rank second in the division in penalty minutes (61). Nearly a quarter of those belong to fsreshman forward Thatcher Beauchamp, who has been called for 15 minutes worth of penalties in just three games.
Minot State (0-2-0, 0 pts.), meanwhile, is in the division cellar. Its 14 goals against is third-worst in the division, and when combined with its three goals for, the Beavers place last in their division in goal differential (-11).
The Beavers’ start, as bad as it looks, can be explained in-part by their tough schedule so far. The team opened the season in Canada against the University of Saskatchewan and Briercrest College. This weekend will be the Beavers’ MCH debut.
Illinois last faced Minot State in 2021, when the Beavers outscored the Illini 8-2 and then 5-0 in a one-sided sweep. No players currently on the Illini recorded a point in that series.
Puck drop for both games is 7 p.m.
