The Illini (9-8-3, 21 pts.) enjoyed their first bye of the season over fall break and will return to action on Friday against the Illinois State Redbirds (7-12-2, 16 pts.).
Illinois was outmatched against its in-state rivals last year and dropped all four contests. Despite this, there’s reason to believe things will go differently this season.
Not last year’s Redbirds
Illinois played Illinois State closely last season but ultimately came up short each time. It wasn’t just bad luck; the Redbirds were a good team, finishing with 70 points in 36 games.
This year, Illinois State is on pace for just 27 points in the same amount of games.
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The teams match up well this season, according to the latest American Collegiate Hockey Conference rankings. The Redbirds, who had opened the season at No. 18, now slot in at No. 40. The Illini, even with their superior record, are just behind at No. 44.
Part of the Redbirds’ struggles can be attributed to their schedule, which has been much tougher than the Illini’s to this point.
Illinois State has already played current No. 2 Adrian, No. 8 Maryville, No. 11 Calvin, No. 15 Mary and No. 18 Midland. The team holds just a 1-8-1 record against the six top-25 teams.
Illinois has seen three of these opponents this year and has had similar results. The team went 0-6-0 against No. 4 Minot State, No. 5 Jamestown and No. 17 Purdue Northwest.
Catching a break
This series is the only one that the Illini will play for nearly two months. The team doesn’t compete again until the new year, taking on Roosevelt in mid-January. Illinois’ spot in the standings over the long bye depends on its play this weekend.
The team currently occupies No. 4 in the Midwest College Hockey Division. With third-place Mary having a five-point advantage, the Illini can’t move up. This means that a poor weekend could lead to a far fall.
If Illinois gets swept, a real possibility given its patterned play this season, it could be leapfrogged by as many as three teams — McKendree, Midland and Northern Illinois — and enter the break at No. 7.
Illinois would hold onto its fourth-place spot by winning both games. A two-point weekend, combined with a single Midland win and a McKendree or Northern Illinois sweep, would drop the team to sixth.
A three-point weekend would guarantee Illinois enters the break no lower than fifth. In any case, the break will be especially welcome to senior goaltender Nolan Woodring, who has appeared in 19 of the team’s 20 games this season.
Woodring, the ACHA minutes played leader (1,129), has compiled an 8-8-2 record while posting a career-best 2.92 goals against average and .905 save percentage. The senior also recorded his first and only collegiate shutout against Michigan State in September.
The upcoming games will take place at Bloomington Ice Center. Puck drop on Friday is 7 p.m., while Saturday’s contest kicks off at 6:10 p.m.
