This weekend will be Zachary Danna’s first time in net all season for the Illinois hockey team; however, it won’t be his first time playing for head coach Nick Fabbrini.

For two years at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois, Danna played goaltender while Fabbrini was an assistant varsity coach. At Fenwick, Fabbrini rarely worked with Danna because his main focus was dealing with forwards. This weekend will be different, however, as Fabbrini’s attention will be on the sophomore in net when Indiana (5-9-1) comes to the Big Pond to face the Illini (13-7-1).

“He has definitely come a long way,” Fabbrini said. “He is a great kid and a big part of our team here, one of the favorites in the locker room I think. I’m looking forward to his opportunity to play this weekend.”

Junior Joe Olen, who typically starts for Illinois in goal, will not play this weekend for precautionary reasons related to a groin injury. Sophomore Zev Grumet-Morris, who has appeared in nine games this season, will also play in goal this weekend.

This weekend is an opportunity for Danna to showcase his talent as a netminder and the Illini to add six points in the standings against a struggling Indiana opponent and end the first semester on a high note.

“We definitely want to go out and finish strong, especially against Indiana,” freshman James McGing said. “It’s a team we should beat, so not getting the points would be a pretty big disappointment. It’s definitely a big weekend as far as momentum goes.”

McGing, who is second in points for Illinois with 17, has been a catalyst on the offensive end for Illinois. This week, however, defense was the focus for the Illini.

Last weekend, in a split against Robert Morris, Illinois tested its zone defense. Since the Illini primarily play man-to-man coverage due to the Big Pond’s larger rink size, Illinois struggled. The Illini have been working on zone and man coverage this week but are expected to play man defense at home this weekend.

“A big point of emphasis for us is going to be taking care of the d-zone after giving up six goals on Saturday night,” Fabbrini said. “It’s been pretty good up until that point, so we’re just going to tighten a few things up.”

Robert Morris’ six goals that the Illini allowed in last Saturday’s overtime loss were the second most the team has given up all season. This weekend, the defense has a chance to redeem itself, and Danna will have his first chance to help out.

Despite not having any game experience this season, Danna feels he is ready. He has spent time mentally focusing as well as fine tuning his fundamentals, so by this weekend’s semester finale, he is prepared to make the most of his opportunity.

“This is my first opportunity all season to play,” Danna said. “I want to come out, have a great game, and show coach that I’m ready to step up and play at this level.”

Matt can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter

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