When the Illini hit the ice in their season opener this Friday against the McKendree Bearcats, they will do so in a new conference. This season is the first for the Illini in the Midwest College Hockey Conference. The team had previously been competing independently. Illinois will play in the Eastern Division along with Iowa State, McKendree, Northern Illinois and Illinois State. The Western Division comprises Minot State, Jamestown, Mary, Midland and Waldorf.
The final American Collegiate Hockey Conference poll of last season ranked the Illini 43rd. This put them lower than new division rivals Illinois State (15), Iowa State (24) and this weekend’s opponent, McKendree (28). The teams met four times last season. The Bearcats won thrice and outscored the Illini by a combined eight goals.
In last year’s series opener, the Bearcats notched a 3-2 win in a back-and-forth game thanks to a third-period goal by Noah Scrum. The Illini held on against a pair of third-period Bearcat goals to secure a 3-2 win of their own in game two.
McKendree was much more dominant when the teams next met this past February. The opponents won 8-3 in the opening game, and 4-1 the next night.
Returning for the Illini this season are four of last year’s top-five scorers. One of which is senior center Alexander Matveev, who led the team with 27 points. Junior winger Gregory Etingen, senior defenseman Atticus Helfer and sophomore winger Anthony Varrassi also return this season. All four lit the lamp last season against the Bearcats, with Helfer scoring twice.
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The team did lose some major pieces, however. Center Alek Bogdonoff, who scored nine goals last season, and starting goaltender Ben Mazurek, who played in 22 games both completed their time with the Illini. Senior Nolan Woodring will take over for Mazurek in net after posting a .906 SV% and 3.09 GAA in 524 minutes as the backup last season.
The first game takes place on Friday at 7:45 p.m. The Saturday night contest is set to begin at 7 p.m. Both games will be held at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex.
