Fifth-seeded Illinois moved into the second-round of the Central States Collegiate Hockey League tournament with a 5-1 win against fourth-seeds Iowa State Friday afternoon at Bird Arena.
The Cyclones controlled most of a first period in which they outshot the Cyclones 9-5. But in a pattern that would continue throughout, Illinois got the only goal of the period on a power play when Andrew Cardona scored off a juicy rebound.
Illinois then took over the goal with four straight goals in the second, outplaying an increasingly shocked-looking Iowa State. Mike Evans, Cardona, Joe Sullivan and John Scully got the goals, with the middle two coming on a five-minute power play. The Cyclones were able to claw one back late in the period through Jon Feavel to make it 5-1.
But Illinois did a good job of limiting Iowa State’s opportunities in the third as the period went scoreless. The closest the Cyclones came to scoring was late in the period when they rang one off the pipe.
Illinois net minder Dan Rooney made 24 stops in goal as Iowa State actually outshot the Illini 25-23. Iowa State goaltender Paul Karus let in four goals on 12 shots before being pulled mid-way through the second in favor of Jared Anderson, who stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced.
The Illini will have to wait for the remaining two games to play out to learn of their second-round opponents. Third-seeds Robert Morris will take on sixth-seeds Indiana at 4 p.m. Friday, followed by second-seeded Ohio and seventh-seeded Kent State at 7:30.
cd211209@ohiou.edu