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TechnographIllinois beats Fredonia State
By Dan Berrigan
Posted: 10/5/04 Section: Sports
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Sophomore goaltender Mike DeGeorge was unbeatable this weekend in two wins against Fredonia State - 5-0 and 9-0.
In Friday's game, the Illini peppered Fredonia State senior goaltender Ryan Brennan with 15 shots in the first period, but ended it with just a 1-0 lead on a short-handed goal by senior forward Scott Kohler.
At the other end of the rink, the Illini allowed Fredonia State several good scoring chances, and some spectacular saves by DeGeorge allowed the Illini to hold the lead at the break.
In the second period, Illinois extended its lead when sophomore forward Phil Gerber's slap shot trickled past Brennan. Freshman forward Drew Heredia then gave the Illini some distance with his first career goal later in the period.
After two more goals in the third, the horn sounded and DeGeorge recorded his first shutout in his career, which he credits to defense.
"We've got a good rookie squad of defensemen this year. They're defending well and listening real well out there," DeGeorge said.
Saturday's game saw the same slow start for the Illini offense, which only scored once on a whopping 23 shots.
However, the Illini lit up the Blue Devils in the second, scoring six goals on ten shots, while DeGeorge once again kept Fredonia State scoreless.
Head coach Chad Cassel took DeGeorge out at the start of the third in order to get a look at freshman goaltender Marcos Montoya, who completed the shutout weekend for the Illini.
Despite two lopsided victories, Cassel still believes the Illini have problems to fix.
"We had a lot of defensive breakdowns," he said. "They didn't sustain a lot of offensive pressure, but when they did, we had problems. So that's definitely an area to improve on."
Saturday's game also allowed Cassel to get a better look at the Illini's rookie class.
"I thought (the rookies) played very well. It was a nice way to get started, but we still have a lot of work to do," Cassel said. "Yeah, we were able to put nine goals up on the board, and five (Friday), but we had a ton of shots in the first period, and one goal."
In Friday's game, the Illini peppered Fredonia State senior goaltender Ryan Brennan with 15 shots in the first period, but ended it with just a 1-0 lead on a short-handed goal by senior forward Scott Kohler.
At the other end of the rink, the Illini allowed Fredonia State several good scoring chances, and some spectacular saves by DeGeorge allowed the Illini to hold the lead at the break.
In the second period, Illinois extended its lead when sophomore forward Phil Gerber's slap shot trickled past Brennan. Freshman forward Drew Heredia then gave the Illini some distance with his first career goal later in the period.
After two more goals in the third, the horn sounded and DeGeorge recorded his first shutout in his career, which he credits to defense.
"We've got a good rookie squad of defensemen this year. They're defending well and listening real well out there," DeGeorge said.
Saturday's game saw the same slow start for the Illini offense, which only scored once on a whopping 23 shots.
However, the Illini lit up the Blue Devils in the second, scoring six goals on ten shots, while DeGeorge once again kept Fredonia State scoreless.
Head coach Chad Cassel took DeGeorge out at the start of the third in order to get a look at freshman goaltender Marcos Montoya, who completed the shutout weekend for the Illini.
Despite two lopsided victories, Cassel still believes the Illini have problems to fix.
"We had a lot of defensive breakdowns," he said. "They didn't sustain a lot of offensive pressure, but when they did, we had problems. So that's definitely an area to improve on."
Saturday's game also allowed Cassel to get a better look at the Illini's rookie class.
"I thought (the rookies) played very well. It was a nice way to get started, but we still have a lot of work to do," Cassel said. "Yeah, we were able to put nine goals up on the board, and five (Friday), but we had a ton of shots in the first period, and one goal."
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