Top-ranked Illini remain undefeated

After a three-week layoff, the top-ranked Illinois hockey club continued its winning ways against No. 17 Western Michigan, earning a hard-fought 5-3 victory Friday before blanking the Stallions 4-0 on Saturday to remain undefeated.

Alex Park and Brad Hoelzer each netted two goals in the series, while goaltender D.J. Kohler turned aside 11 shots and recorded his third shutout in game two.

Despite Illinois' dominant stretches of possession, outshooting the Stallions 108-26 on the weekend, each game remained close into the final period. On Saturday, the Illini failed to score in the first period for the first time at the Ice Arena since Oct. 6 against Central Oklahoma.

"We came out kind of sluggish, like we expected to beat them," said Hoelzer, a sophomore defensemen.

Late goals allowed the Illini to pull away. Illinois scored twice Friday to break a 3-3 tie and added three goals to a 1-0 lead in the final 14 minutes Saturday.

"We picked up our physical aspect," Hoelzer said. "That allowed us to move our feet more, spread the ice out and play our game."

Power plays also proved crucial to finding the net. The Illini scored six times in the series following a Western Michigan penalty, converting on 40 percent of power-play opportunities.

"All weekend we spent a lot of time on the power play," head coach Chad Cassel said. "Special teams are big, and we took advantage of our opportunities."

Cassel credited the Illini's resiliency in defeating a "very good" Western Michigan team.

"The thing about this team is we've found ways to win even when we're not playing well," Cassel said.

It was a weekend of firsts for freshman Daniel Cohen. The winger collected three assists in the series and scored his first career goal Friday. Despite seeing action every game this season, Cohen was scoreless in his first 13 games.

"The guys were giving me some grief about (not scoring)," Cohen said. "It was definitely good to get it out of the way."

The Illini will face Illinois State next weekend in the final series of 2007. At 15-0-0, Illinois will have a chance to take an unblemished record into break for the second time in the last three years.

"That's huge," Hoelzer said. "It just gives you so much confidence when you come back for the second semester."