From McKendree Athletics
By Patrick Knapinski
O’FALLON, Ill. – McKendree University men’s d1 hockey (6-8-0, 4-4-0 MCH) swept the Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend, defeating the Tide on Friday, 7-3, and then making a massive comeback on Saturday to win, 5-4. The Bearcats had eight different goal scorers for the 12-goal weekend. McKendree will be back in action on December 2 and 3 at Northern Illinois.
Game 1 | Friday, November 11
The Bearcats went down 2-0 to the Tide in the first three minutes of play as Bama managed two quick scores over McKendree.
Freshman forward Rycol Davis began the scoring for McKendree in the eighth minute of the game, cutting the lead to just one score. Davis was assisted by senior defenseman Ryan Radke and junior defenseman Jerry Pan. Following the first break in scoring, the Bearcats put up five more goals in a row, making the lead flip to McKendree at 6-2. Freshman forward Alex Kent score the equalizer in the first period, off assists from fellow freshmen forwards Anson Smith and Ben Anderson. The game was tied at the end of the first.
Period two of the game featured four scores, which rounded out the six-straight goals for the Bearcats. Freshman forward Joe McCormick fired his score in the ninth minute of the period, receiving the assist from freshman forward Matias Alexandrov. Junior forward Brad Richardson put up his first score of the period in the 11th minute. Richardson was assisted by Anderson on the play which put McKendree up 4-2. Freshman forward Steven Brachert fired the fifth score of the game late in the period in the 18th off assists by freshman defenseman Trevor Voyda and Richardson. The fourth and final score of the second period came off another connection by Richardson and Anderson with Richardson scoring his second of the game.
The Crimson Tide made a comeback attempt in the opening minutes of the third period, scoring in the fourth to cut the lead to 6-3.
McKendree then tacked on its final goal via a second score by Voyda off the assist by frehsman forward Cade Rosansky.
Freshman goaltender Dylan Dallaire held net for full time with 25 saves on 28 total shots on goal.
Game 1 Scoring:
P1 | #71 Rycol Davis via #14 Ryan Radke, #6 Jerry Pan
P1 | #9 Alex Kent via #29 Anson Smith, #25 Ben Anderson
P2 | #23 Joe McCormick via #49 Matias Alexandrov
P2 | #21 Brad Richardson via #25 Ben Anderson
P2 | #81 Steven Brachert via #55 Trevor Voyda, #21 Brad Richardson
P2 | #21 Brad Richardson via #25 Ben Anderson
P3 | #55 Trevor Voyda via #16 Cade Rosansky
Game 2 | Saturday, November 12
McKendree went down early in the second game against the Crimson Tide with Alabama scoring in the first and then three time in the second period. Bama entered the third period with a 4-1 lead over the Bearcats. McKendree’s lone score prior was by freshman Nikita Eruslanov via Richardson and Brachert.
McKendree came storming back with three scores in the third period, tying the game at 4-4. The first comeback score was fired by Smith in the 14th minute off assists from McCormick and Rosansky. In the next goals were fired by familiar faces to the game and weekend as Eruslanov scored again with assists by Anderson and Pan while Richardson sent his goal off passes by Eruslanov and defenseman Connor Mullins. Richardson’s goal was the game-tying score, which sent it into overtime.
Smith became the hero in the overtime period for the Bearcats, as he fired the game-winner in the third minute via assist by junior forward Karsten Portell.
Sophomore Chad Purdy held the net in full time with 33 saves on the night.
Game 2 scoring:
P2 | #22 Nikita Eruslanov via #21 Brad Richardson, #81 Steven Brachert
P3 | #29 Anson Smith via #23 Joe McCormick, #16 Cade Rosansky
P3 | #22 Nikita Eruslanov via #25 Ben Anderson, #6 Jerry Pan
P3 | #21 Brad Richardson via #77 Connor Mullins, #22 Nikita Eruslanov
OT | #29 Anson Smith via #17 Karsten Portell
UP NEXT
McKendree men’s hockey will be on the road in its next bouts at Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Illinois on December 2 and 3.
(Originally published at https://mckbearcats.com/news/2022/11/13/d1-mens-hockey-weekend-wrap-mens-hockey-sweeps-alabama-in-homestand.aspx)
