Cougars Sweep RMC-Peoria 9-0, 8-3

The Cougars faced an opponent last weekend that many teams have taken lightly in RMC-Peoria. #7 ranked Illiinois, like SIUE's Silver team, could only muster a split against this Silver Division opponent, and the Cougars Gold squad made sure that wouldn't happen at the East Alton Ice Arena. The Cougars quickly took control of Game 1, as former Rockford Icemen Alex Edwards and Brandon Janczak tallied in a dominant Cougar first period, taking a 2-0 lead and a 24-3 shot advantage into the locker room. Kendall Price would not join the Cougars for the remainder of the series, as he sustained an "upper-body" injury. Tim Dolan and John Wright (2) would add more offense in the second stanza, putting SIUE up 5 after 40 minutes. The scoring barrage continued just 3 minutes into the 3rd, as Mike Dolan and Traig Henson would score in the final period. Jared Ippolito, who has been white hot as of late, didn't agree with the goaltenders postioning of the water bottle atop the net, so he decided to move it with a blast from 17 feet out, over the right shoulder of Peoria netmider Jake Burge. Ippo scored his first of two 4 minutes earlier in the period. Brandon Becker continued his shutout streak, now at 121:06, in the 9-0 win, stopping 32 shots. The Cougars ended the night with 71 shots on goal.

Ippo Hits a Slam in Game 2

SIUE would not stop the offense from game 1, scoring 8 more times on Saturday afternoon in an 8-3 victory, completing the series sweep. While scoreless after 1, SIUE poured it on in the middle frame. Jared Ippolito and the SIUE Cougars are giving the maintainence crew at East Alton more work restringing nets, as the Cougar twigs are on absolute fire at home scoring 36 goals in their last 5 games at home. Ippolito would score 4 on this night along with Mike Dolan's duece rounded out by John Wright and Tim Dolan's single strikes. Luke Venker played well, making 31 of 34 saves in his 8-3 victory. The Cougars Gold will face crosstown rival McKendree University to finish the regular season.

Quick Hits

• The Cougars are 18-0-1-1 in games in which Mike Dolan gets at least 1 point
• For the first time in Cougar History, All Goaltender's (Gold and Silver) records are at .500 or better
• The Cougars have been dominant in the 3rd Period, outscoring their opponents 64-19
• Jared Ippolito has scored 7 goals in his last 3 games
• Alex Edwards and Mike Dolan are tied for the BSC Award with 2 Empty Net goals each
• In his last 2 games, Brandon Becker has stopped his last 55 shots (2-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 Sv %)
• The Cougars Gold have yet to lose on a Saturday this season.

Gold Dances Away with a Split vs. #12 Iowa

Consistancy has not been an issue with the Cougars Gold squad this year, as they have out played their opponent in nearly all of their games prior to a weekend set against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Plagued with plates of poor food from Boston's Bar and Grill, located just across the street from the Confort Inn and Suites in Coralville, IL, many Cougars spent their pregame in the restrooms of the Coral Ridge Mall, refunding their meals one way or another, both before and during Game 1. They played they way they felt, giving up 2 goals in the first and 4 goals within a 3 minute span in the second period. The Hawkeyes dominated the second period, putting 28 shots on Brandon Becker and Luke Venker, who came in relief of Becker late in the middle frame. Iowa would end up with a 7th goal midway in the 3rd period, as 7 different players found paydirt behind Becker and Venker. John Wright (unassisted) would end Jeremy Posner's shutout bid with :15 left on the clock, in the 7-1 loss.

Ippolito, Cougars Find Redemption in Game 2

After the distaster that was Game 1, the Cougars rested with the benefit of a late afternoon game on Saturday. The Gold squad came out with more jump early in the 1st, and played to an even 0-0 score after the first 20 minutes of play. Both teams were digging deep, and on this day SIUE would strike first. Crashing the net on an odd man break, Jared Ippolito pounded home a stray puck through a party in the crease, putting the Cougars on the board first with just over 4 minutes remaining in the middle frame. The scoring for the period would end there, but the tenacity continued, as both teams would make the goaltenders fight for every puck, with mini-scraps after each covered puck.
Team defense proved pivotal in the 3rd as Iowa poured on the pressure in the SIUE end, as forwards blocked incoming point shots, and well positioned sticks took out the passing lanes of backdoor Hawkeye attempts. Adam Gernigan (from #16 Ippolito) would give the Cougars some breathing room streaking down the left wing boards and firing a shot between the pads of Iowa netminder Will Dodge, giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead. Mike Dolan (from #9 Dolan) would add to his bullshit career, adding an empty net goal to give the Cougars a 3-0 victory. Brandon Becker was steady between the pipes, keeping all 23 shots out of the net.