Final Regional Weekend Highlighted by Thrilling Double OT Victory over UMSL

    The Fighting Illini (8-3-4, 10-5-4) entered their last weekend of regional play ranked #18 and with their final regular season game against #14 UMSL (8-7, 11-8). Illinois was 2-0 so far against the Tritons, but both victories came with the game-winning goal scored in the final minutes. With the two teams already destined to meet in the regional semi-finals, this was the final tune-up between the rivals.
    The game opened up with immense pressure from the Tritons as they were all over the Illini in their defensive zone. Strong play from netminder Jim DeGrado helped keep UMSL off the board, but halfway through the first the Tritons made it 1-0. The Illini seemed to gather themselves by the end of the period, though, as CJ O’Neil took a pass form Justin Acton and scored through a screen to knot the game at 1. UMSL again came out strong to start the second at made it 2-1 less than 2 minutes in, but the Illini were able to counter quickly as Adam Corazzi took a feed from Ben Brandsen, made his way to slot on a 1-on-1 and beat the goalie stick side with a slick wrist shot. Both teams traded chances for the remainder of the period, but only UMSL found the back of the net and ended the 2nd with a 4-2 lead. The Illini had a great chance to get back into the game starting the third as UMSL took a slashing minor at the end of the second, but failed to score and the momentum swung back in favor of the Tritons. They were able to crack the Illini defense twice in a minute and essentially put the game away early in the third after scoring those 2 quick goals. Illinois didn’t go quietly, but the Triton goaltender looked nearly unbeatable and held the Illini scoreless for the remainder of the game. UMSL finally defeated the Illini, 6-2, but the table now was set for what was probably the most entertaining playoff game of the weekend.
    Both teams returned to Midwest Sport Hockey in Ballwin, MO just over 24 hours later knowing that a spot in the Great Plains Championship was on the line. Illinois had just taken a beating at the hands of UMSL the day before and came out with an extra hop in their step to open up the game. Captain Zack Wand led the charge and drew a tripping penalty just 21 seconds in, setting up a prime opportunity for the Illini to strike first. Less than 30 seconds later, Acton would power a shot to net after the Illinois power play demonstrated excellent movement. The puck seemed to deflect off of the goalie, lay in the crease, and eventually made its way over the goal line to give the Illini a 1-0 lead. Illinois quickly drew another penalty, but the UMSL goalie nearly single handedly killed it off to keep the game at 1-0. The Illini continued to look strong, but a bad turnover halfway through the first led to an UMSL goal and a 1-1 tie. CJ O’Neil was able to provide the Illini with a great following shift, though, and ripped a snap shot far-side, post and in off of a mini-break in the slot to give Illinois the lead back. The Illini kept up the pressure with great play from Ben Brandsen, who eventually found himself on a 2-on-1 break. With zero hesitation he was able to just rip a shot low far side, and just like that the Illini already had 3 goals on the UMSL netminder heading in to the second.
    The Illini had just played one of their best periods all season, and opened the second looking to keep up the strong play. Both teams traded multiple scoring chances, as UMSL was looking to shoot the puck from just about anywhere. Goaltender DeGrado played a great period keeping the Tritons scoreless, but Illinois couldn’t score on multiple powerplays, including a 4 on 2, and also was stoned on some great point-blank opportunities as the second period finished without any goals for either team.
With a 3-1 lead to open the third, the Illini were just 12 minutes away from a date with Lindenwood in the final. Illinois was playing great hockey and keeping the Triton opportunities to the outside, and the first half of the third period featured multiple Illini chances. The Triton goalie shut the door on all of them, and UMSL would take a time-out with over 5 minutes left in the third. The Tritons came back with everything they had left, and controlled play on the Illini for back-to-back shifts while shooting just about everything from everywhere. DeGrado was able to make multiple big saves, but UMSL was able to pounce on a loose puck in the slot and fire a quick shot through multiple screens to pull within one with 2:58 left. The Illini needed a big shift to follow, but instead had a major defensive breakdown less than a minute later that gave UMSL a 2 on 1. DeGrado would make the first save, but no one was there to help him on the rebound as UMSL shoveled the loose puck home to tie up the game with less than 2 minutes left.
    Illinois would get a great break directly off the following faceoff as Matt DeGroot had his feet taken out from under him after pushing the puck forward. The Illini, with less than 2 minutes left to play, were now on the powerplay with a chance to reclaim the lead. After winning the draw, Brandsen would receive the puck down low on the goal line after some great puck movement form the powerplay unit. Looking to feed Adam Corazzi backdoor, Brandsen noticed the goalie’s stick taking away the passing lane and simply slid the puck 5-hole, giving the Illini the lead back with less than 1:30 to play.
    Now it would be UMSL’s turn to put the pressure on as they pulled their netminder and looked to control play for the remainder of the game. Illinois was keeping the shots to the outside while DeGrado was kicking the rebounds out of harm’s way. UMSL was able to gather the puck and break into the zone for one final rush with just under 10 seconds left, and a low shot on goal lead to a mad scramble in front of the net. Defenseman were on the ground, forwards were down low and just about all 9 skaters were within 10 feet of the net trying desperately to move the puck. As time winded down, an UMSL player was able to bat the puck on goal, and while DeGrado made the save, nobody was left to clear the rebound. The entire net was swarmed, and with just 1 second left a Triton player was able to bat in a rolling puck from the goal line, setting the table for one of the most incredible finishes in recent Great Plains Hockey memory.
    The first OT opened up with a little hesitation from both teams, but that quickly faded after a UMSL finally had a chance off of a good break out that led to an odd-man rush. DeGrado would shut the door, and from that point on both teams traded great opportunities but were cancelled out by terrific goaltending. Illinois would end up with some great chances as Wand, Brandsen, and Matt DeGroot seemed to be the best players on the rink aside from the goaltenders. The first OT would end scoreless, and with it being an elimination game a second 12-minute OT would follow. Again both teams showed no hesitation and continued to have multiple chances. DeGrado (who would finish would an astonishing 59 saves) would do his best Dominik Hasek impression as he rolled and poke-checked at the same time to thwart an UMSL 3 on 1, which lead to a 2 on 1 for the Illini the other way. The Triton goaltender would counter as well, and the teams continued to trade chances. Midway through the second OT Illinois was on the wrong side of an absolutely insane scramble in front of their own goal. With the puck in the crease, an UMSL forward tried everything he could to poke the puck in but Tommy Short saved the Illini season by diving and knocking the puck off of the goal line with his hand. With the referee shouting, “No, No!” Illinois kept playing as UMSL tried in vain to argue they had just won the game. The Illini followed with increased pressure, and the tide started to turn as the Illinois skaters seemed started to outskate the tired Tritons. DeGroot would have a couple more terrific chances playing with Wand, and Eric Placek and Adam Corazzi also had two separate two on one opportunities but couldn’t beat the UMSL goalie. Then late in the second OT, Brandsen (who was still playing just terrific hockey) called for a quick change after a hard shift. Chris Corazzi came in off the fly, and just a few seconds later corralled the puck over the center red line. Skating inside the zone with Wand behind him and seeing the defenseman playing deep, Corazzi slowed down and teed up a slap shot just outside the top of the faceoff circle. And after nearly 5 full periods of hockey, the clapper sailed in short-side and right under the UMSL goalie’s glove, sending the Illini bench and fans (4 of them) into a frenzy. Just like that, Illinois’ 58th shot of the game was a slapper to win the marathon Semi-Final tilt and give the Illini players probably the single greatest victory of their playing careers (thus far). Jim DeGrado finished as the #1 star of the game, stopping 59 of 63 shots over nearly 5 periods of hockey and giving Corazzi the chance to win the game.
    After basking in the ever-rewarding success of a double OT victory, the Illini were able to foam-roll out those legs, get some carbohydrates and protein back into their systems, and were ready to take on #1 Lindenwood in the regional final. While Lindenwood was undefeated, #18 Illinois was one of only two teams in the country to tie them and the only team to hold the Lions to just three goals in one game. Lindenwood had just beaten Illinois 9-1 in their previous weekend, but the Illini knew they could hang with the Lions. They just had to play like it.
    The Final started off with some quick chances from Lindenwood, but DeGrado was able to shut the door as the shots mainly stayed to the outside. While the Illini were playing great even strength hockey, the Lions would get a powerplay opportunity halfway through the period and eventually wear down the penalty kill unit to take a 1-0 lead. Illinois wasn’t going to be skated over like the last meeting, though, and answered just over three minutes later. Chris Corazzi took a pass in stride from Zack Wand while skating into the attacking zone and scored on a short side snap shot high over the glove from what seemed to be a bad goal line angle. The first would end 1-1, and Illinois was playing with the confidence necessary to hang with the Lions.
    The second period opened much like the first, but a quick slashing penalty behind the play gave Lindenwood yet another powerplay opportunity. Again it was a matter of time as the Lion powerplay unit, which just seemed to be too good, put home a back door one-timer to take a 2-1 lead. The Illini followed up the next shift with strong play, though, and about three minutes later Brandsen would again lead the charge on a 2-on-1. With the Lion defenseman taking away the pass, Brandsen took the shot all the way and ripped in another wrister far-side post and in to tie the game at two. Lindenwood fired back with some strong play, but the Illini countered and finally drew a penalty over midway through the second. Lindenwood would then take another penalty, and Illinois now had a 4 on 2 opportunity. With the powerplay unit tired, Adam Corazzi went to the bench looking for a quick drink. The back official had already put his hand up, though, and Corazzi simply called out “I’ll just get a drink after I score real quick.” Brandsen would win the draw, but a false face-off was called and Wand came in to take the draw again. The puck scooted to the slot off the drop, and Corazzi swooped in, fought through the two Lindenwood defenseman and smoothly put in a backhand to give the Illini a 3-2 lead. DeGroot was happily awaiting Corazzi with the water he earlier did seek, and his thirst was finally quenched after netting the goal he said he would. Illinois was still on the powerplay, but the Lion penalty kill outskated a tired Illini powerplay unit and created a two-on-one against Wand. A slick pass across the high slot left the Lion attacker with a temporarily open net, and he rifled in a one-timer to tie the game at 3. The score stayed that way to start to third, and again both teams were playing great hockey at even strength. The Lions gained momentum on the third shift of the period, though, after J.R. Domalewski blocked a shot with his back, dove to break up a two on one, but had to gut out the rest of the shift injured. Simply worn down, the tired Illini group finally caved and the Lions took a 4-3 lead. The game was still in reach, but the Illini again found themselves short-handed and the Lions were just licking their chops for another powerplay chance. Again they would score on the man-advantage and now had a 5-3 lead. The Illini needed a big shift to follow, but Lindenwood can kill teams once they have momentum. The Illini couldn’t get that big shift, and in 3 minutes the Lions were up 7-3. Matt DeGroot and Tommy Short took the floor trying to stop the bleeding, and Short was able to cause a Lion turnover that DeGroot capitalized on to bring the Illini back to within 3. Short then drew a penalty, and it seemed Illinois had a chance to get back in to the game. The Illini would take a tripping penalty, though, almost immediately after and that essentially ended any hope of a comeback. No one would score for the remainder of the game, and Lindenwood would ride special teams to claim the Regional Championship for God knows how many times in a row. But really, congrats to the Lions as they are one of the most respected programs (if not the most) in the country.
    Overall, the Illini played some of their best hockey of the season when the games mattered most. The defense and goaltending was fantastic (DeGrado had 59 saves in the semi-final game and 38 saves in the championship), and the offense was able to step up at clutch times until finally hitting a cog in the third against Lindenwood. However, the Illini showed that their 3-3 tie against Lindenwood was no fluke and that they can hang with the best teams on any given day. It would seem Illinois has made a strong case for an At-Large Bid at Nationals down in Fort Meyers, Florida coming up in April. Regardless, the entire Illini team, especially the seniors, should be proud of their accomplishments this season. Illinois went from a middle-pack, DII team four years ago to the second best team in the Great Plains Collegiate Inline hockey League, and has had one of the best seasons in club history thus far. Hopefully we can keep you all updated down in Fort Meyers!

Illinois Roster (Player and years with club)
Seniors – Zack Wand (C, 4), CJ O’Neil (4), Chris Corazzi (A, 4), Jim DeGrado (4), Anthony Lupo (2), Matt DeGroot (2)
Juniors – Justin Acton (3), Eric Placek (3), Tommy Short (2), Matt O’Neill (3)
Sophomores – Adam Corazzi (2), Dan Frankowski (1, Coach and Goaltender)
Freshman – J.R. Domalewski (1)
Graduate Students – Ben Brandsen (A, 3)

With the first semester in the books, it is about that time of year for an Illinois Hockey update. The Fighting Illini began the semester way back on Columbus Day Weekend, finishing as runner-up in the Third Annual Illini Invitational to the Michigan State Spartans. (Click here for the recap.) Illinois began the season with a couple new faces as Eric Placek, Matt O’Neill, and J.R. Domalewski joined the Division I squad. All three played up to expectations as O’Neill showcased his smooth hands and solid play in the corners, Domalewski began strong in his adjustment to this wonderful sport of roller hockey, and Placek showcased his high hockey IQ and defensive skills. While the injection of new personalities into a lineup is always a fun adjustment, the Fighting Illini also had to began the 12-13 season without three very unique teammates from last season. Ryan Musa (who currently is in a PhD program here at the U of I) had used his final year of eligibility, Russell Feathers moved out to begin real life in New York City (need I remind you he was the only member of our team to have his personality intertwined with the sport, he will be dearly missed. Also let’s hope his wrist is OK), and Marc Kulbersh made his way out to Florida to put his one-of-a-kind work ethic and determination to good use for the Orlando Magic (His hard work for the Club is still felt today, and for that we are thankful for all he has done). May we wish them all the best of luck as they pursue their professional careers and hopefully they will be back for Alumni Weekend. Now we shall continue on with our hockey update.

After going 1-4 in exhibition play, Illinois’ record would not be indicative of the confidence the team had in itself. Their lone win was 4-0 upset of the defending National Champion Bethel Wildcats, and that is a signature win for any team. While it not only proved the Illini defense could hang with one of the best offenses in the league, the game also showcased just how good Illini goaltender Jim DeGrado can be. Standing at an ever-intimidating 5’4”, the puck might as well have been a beach ball to him. I can still hear him laughing as he swatted away each shot with remarkable ease. However, even with the Illini rediscovering their swagger, the biggest question was still unanswered: could they bring it to Saint Louis and hang with two of the best programs in the NCRHA?

Illinois opened up regular season (GPCIHL) play against a team that had their number all of last season – the University of Missouri-St. Louis Tritons. In fact, some further digging showed that Illinois had not once beaten UMSL in the history of the club. This season’s Illini team isn’t like any other, though, with a number of seniors itching to prove something. One senior in particular is Captain Zack Wand, who was able to make the switch to offense after the Illini added Domalewski and Placek to stabilize the back end. While some were doubtful about the switch (myself included), it took one period to see that Wand had been unleashed from the shackles of defense. A dominating first period showcased a goal by Adam Corazzi off of a superb set-up from Wand, with multiple other scoring opportunities for that offensive duo. CJ O’Neil also tallied a goal, and Illinois began league play where they left off and were up 2-0 after the first period. The strong play continued from Wand and Corazzi, and Placek even joined the fun on offense with a seeing-eye shot from the shot after a great individual play to bust through the seams and split the defense. Illinois entered the third period up 4-2, but UMSL was not going away quietly. Just 2 minutes into the third period, the game was tied up at 4. It was only the first game, but last season’s woes seemed evident already this season. Wand and Corazzi had other plans though, as Zack again set up Adam to give the Illini a 5-4 lead late in third. With the goalie pulled, Illinois had to survive one last surge by UMSL to gain another signature win. But with just 8 seconds left in the game, UMSL was able to crack the Illinois defense with the 5 on 4 advantage and tie the game. Illinois was so close, but it seemed inevitable that they would still be unable to defeat UMSL. With 8 seconds left, though, anything was possible. Corazzi and Wand tried to win the faceoff forward, and before anybody knew what had happened all four UMSL players were rushing toward the Illini zone. However, there was just one problem: Wand had succeeded in winning the faceoff to Corazzi, who now was all alone by himself with the UMSL net minder. He couldn’t get the puck to settle down, though, and his shot careened of the goalie and was sent almost completely vertically into the air.  So close! But Wait! There might as well have been a Disney Camera Crew filming as, wouldn’t you know it, Wand was following the play and had his eye on the free-falling projectile. The entire Illini bench could only watch in what seemed to be slow-motion as Wand batted the puck right out of the air and into the yawning net, giving Illinois a 6-5 lead with no time remaining. Illinois had done the improbable, they had done something that they had never been able to do in years past: let victory slip through their fingertips but still find a way to snatch it back before it hit the floor. Wand finished with 2G and 3A, Corazzi with 2G, and DeGrado played stellar in net as the Illini beat UMSL for the first time in club history. There wasn’t much time for Illinois to enjoy the benchmark victory, though, as the most storied club in NCRHA history was waiting on deck – the Lindenwood University Lions.

It was but 3 hours later and the Fighting Illini were back in action against another opponent that they had never beaten throughout the history of the club. Lindenwood is the only university with more than one NCHRA Division I National Championship (and they have 7 of them), but this year’s Illini squad has already done two things it has never done before: they beat a defending national champion and also just had defeated UMSL. Could the Illini possibly handle with the most power juggernaut in the NCRHA? The answer was a resounding yes, as the Illini played toe to toe with the Lions to begin the game. There was no doubt that Lindenwood controlled the play, but they Illini overall team defense kept the scoring chances to a minimum and forced a couple of Lindenwood turnovers that led to some good scoring chances. DeGrado also made some outstanding saves, but he couldn’t keep the Lions completely off the board as the 13^th shot of the period deflected off his outstretched glove and into the goal with just under 30 seconds left. Despite the 1-0 deficit, Illinois entered the second with confidence and within striking distance. As the 2^nd period started, Illinois’ confidence grew as their strong back-checking and smart defensive play created even more opportunities. After drawing a penalty, the Illini went on the power-play with an opportunity to tie the game. As the man-advantage winded down, the tired power play unit was able to feed Justin Acton with a one-timer (on which he flubbed) that fluttered and sailed over the goalie’s shoulder, then deflected off the crossbar, and finally settled down in the back of the net to tie the game at 1. We’re not even sure Acton saw the puck go in as he was already heading for the bench and looking for a change as it clanked of the bar. Regardless, the Illini had tied the game up at 1.

Lindenwood followed quickly with pressure, but again the Illini were able to get the puck in transition and draw another penalty. On the ensuing power-play, Illinois nearly took a 2-1 lead when CJ O’Neil caught the puck near the crease and tried shooting it in, but it was ruled that he batted the puck in the air with his hand and not his stick. However, Illinois would draw yet another penalty. Tired of playing on the kill, Lindenwood seemed to get a little anxious and tried skating the puck up instead of clearing it to safety. Illinois forced a turnover, and a 3 on 1 followed as, wouldn’t you know it, Justin Acton netted his second power play goal of the period to give Illinois a 2-1 lead over the Lions. As improbable as it seemed, Illinois was still up 2-1 with less than 15 seconds left in the period when CJ O’Neil found himself on a 2 on 1 with Justin Acton. The Lion defenseman took the pass option away, and O’Neil was able to rifle a shot far side, off the post, and just over the goal line and celebrated what was probably the snippiest snipe of his roller hockey career as Illinois would enter the third period up 3-1. The scored stayed that way for much of the period as DeGrado absolutely stood on his head and the Illini defense did it’s best to keep limit the second and third opportunities. However, after taking the lead with the help of the man-advantage, Illinois found themselves in trouble late in the third period as Lindenwood was able to cut the deficit to 3-2 after scoring on a delayed penalty. Then, with almost exactly 2 minutes left, Illinois was whistled for a tripping penalty on scrum in the slot. Even though the Illini defense and DeGrado were exhausted, Jim was able to keep an upbeat attitude by doing his best impression of Jessie J’s “Domino.” However, it was going to take more than the lyrics of an above average pop diva to preserve such an improbable victory. Thirty seconds ticked away, then a minute. But with less than 40 seconds left on the man advantage, the 33^rd shot of the game found its way past DeGrado and Illinois could only watch as the Lions tied the game. The game would end 3-3, with Illinois coming just about as close as it gets to stealing the first regular season victory away from Lindenwood since 2004 (That’s almost a decade of nothing but regular season wins for the Lions). Still, this game only proved that Illinois indeed can hang with the best teams in the NCRHA, and that with DeGrado between the pipes, the sky is the limit for this years’ Illinois Roller Hockey Team.

The tryouts for the 2012-2013 season are going to be held at CRCE on:

• Monday, September 10th from 10:00 – 11:45 pm
• Thursday, September 13th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Please show up Monday at least half an hour early so you can sign in and get ready.  If you have any further questions please contact us.

Senior Marc Kulbersh has been honored with the “Outstanding Contribution to Roller Hockey” award for the Great Plains Inline Hockey League. Marc’s great leadership qualities on and off the rink are just the beginning of his contributions to the club. Marc has played a vital role in making the Illinois Roller Hockey Club all that it is today, and he was certainly well deserving of the award.  Marc will be graduating this year, and will be missed dearly. Read more here

The following teams have been issued bids to the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships, to be held at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, UT:

Chris Corazzi after his injury against Michigan State

I apologize for my lack of reporting on the Illinois Roller Hockey Team this
semester. While I would like to say I have a legitimate reason for not taking the time
to captivate the imaginations of all those who wish to read my vivid and inspiring
articles, I must say I simply have not made the time thus far. However, now that I
have a broken neck, I have a new appreciation for life and realize that I need to
make the most of my time here, and therefore have a renewed enthusiasm toward
fulfilling my lifelong dream as the guy who writes crappy recaps for Illinois Roller
Hockey. So, without further ado, I will begin recapping the season that was (and
will be), starting with our first regular season weekend of 2nd semester.

The Fighting Illini began the second half of their season against Saint Charles
Community College, a team they had beaten once already earlier in the season.
However, according to a fellow Great Plains Referee, (keep in mind we certainly
have the best officiating in the NCRHA and have the upmost respect for our fellow
GPCIHL officials; let’s take a moment to pause and give thanks to these hard-
working men) a SCCC player was heard saying that, “Oh, we knew Illinois was
terrible so we didn’t really think we’d have to try and beat them. They’re really not a
good team.” So, the Fighting Illini knew the Cougars had something to prove this
time around, but it didn’t help much with their on-rink play.

Saint Charles started the game with a crisp break out that lead to a 3-2 and
great quality scoring chance not even a minute into the game. Unfortunately for
Illinois, this was going to be a reoccurring theme. Throughout most of the first
period, the Cougars could set up and break out of their zone at will while Illinois
struggled to get any quality scoring chances. Nearing the end of the 1st, the Cougars
would net the first goal of the game and Illinois would start the second trailing by
one.

Thankfully for the Fighting Illini, there is a one Russell Feathers manning the
blue line. Feathers was a burly and intimidating stand-out defenseman from the
Cornel Big Red, and with his presence looming over the opposition, it was only a
matter of time before his offensive prowess was simply too much for the opposition.
Most unfortunately for the Cougars, Feathers was ready to unleash a rage of power
that would simply leave them helpless (with the help of Ben Brandsen, of course).
Brandsen was powering his way down low in the offensive zone when he couldn’t
help but notice a towering Feathers streaking in from the point. With a tape-to-tape
pass, Feathers caught the puck in stride and ripped a thunderous slap shot toward
the Cougar net. The look of shear dread on the goalie’s face would even make angels
cry, and the puck ricocheted in through his 5-hole at least 14 MPH, leaving
everybody on the rink searching for answers as to why this was Feathers’ first goal
of the season. After a first pump that said only could’ve said, “Now you’re my

b*#$%,” Russell lined up as if scoring was more familiar to him than the derivative
of X2. The Cougars, somehow seemingly unfazed by the monstrous display of
authority by Feathers, scored just 16 seconds later to take the lead, and added one
more to go up 3-1 heading into the third.

Illinois had no answer for the Cougars however and after the short
intermission, the SCCC scored again to start the third. While the game seemed to be
slipping out of reach for the Illini, Adam Corazzi found himself on a 1 on 1 with a
Cougar defenseman and had a plan of his own. After coming in on the hapless
defenseman from the middle of the slot, he cut over to the left and fired a shot low to
the right, catching the goalie off his angle and the tender could only wince in pain as
he watched the puck slid past him along the ground. A snipe of this ungodly nature
was a pick-me-up for Illinois, but still Saint Charles seemed to control play. DeGrado
continued to come up big, making numerous saves on odd man breaks and denying
the Cougars at point-blank range time and time again. The stellar play of DeGrado
would then set the stage for an Illini comeback of epic proportions. With two
minutes left in the game, DeGrado hustled off the bench for an extra attacker. After a
shot on goal led to an ensuing faceoff, the situation seemed bleak as the Illini hadn’t
one but a couple face-offs all game. However, you can throw all stats out the window
when the game is on the line, and a big face-off win by Justin Acton allowed Zack
Wand to rip a shot on goal from the point. Acton had moved to the back door, and
when the goalie failed to catch the puck, Acton picked the puck seemingly right out
of the netminder’s mitten to make the game interesting. Illinois again pulled the
goalie, and with just under 20 seconds left, SCCC had a chance to clear the zone but
temptation of an empty net seemed to be too much for the Cougars. With their
mouths salivating, Saint Charles tried to skate the puck out of their own zone for a
better chance to pad stats. CJ O’Neil would be in the high slot, and get his stick on the
puck however, and flicked the loose puck into the net knuckle-puck style to tie the
game at 4 in simply a bizarre turn of events. “That was the garbbest goal” was all
O’Neil had to say as he lined up for the ensuing faceoff simply laughing at how his
team could be outplayed so badly, yet here his heroics allowed Illinois to steal a
point.

Cj O'Neil and Ben Brandsen celebrate after netting a goal

The Illini opened conference play as a Division I squad for the first time since the 2007-08 season, and while expectations were high, the Fighting Illini really didn’t know what to expect from a semester of playing only the top teams in the Great Plains region. For their welcoming game into Division I, Illinois would square off against Lindenwood (26-1, Final 4 finish at Division I Nationals last season), who had beaten them by a combined score of 21-1 the past two seasons.

The game would start in typical Lindenwood fashion: obtain possession, run the breakout, and hit the other teams zone with speed and puck movement, and the rush normally ends with a 3-2 break and the puck in the back of the net. While the first period did mainly consist of this process, one thing was lacking: goals. While Lindenwood’s defense did a great job of beating Illinois forecheckers and carrying the puck into the zone while generating 3 on 2 rushes, the Illinois defense did a good job preventing most back door opportunities, and when they chances got through goaltender Jim DeGrado’s side to side movement was unbelievable, stopping multiple back-door opportunities as Illinois went in to the second only down 1-0.

The second period started with Illinois controlling the puck, and Justin Acton would eventually find himself down low in the corner. Without many options available, Acton decided to throw a shot low towards the net from a bad angle. The shot was looking as though it would go wide of the net, but Adam Corazzi, who was fighting for position in front with a Lindenwood defender, was able to get a stick on the puck as it was about a foot off the rink and deflect it in to the upper corner of the net to tie the game at one. The game would proceed tied for the next 5 minutes until Illinois was whistled for a penalty. Just 10 seconds later, a Lindenwood centering pass would deflect on an Illinois defender’s skate and ricochet past a hopeless DeGrado for a 2-1 Lion lead. Unfortunately for Illinois, this would spark a streak for Lindenwood where they would score 3 times in the next minute, and then add another right before the period ended for a 6-1 lead. Illinois would start the 3rd period ready to get back in the game, however, as Zack Wand would blister a slap shot past the goalie glove side 40 seconds in to make it 6-2. Two minutes later, Adam Corazzi would score again on a nice play with Ben Brandsen to cut the lead in half. However, Illinois would fall victim to another quick lapse, where they would see Lindenwood score 4 times in the next 3 minutes. Justin Acton would score twice in the final 3 minutes though as the final score ended with a 10-5 Lindenwood victory. For 31 of the 36 minutes, Illinois played Lindenwood to a great game. Had it not been for the 5 minutes of the ball rolling downhill, the game could have been a little more competitive.
Illinois Player of the Game: Jim DeGrado

The Illini were next slated to play Lindenwood Gold, which is Lindenwood’s top B team. After playing the Lions’ top team to a tough game the day before, Illinois was looking for a better outcome this time around.

The Illini’s second game started out with Lindenwood Gold winning the faceoff and setting up their offense from their own zone. From that shift on, it was evident that Gold was running the same system as the top Lion team. This time, however, Illinois was able to keep the Lions to the outside much more often than the game prior, and after DeGrado made a few big saves Ben Brandsen was able to give the Illini a 1-0 lead three minutes in after getting a pass from Adam Corazzi and scoring on a wraparound. Less than a minute later, Justin Acton would score a flukey goal while sliding the puck 5-hole off his backhand nearly from the goaline. Corazzi would add his own goal shortly after on the power play after his shot was blocked but took a crazy bounce up and over the Lion netminder. Acton would score his second shortly thereafter, and the Illini were up 4-0 before the Lions finally answered just before the end of the period.

Heading into the 2nd with a 4-1 lead, the Illini didn’t want to let up as it was evident the Lions had great offensive potential. The period started with Brandsen winning the faceoff, and a nice regroup to start the period by Anthony Lupo sent Brandsen and Acton in on a 2 on 1. As Brandsen looked off the defenseman, he fired a shot short side that bounced of the goaltenders arm and into the top corner for a 5-1 Illini lead 10 seconds into the 2nd. Just 20 seconds after that, DeGroot would cause a turnover in the Lions zone with the help of Brandsen and sent a low backhander through the goalie’s 5 hole for a 6-1 Illinois lead. However, Illinois quickly found out the Lions were not going away as two quick goals 30 seconds apart made the score 6-3. Acton would stop the Lions’ run 2 minutes later as he skated into the slot on a 1-1 and ripped a shot off the crossbar and in (glove side, of course) for a 7-3 lead. This only temporarily stopped Gold, though, as they would score twice more before the period ended to cut the Illinois’ lead to 7-5.

Illinois knew they had to relax and play their game heading into the third as all the momentum was swinging in favor of the Lions. The two teams played to a scoreless third until a nice pass by a Gold player split the Illini defense, leading to a breakaway goal to make the score 7-6 with 3 minutes left in the game. After a flurry of chances by the Lions and numerous stops by DeGrado, Zack Wand skated into the slot from left-side boards uncontested and sniped a shot off the far post and in, giving the Illini an 8-6 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Fighting Illini finished off the weekend with a showdown against Missouri State, who last season had beaten the Illini 9-2 in their only meeting. This season, however, would prove to be story of teams heading in two different directions.

The Illini started the game off strong, earning a quick power play. Shortly after heading to the man advantage, Anthony Lupo would take a pass from Zach Wand and net the opening goal for Illinois. Wand would score just two minutes later, with Adam Corazzi assisting on Wand’s first of 3 goals. The Illini heavily outplayed the Bears for almost the entire period, but Missouri State would ride their goaltender and find a way to score 2 goals before the period ended with a 2-2 tie.

Illinois started out the 2nd by dominating play, forcing the Bears into obstruction penalties and putting the Illini back on the powerplay. Zack Wand would score his second of the game quickly off the first powerplay, and then 2 more Missouri State penalties gave Illinios a 4 on 2. After the Illini didn’t get a shot for the first 30 seconds or so, Wand decided he had had enough and sent a wrist shot in high off the crossbar and straight into the net, giving him a hat trick along with a 3-2 lead. Still on the man advantage, Adam Corazzi would score on a one-timer after receiving a nice pass across the slot from CJ O’Neil. Acton would round out Illinois’ scoring for the period with Wand assisting, giving the Illini a 6-2 lead before the Bears would score two goals at the end of the period to pull within 2.

The Illini, who had been dominating most of the game but were only up 2, knew they had to play a solid third period to skate away with the victory. Just 2 minutes into the 3rd, Corazzi would take a pass from Lupo and skate into the slot from the corner, wristing a shot far to the blocker side giving Illinois a 7-4 lead. The Bears would answer a minute later, but the Illini would control play for the rest of the third and add an empty netter, giving them an 8-5 victory and a 2-1 record to cap their 1st regular season weekend.

Rink for 2011-2012 NCRHA Nationals

The National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association proudly announces the 14th National Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships, to be held April 11-16, 2012 in Salt Lake City, UT. Games will be played at the Utah Olympic Oval, site of the long track speedskating competition during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The event will bring 58 teams in 4 divisions (Division I, Division II, Junior College Division, and B Division) together to compete for the title of Collegiate Roller Hockey National Champion. The event will be hosted by the NCRHA, in conjunction with the Utah Olympic Oval, Visit Salt Lake, and USA Rollersports.

Teams will represent each of the seven Member Organizations of the NCRHA. Each Member Organization will receive an automatic bid to place one team in each division. The rest of the field will be selected at-large from around the country by the NCRHA Selection Committee on “Selection Monday,” March 5, 2012.

The format for the event includes three round robin games for each team, followed by a single elimination bracket round leading up to the National Championship games. A complete listing of the colleges and universities that will be represented, round robin pools and the game schedule will be available on the NCRHA website, www.NCRHA.org, in March 2012.

As the event nears, the NCRHA website will feature a dedicated section with event details. This will include block schedule, team invitations (bids), and travel information such as airport, hotel, rental car, local attractions, etc. The NCRHA and Visit Salt Lake will be working together to provide excellent local hotel options for teams and fans that will be available through an online booking system. Teams are advised not to book any hotels at this point, as all team hotel bookings must go through the official booking system for the event. More information on the hotel system will be available on NCRHA.org in early 2012.

The Utah Olympic Oval is a world class facility that features a huge open space with 2 hockey rinks situated end-to-end inside the speedskating track, full size locker rooms with showers, concessions and a retail store. Everyone will enjoy the large open space inside the building, with plenty of room to stretch your legs and enjoy the sponsor booths. The building is maintained at a constant temperature of 63 year-round, and has a dehumidification system designed to keep the humidity below 35%, rarely an issue in the arid climate. For the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships, the ice will be removed from the rinks and the tiles placed directly over the concrete.

Salt Lake City is an ideal location for an event such as the Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships. The city of over one million people features a vibrant downtown area and is just minutes from world class skiing, which can often be enjoyed in April. Home to a hub of Delta Airlines, there are over 800 scheduled daily flights serving over 100 cities with non-stop service. Located in a valley at 4,300 feet, the average daily high in April is 61 degrees, and the surrounding mountains soar to over 11,000 feet, providing striking scenery. Salt Lake City is also only a few hours’ drive from 21 national parks, such as Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and the Grand Canyon. World famous ski town Park City is a mere half-hour away as well.

The 2011 National Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships were held in Madison, WI, at Capitol Ice Arena. In Division I, California State University Long Beach (CA) claimed its 1st NCRHA DI title by defeating California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo (CA) by a score of 4-3. University of Miami (FL) claimed its first ever Division II championship by defeating Florida Gulf Coast University, by a score of 4-3 in double overtime. In the Junior College Division, St. Charles Community College (MO) claimed the title by defeating St. Louis Community College (MO) by a score of 3-2 in overtime. In the B division, Lindenwood University B (MO) took home the B Division National Championship by defeating West Chester University (PA) in yet another overtime game, by a score of 7-6. You can view all of the results from the 2011 National Collegiate Roller Hockey Championships, as well as those from 2004-2010 at www.NCRHA.org.

This will be the 14th consecutive year that college roller hockey will crown national champions, going back to 1999. It is first time that the event has been held in Utah, and the only the third time in the “mountain west.” Ft. Collins, CO, hosted the event in 2005, and Colorado Springs, CO, hosted the event in 2008.

The NCRHA is the recognized national governing body of collegiate level roller hockey in the United States. Organized into seven regions, over 190 teams represent 140 colleges and universities at the club sports level. The NCRHA is sanctioned by USA Rollersports.

The NCRHA would like to thank the following partners and sponsors for their continued support of this event and the growth of collegiate level roller hockey: Mission Hockey, Revision Hockey, Ace Jerseys, Rocket Puck, Utah Olympic Oval, Visit Salt Lake, and USA Rollersports.

For more information, stay tuned to www.NCRHA.org throughout the season.

Forwards Justin Acton and CJ O'Neil celebrate after netting a goal

Illinois Roller Hockey is back in season, starting off the 2011-12 campaign with the Second Annual Illini Invitational in Homer Glen, Illinois.  Both the Diteams were action, playing the maximum 5 possible tournament games and capping off the weekend with back-to-back championship victories over Bethel University.  The D1 team finished 4-1 on the weekend, while the B team’s championship victory pushed their record to 3-2. Overall, both squads showed tremendous improvement from the first game through their last, and there are plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about the Illini Roller Hockey Club heading into the first weekend of regular season play.

The Fighting Illini opened their pre-season against a familiar opponent in DePaul University (Division II), who they went up against in last year’s quarterfinals of the Illini Invitational. This year’s Illini squad, featuring six new players in Tommy Short, Anthony Lupo, Matt DeGroot, Russell Feathers, Ryan Musa, and Adam Corazzi, was slow out of the gate as there were some obvious adjustments that needed to be made playing on the much bigger Megaplex rink. DePaul came out hustling, and both teams battled to a scoreless tie to start the first period. About halfway through the first period, the Illini were in the midst of a solid shift in the DePaul zone when Lupo found himself with a clear shooting lane from the point. Firing a low slap shot, he found Adam Corazzi for the re-direct, giving the Illini their first goal of the season. Later in the first period, DePaul would tie the game on a 3 on 1 rush as Justin Claxton fed a teammate with a back-door saucer pass. The game would remain tied into the second period until CJ O’Neil ripped a nice wrist shot right under the crossbar on an Illini powerplay for a 2-1 Illinois lead. However, shortly thereafter DePaul answered again when an Illini turnover lead to a clean breakaway. The Illini would quickly regain the lead when Ryan Musa calmly tucked in a back door pass from Matt DeGroot, and the 2^nd period ended with a 3-2 Illini lead. The third period would be a much different story, though, as Illinois finally found their rhythm offensively and netted 3 more goals, skating away with a 6-2 victory over a very gritty and determined DePaul team.

Illinois’ next game was against Bethel, who many of the returning players feel was the best team they played at nationals last season. Even though the Illini had beaten the Wildcats 6-3 then, they went in knowing just how good Bethel is expected tough game. Bethel only reaffirmed Illinois pregame thoughts as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead less than 15 seconds into the game off a broken play that led to Bethel’s top scorer being left alone in the low slot against Jimmy DeGrado. The Wildcats would control play the rest of the period, and only the play of DeGrado, who was the Fighting Illini’s best player all tournament, kept the deficit at 1. The second period started the same as the Illini couldn’t muster much of anything offensively and were smothered by Bethel backcheckers. The Wildcats would double their lead when a Bethel forward picked up a loose puck off a faceoff and wristed in a sneaky shot right off the far post and in. The Illini didn’t have much of an answer all period, but Zack Wand was finally able to get Illinois on the board when he skated into the Wildcat zone, weaved through a defender and then fired a wrist shot against the grain to the goalie’s stick side. Bethel would quickly answer Wand’s great play when an Illini defender in-avertedly redirected in a Wildcat pass past DeGrado, and a tough luck play reestablished the Bethel two goal lead. The Illini went down a man at the end of the period, and Bethel started the 3^rd with a man-advantage, quickly passing through the Illini box and netting their 4^th goal on a one-timer. Illinois never mustered much offense the rest of the period, but DeGrado was able to make enough stellar saves to keep the score much more respectable than it could have been. Bethel skated off with a 4-1 victory, improving to 2-0 while dropping Illinois to 1-1.

The Illini would finish off pool play against Illinois State University (Division II), who they had beaten 10-0 twice last season. The Fighting Illini were also playing with a chip on their shoulder after being outworked and outplayed by Bethel, and this had the making of a runner from the beginning. The Illini were able to beat the Red Bird defenders all game, with plenty of crisp passing while breaking out, re-grouping, and especially in the offensive zone. Plenty of Illini players got in on the offensive action, and Illinois breezed to a 10-0 victory after two periods, setting up a rematch with Illinois State Sunday at noon.

With the Division 1/II bracket only consisting of 4 teams, the #2 seeded Illini played the #3 seed ISU Redbirds in a rematch for a chance at the championship. Much like their previous game, Illinois was simply better in all facets of the game and skated away with another 10-0 victory after two periods, but Kulbersh was in net this time and made a few key saves late in the 2^nd period to preserve the shutout. Bethel also went on to defeat DePaul, setting up another rematch for the championship.

Working their way to a 3-1 tournament record, Illinois was slated to play against 4-0 Bethel University in a rematch for the title game. After the Illini’s poor offensive effort in round robin play, they changed up their mentality heading into their final game, but how big of a difference could it make? At first, it didn’t seem like much. Bethel won the opening faceoff and proceeded to make their way in to the Illini zone, where they immediately caused trouble for the Illini defenders. Just 25 seconds in to the game, a Bethel player was left all alone in front of DeGrado and would pick up his own rebound to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead on the first shift of the game. However, this time around the Illini would call for a quick line change and prove today was going to be much different from their previous game.

After winning the faceoff the Illini entered the zone, giving Ben Brandsen the chance to corral the puck and fire a nice pass from the hash marks to Tommy Short in the high slot, who quickly one-timed the pass and watched with the rest of the Illini team as the puck nicked off the crossbar and dropped in to the goal for a vital answer to Bethel’s quick start.  Illinois wasn’t done, however, as the same offensive duo would win the faceoff and establish possession again for the Illini, where Chris Corazzi would carry the puck in after some nice passing. Looking to the slot where Anthony Lupo had found time and space, Corazzi found him with a soft pass and Lupo let a wrist shot fly low glove, giving the Illini a 2-1 lead just 1:30 into the game. Illinois would continue solid play the rest of the period, but a hooking penalty late gave Bethel a chance on the powerplay. After winning the faceoff, Bethel established control in the Illini zone and kept looking for the cross-rink pass, but the Illini penalty killers did a good job of covering the slot. Finally, the top man of the Bethel diamond decided to shoot it himself, and a quick wrist shot found its way into the top corner of the net and past a screened DeGrado, knotting the game at two heading in to the second period.

The second period started and continued at the pace of the first – with the Illini possessing the puck more and slowing the game down, helping to subside the quick and potent Bethel offense. Most of the Wildcat’s opportunities came on rushes up the rink, and the Illini defense did a good job of keeping them to the outside – but when Bethel did find a path to the net, DeGrado was there to knock away any scoring opportunity. Midway through the 2^nd after working the puck around in the offensive zone, CJ O’Neil would find Russell Feathers cutting across the upper slot with a crisp pass. Feathers cradled the pass and wristed a shot low and on net, and the puck would deflect off the Bethel defenseman and end up in the back of the net for a 3-2 Illinois lead. However, just a few minutes later the Bethel possessed the puck in the Illini zone with a chance to tie the game. Illinois was keeping the Wildcats to the perimeter, so a Bethel forward decided to put everything he had into a slap shot from the outside top of the circle, and it was an absolute bomb. DeGrado didn’t have a chance as the puck sailed in right off the corner of the crossbar and side post, and it appeared the 2^nd period would end in a 3-3 tie. However, with just 10 seconds left in the period, Illinois would find themselves with a golden opportunity to take the lead as O’Neil caused a Bethel turnover which led to a 3 on 1 Illini break in front of the Wildcat cage. Matt DeGroot ended up with the puck in the high slot and found Chris Corazzi with a back door feed to give the Illini a 4-3 lead heading into the 3^rd period.

The 4-3 lead to start the period was sharp contrast from the 3-1 hole the Illini remembered from the night prior. As this game was neck-and-neck through two periods, it was only fitting the game would come down to a thrilling third period. Illinois continued to play their game, and the increased time of possession lead to many more scoring opportunities, but the Bethel netminder kept the score 4-3. With 7 minutes left in the 3^rd, the Illini were whistled for a high sticking minor, giving Bethel a shot at tying the game on the powerplay. Once again the Illini penalty killers focused on keeping the Wildcats to the outside and preventing the cross-rink pass through the penalty kill triangle. However, after working the puck around and not finding the one-timer, the top man of the Bethel diamond simply fired a shot on net that was beautifully tipped in front, giving Bethel their second powerplay goal of the game and tying the game at 4 with less than half a period to play.

The stage was now set for a memorable championship finale, as the next team to score would most likely skate away as the second annual Illini Invitational Champion. Back and forth action continued, and the Illini established good possession in the Bethel zone that led to a shot on goal but a Wildcat save. The ensuing faceoff was to the left of the Bethel goalkeeper with O’Neil slated to take the draw. He won the face-off forward and to the left towards DeGroot, who quickly grabbed the loose puck and fired a deceptive shot that would never leave the rink surface. The Bethel goalie never saw it coming and was left looking on in shock as DeGroot gave Illinois a 5-4 lead. Unlike their previous game, Bethel was now forced to take chances late in the game in a desperate attempt at a comeback. Illinois played to the same strengths that had gotten them their lead, and the Illini possessed the puck for much of the final minutes of the game, nearly taking a two-goal lead on multiple occasions only to be denied by the Wildcat goaltender. Bethel finally was able to establish control in the final minute with the goalie pulled, but a desperate rally was shut down when DeGrado made a save on a slap shot with 10 seconds left and Zack Wand cleared the rebound toward the corner, allowing time to expire. Plenty of pushing and shoving ensued as both team were still quite heated from such a competitive and even-played game, but things would eventually settle down and the Fighting Illini celebrated a thrilling, well-earned 5-4 victory over an extremely talented Bethel squad. It was a fantastic finish to the second Illini Invitational Tournament, and one can only hope that these two teams will meet again given how exciting and intense the games are each time Bethel and Illinois compete.

Weekend notes:

The Illini are 4-1 on the season as opposed to a 3-2 start last year. However, three of their four wins were against Division II opponents as the Illini are Division I this season…Anthony Lupo and Adam Corazzi racked up hat tricks against ISU but were only a small part of the offense as the Illini are now 4-0 with 40 goals scored and zero goals against in their last four games against ISU…In the finale against Bethel, four of the five goal scorers were new additions to the team as Tommy Short, Anthony Lupo, Russell Feathers, and Matt DeGroot all potted goals, with DeGroot netting the game winner…goaltender Jim DeGrado was 2-1 on the weekend with a stellar 2.67 GAA and was Illinois’ best player down the stretch. Marc Kulbersh went 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA.

Second Annual Illini Invitation will take place Columbus Day Weekend in Homer Glen, IL

Get your feet wet before the games start going in the wins and loss column’s! This will be a Pre-Season Kick-Off event to the upcoming 2011-2012 NCRHA season.  It will take place Columbus Day weekend of October 8^th and 9^th at the Homer Glen Megaplex. The Megaplex is located at 15301 S. Bell Road, Homer Glen, IL 60491. The early October weekend was set in place so your club can get your preliminary rosters set and to allow you multiple weeks before the regular season starts to make adjustments. The Invitational is targeted towards all teams in the NCRHA. The tournament will be divided into upper and lower divisions based upon the teams competing. Divisions are subject to change based on the amount of pending teams committed to each bracket. Confirm your team’s entry today to guarantee a spot in the tournament!

Tournament is as follows:

* Each team is guaranteed a minimum of 3 games plus playoff advancement
* Games will be played via the NCRHA rules, except they will be played with three 15-minute periods with running time
* Participating teams receive an Inline Warehouse 10% Off Team Discount!
* In addition to trophies, 1st place teams in each division are awarded:
$100 Gift Card and Under Armour gear compliments of Inline Warehouse!
* Registration fee is $375
* A club with 2 teams receives a $50 discount. Two Referees and scorekeeper costs are included.

Email Tom Fussner at tomfussner@yahoo.com to register by the deadline below. If paying by check, include a note in the envelope with your name, team, email address and phone number. Feel free to contact us anytime via email or at 314 503-4467.

Location:
The Homer Glen Megaplex
15301 S. Bell Road, Homer Glen, IL 60491.

The deadline to register is Friday, September 23rd, 2011.