IU ice hockey sweeps Southern Illinois on weekend

Freshman KC Madock and sophomore Chris Benz have known each other for a while.\nThey played hockey together in Chicago for two years. They are now roommates. \nAnd over the weekend, the two played crucial roles in IU’s two-game sweep of host Southern Illinois. IU (8-2-1) won convincingly Friday by a score of 6-3 and held on for a 4-3 victory Saturday.\nFriday night, Madock scored IU’s first hat trick of the season, with each goal coming off an assist from Benz. Madock’s first goal was IU’s fourth in the first period, as the team jumped on the Cougars (5-4). Junior forward Daniel Keeney and senior forwards Sam Adler and Dan Karlander each scored in the period.\nMadock provided the rest of the team’s scoring with a goal in the second period and another in the third to increase IU’s lead to 6-1. Two late Southern Illinois goals made the final score a little more respectable.\n“We were expecting a lighter opponent in Southern Illinois,” Madock said. “But they started playing well. They played a lot better in the second and third period. Their goalie stepped up and played well for the rest of the game and into the next game.”\nSouthern Illinois used the late momentum gained Friday to force a tougher game Saturday.\nWith a 2-2 tie going into the third period, Southern Illinois freshman forward Tim Dolan scored early in the third to give the Cougars their first lead of the weekend. \nAfter Benz scored a goal to tie the game with 10 minutes remaining, the teams played even for six minutes.\n With 3:15 remaining, sophomore forward Adam Logue dropped a pass between his legs to junior forward Adam Fishbein. Logue drew away both defenders, leaving Fishbein to convert an easy game-winning goal.\n“We were forcing it a lot,” Madock said. “It was because it was a closer game than we thought it should be. Southern Illinois played a lot better. I don’t really think it was a letdown for us from Friday.”\nThe teams traded goals in the first and second periods, with sophomore forward Joe Fornari and Madock scoring for IU. Madock’s second-period goal came on a give-and-go with Benz, and he finished the weekend with four goals on four Benz assists.\n“Friday night we were just clicking,” Benz said. “And Saturday was the same. We’re clicking better than anyone else on the team right now.” \nThe team has a bye week this week. They will rest up for the following two weekends, when they will play critical games against league rivals Ferris State and Grand Valley State, both Michigan schools.\n“Michigan guys are big, they’re tough, and they’re good,” Madock said. “They should be good series.”