Pioneers Pull Off Win Over Redbirds

Illinois State University’s Division 3 ice hockey team played this weekend vs the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The Redbirds played a two-game home stretch at Bloomington Ice Center in downtown Bloomington on February 14th and 15th. The Pioneers were coming off a 5-3 loss against Olivet Nazarene University just the night before. The Pioneers were also left without a coach for both games due to an illness. Additionally, the first game did not have any referees scheduled. An employee from the ice center stepped up as well as an official referee who happened to be nearby the rink.

On Friday night, Payson Landaal of the Pioneers wasted no time scoring just one minute and 22 seconds into the first period of the game. The first period also gave the Redbirds their first powerplay of the night when Owen Friedow got a two minute penalty for roughing. 

The second period saw more action than the first with two Redbirds penalties by Aidan Krieble. His first for slashing and second for boarding. The period also saw another Pioneer penalty and another Pioneer goal. UWP got a penalty for too many men on the ice which was served by a benchwarmer. Halfway through the period Max Jonelle scored his first goal of the night for the Pioneers. 

Something happened in the ISU locker room between the second and third period because the Redbirds scored two goals in the third to tie the game. Sam Santangelo scored two minutes and 21 seconds into the third, closing the gap for the Redbirds. Nine minutes later, Reese Simkowski scores his first goal of the season to tie the game for ISU. The Redbirds’ third period comeback sent the game into overtime where Jonelle scored in just 38 seconds giving the Pioneers the 3-2 win over ISU.

Saturday night’s game had a more aggressive start than Fridays. Both teams wanted the win, the Pioneers for a sweep and the Redbirds to split. It was also the Redbird’s senior night. ISU honored the team’s three graduating seniors. Like the night before, UW-P opened the scoring in the first period when Cayden Erickson found the back of the net with four minutes and 17 seconds left in the period. The period had four penalties- two for each team. The ISU penalties included two minutes for cross-checking for Carter Gulyas and two minutes for interference to Peyton Enderle. The UW-P penalties went to Ashton Wendt for slashing and Cayden Erickson for hooking. 

The second period lived up to the energy of the first with four goals. ISU’s first of the game scored by Peyton Enderle. The other three goals were scored by Landaal, Jonelle, and Jace Lasco all for the Pioneers. Towards the end of the period, ISU called a timeout to swap goalies. Dion Pavlopulos let in 4 goals in the 37 minutes he played. ISU’s back up goalie, Cooper Darovic, played for the remaining 23 minutes. 

The third period had two more goals, one for each team. The Redbirds’ second goal was scored by Enderle with seven and a half minutes left. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, ISU pulled their goalie allowing Andrey Tougas to score an empty net goal for UW-P. ISU could not catch up, leaving the score at the end of the game 5-2. 

After Saturday’s game, when asked what could be taken away from the games played, ISU senior forward Aidan Krieble said, “I think we just need to come out harder. I think we just came out flat both games expecting a win. The only period we played that was any good was that sixth one of the weekend [third period of Saturday’s game] and that’s how we need to play every game.” Senior Nathan Gustafson, the captain of the team, says the team’s communication was off and even though the Redbirds did not play their best games this past weekend, they will work on it for playoffs this upcoming weekend. The Redbirds will be heading to St. Louis this weekend to play Nebraska in the first round of the MACHA Silver Championship Playoffs.