Club hockey advances to ACHA nationals
They came into Chicago with the hopes of winning a pair of games and earning a chance to play for nationals.
Now, the CMU club hockey team can start packing its bags with T-shirts and suntan lotion after this weekend.
The team started their first game Saturday against Illinois State, running on adrenaline as the puck dropped on center ice. It didn’t take long for them to find themselves on the scoreboard, when in the first period captain Jordan Jakubik scored the game's first goal and gave CMU a 1-0 lead.
In the second period, Illinois State tied the game but CMU answered back with two goals and held a 3-1 lead going into the third period. Then it took over with, an explosion of offense and scored four more goals in the third to put the game out of reach and kept their championship hopes alive.
“We were all excited for the opportunity,” said Jakubik, who scored two goals and added an assist. “ We knew we just needed one more win to go to San Jose.”
After winning their first game Saturday, CMU drew Southern Illinois University for Sunday's game. Right away, the offense picked up right where they left off and the team scored three goals in the first period. Costly penalties and a penalty shot let Southern Illinois battle back into the game in the second period, tying the game at 5.
SIU then added another goal in the third to take the lead and and apparent control of the game. Lesnau answered back with a goal of his own, while Jakubik scored an empty net goal to secure the win.
Jakubik finished the game with three goals and one assist, while Lesnau had one goal and three assists.
CMU won both games and is now going to San Jose, Calif., later this month for a chance to win the American Club Hockey Association National Championship.
“We started the year off a little shaky but we came together and everyone did their roles,” Lesnau said. "It's almost unreal. It took five years to get here, but I couldn’t ask for a better team to go with.”
Head coach Mike Willett also credits great goaltending from freshman Matt Darr for winning the two games in Chicago. Willett’s first year as head coach has been nothing but successful as CMU prepares to make the trip out west.
“He has been a great coach and is committed to his job and that is what this team needs,” Lesnau said. “He knows the game well, everyone respects him and I wouldn’t want any other coach to lead us at nationals.”
No one on the team has ever been to nationals before, but CMU looks to combat the inexperience with hard work at practice and keeping in shape during the time off on spring break.
CMU will have to be on top of their game to go to nationals and be competitive.
“We got to play consistently well in every game and play with no mistakes,” Willett said. “It's going to be a higher level of competition and a good challenge for this team.”
Nationals begins March 15th with a total of 16 teams playing for the championship. CMU will be placed in a four-team pool, with the leader of the round robbin-style pool will be placed in the semifinals.
"If someone would have told me this would have happened in August when we picked the team, I would have called you crazy,” said junior Nick Badder. “We bought into what the coach said and now we are California bound. Our work isn’t done though, (it's) time to work even harder and win nationals.”
