Club hockey opens regionals against Illinois State
For the fourth time in five years, the CMU club hockey team find itself going to regionals.
This weekend, the seventh ranked Chippewas are travel to Chicago, Ill., to play for their chance to go to nationals. The team opens up against Illinois State.
This week during practice CMU has continued to work on team defense.
“We are repeating what we’ve been working on and trying to build up confidence,” Head Coach Mike Willett said. “We have also been working on winning close games and been aggressive through all 60 minutes.” In the locker room, players seem to be looking only at Saturdays game verse sixth ranked Illinois State University and not at the possibility of going to nationals.
“I really feel like have a great chance,” said senior Mike Lesnau. “We look forward to showing (CMU) that we are for real.”
During the regular season, CMU played ISU once and defeated them at home by a score of 6-5.
“We are a completely different team since the last time we played them,” Willett said. “The team has tightened down every aspect of our game and they are going to see a different style from a different team. We are better now and if we can play our game we are going to win by two, three, maybe even four goals.”
Senior captain Jordan Jakubik has been on the past three teams that went to regionals and is one of the most experienced players on the team.
“This team has one of the best chances CMU has had to get to nationals and we have already beaten the top teams,” Jakubik said. “We have a little more depth this year but need our goaltending and team defense to do well which is what hurt us in the past.”
If CMU can defeat Illinois State on Saturday, they will play another game Sunday. If it wins both games, it will earn a trip to San Jose, Calif., for nationals beginning March 15. If they lose Saturday, then CMU’s hockey season is over and will leave players wondering what could have been.
The team will start freshman goalie Matt Darr with the impressive record of 8-2. Being the first season with coach Willett behind the bench, going to nationals was not a surprise, rather an expectation for him this season.
“The team should be going to regionals and are much better as a team,” Willett said. “ The team cannot be complacent with just getting to regionals, the true goal is to get to go to nationals"
