Following a sweep of Indiana, the Eastern hockey club is now preparing for in-state rival Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

The club came away with two wins last weekend, taking down the Hoosiers 6-2 on Friday and 7-2 on Saturday. The two wins bring the season record to 5-4-1.

“The weekend went very well for us, it was a great way to prepare and get ready for the tough upcoming weekends we have ahead,” junior forward Andrew Maronich said.

After opening up a 3-0 lead in the first period on Friday, the Panthers were able to hold on to a 6-2 win in the first game. The team allowed two goals in the second period, but were able to put three more goals in the net to seal the win in the third.

“After such a great start in the first period, the second period was a huge let down, but at the same time we knew we could put some goals in and still win the game,” senior forward Connor Cox said.

For the second game, Maronich said the team focused on playing three whole periods of hockey.

“We have had some games where we look like the best team in the league for a period, but then the next period we look like one of the worst,” he said. “So, really focusing on all 60 minutes of the game was something that we needed to do. In the second game, goals weren’t coming easy for us at the start. We were really firing pucks on net and making things happen, but goals just weren’t coming.”

Despite the slow start, the team managed to pull off the sweep, winning 7-2. The team now has its sights set on the Fighting Illini.

Despite having not played against the team for a few years, Maronich said it is still a big rivalry for the team.

“U of I is definitely a game that we all circle on our calendar,” he said. “They are easily the closest school we play in distance from each other, and a lot of players on both teams know of each other from either high school, or club hockey that they have played in the past.”

The team will play two games against Illinois this weekend. The first game is at 10:20 p.m. Friday, while the second game is at 4:20 p.m. Saturday. Both games are at the University of Illinois Ice Arena in Champaign.

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].