The #17 Purdue Northwest ACHA DI Hockey team earned a dominant win in Game 1 and battled to a tight shootout finish in Game 2, taking three of four possible points in a two-game set against Illinois. PNW exploded offensively in the opener with a 10-2 victory before falling 3-2 in a shootout on the road in Game 2.

The Basics

• Records: #17 Purdue Northwest (8-6-1), Illinois (10-4-2)
• Location: The Kube - Hammond, Indiana and Champaign, Illinois
• Attendance: 300

Game 1
Inside The Numbers

• Purdue Northwest overwhelmed Illinois with a 10-goal outburst, scoring at least twice in every period and outshooting the Illini 35–29.
• Sophomore Kolin Leduc (Macomb, Mich./) put together a massive performance with three goals and two assists for a five-point night, including two shorthanded goals in the second period.
• Sophomore Carson Finney (Holt, Mich./) added a goal and three assists to fuel the offensive attack, while freshman Brock Behrend (Luverne, Minn.) contributed a goal and an assist.
• Junior Benji Rutkai (San Pedro, Calif.) scored twice, including a power-play marker that extended the lead to 5-1 in the second.
• Junior Jared Topil (Lincoln, Neb./) scored twice in the third period, giving PNW three multi-goal scorers in the game.
• Sophomore Baden Powell (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/) notched three assists as part of PNW's top-end playmaking effort.
• The Pride penalty kill was exceptional, scoring three shorthanded goals while holding Illinois to 0-for-2 on the power play.
• Freshman goaltender Caleb Kril (Whitmore Lake, Mich.) stood tall with 27 saves on 29 shots to earn the win.
• PNW finished 1-for-3 on the power play and controlled the pace for nearly the entire contest.

The Breakdown

• PNW set the tone early with first-period goals from Finney and Behrend to take a 2-0 lead into intermission.
• Leduc scored just seven seconds into the second period, opening the floodgates for a five-goal frame.
• Illinois briefly halted the run with a shorthanded goal at 3:34, but PNW answered with four straight to take full control.
• The Pride continued their dominance in the third with goals from Topil (two) and Rutkai as they closed out one of their biggest offensive outings of the season.
• From start to finish, Purdue Northwest dictated the pace with speed, pressure, and transition scoring to secure a commanding 10-2 victory.

Game 2
Inside The Numbers

• PNW battled back from a 2-0 first-period deficit, getting goals from Behrend in the second and Topil late in the third to force overtime.
• Senior goaltender Cooper Olson (Maple Grove, Minn./) was outstanding, turning away 36 of 38 shots and keeping PNW alive through regulation and overtime.
• Despite seven power-play opportunities, PNW was unable to convert, finishing 0-for-7 on the man advantage.
• Illinois also finished 0-for-7 on the power play in a penalty-heavy contest that featured 17 total infractions.
• Illinois scored on both of their shootout attempts, while PNW was unable to convert on shots from Topil and Behrend.
• The Pride were outshot 39–31 but played a strong defensive game after the first period, holding Illinois off the board for more than 50 minutes of game time.

The Breakdown

• Illinois capitalized late in the first period with goals at 14:18 and 16:00 to jump ahead 2-0.
• Behrend cut into the deficit early in the second, finishing off a setup from Finney to make it 2-1.
• The Pride weathered a chaotic middle frame with multiple penalties on both sides, relying on Olson and the penalty kill to keep the game within reach.
• Topil tied the game with 4:05 remaining in regulation, firing home an unassisted goal to force overtime.
• Neither team broke through in overtime, sending the game to a shootout where Illinois converted twice to take the extra point.
• Olson's strong performance and the late push from the Pride secured a hard-earned road point in a tight 3-2 shootout loss.

Up Next

• Purdue Northwest now gets ready to compete in the ACHA Showcase in Chicago, Illinois from November 20-22. PNW takes on the defending ACHA Division 1 champions UNLV on Thursday, November 20 with puck-drop set for 4:00 PM CT.