Cyclones get swept with leading scorer suspended
Freshman forward J.P. Kascsak dribbles around the Lindenwood defender. The Cyclones fell to Lindenwood 4-3 on Friday, Dec. 2, in sudden death after the Cyclones tied the game up in the final seconds of the third period.
February 5, 2012
The No. 7 ISU hockey team was swept again by No. 3 Lindenwood, losing 8-1 on Friday and 6-5 on Saturday.
The Cyclones (24-8-5) have lost all four games to the Lions (25-4-0) this season.
In Friday night’s game, forward James Buttermore got a major penalty for spearing and was ejected from the game. Buttermore was suspended for Saturday night’s game as well.
JP Kascsak, the team’s leading scorer with 21 goals, 18 assists and 39 points, was also ejected from the game and suspended for Saturday night’s game for fighting. Kascsak said the Lions were taking shots on their players and goalies the whole game and getting away with it.
The fight started after a Lindenwood player knocked down ISU defenseman Brandon Clark. Kascsak skated over to the player and was hit in the face and both players eventually dropped their gloves.
“It just kind of happened spur of the moment,” Kascsak said. “I was trying to get the team motivated. I wasn’t really thinking. I don’t know what happened. I was thinking about it like a junior hockey game.”
ISU coach Al Murdoch said he was not pleased with Kascsak’s decision to fight.
“We can’t have our No. 1 scorer in a fight,” Murdoch said in a news release. “Even if he wins the fight, our No. 1 scorer is out of the game and out of the game tomorrow.”
ISU goaltender Paul Karus, who played just more than 45 minutes, stopped 22 out of 26 shots from Lindenwood. The Cyclones changed goalies in the second period, and Mike Ness, who played a mere 15 minutes, stopped five of nine Lindenwood shots.
ISU forward Mark Huber had the only goal for the Cyclones on Friday night, with the assists going to Justin Wilkinson and Trevor Lloyd. The Cyclones also lost defenseman Alec Wilhelmi for the season after a serious arm injury.
On Saturday night, ISU captain Brian Rooney had a hat trick with three goals in the game, but it wasn’t enough to beat the No. 3 team. Huber had another goal and two assists Saturday to make it four points on the weekend.
The Cyclones will return home for a pair of games against No. 14 Central Oklahoma on Friday and Saturday.
