Thanks to good goaltending by Icecat freshman Joel Hilshey, the No. 6 Icecats got back on the winning track this weekend with a sweep of Illinois in Champaign, Ill.

The Icecats took Saturday night's game 4-1 after a 6-1 victory on Friday night.

"The Arizona goaltender was just phenomenal," Illinois head coach Robert Turngren said. "Our goalies played well but didn't play anywhere near the Arizona goaltender."

Illinois had a chance on Saturday during a second period which saw the Icecats commit six penalties, giving the Fighting Illini six power play opportunities. Hilshey turned the Illini back each time.

"I think it was 75 percent their goalie, and 25 percent was our guys not being able to finish," Turngren said.

Both nights, the Illini had the first goal of the game negated by the referees.

"We're a young team that needs momentum," Turngren said. "It's tough to put the biscuit in the basket and have it called back."

On Friday night, the Icecats exploded for four goals in the second period and cruised to the 6-1 victory.

The win elevated the Icecats record to 17-5 while the Illini dropped to 7-16-3.

The Icecats will complete their monthlong road trip this weekend with a three-game trip to Colorado. On Friday night, they will play Colorado in Boulder. They will then make the trip to Fort Collins for a two-game series with Colorado State.