PEKIN, IL – DECEMBER 5, 1999

For the second time in three weeks, the Quad City Ice Eagle Bantam travel team split a pair of games with the Pekin Flyers, and for the second time, The Eagles’ win came in the important game – the one that counted in the CIHL standings.  After dropping the first game by a score of 4-0, the Eagles rebounded to take the conference game 5-3, to improve their league record to 3-1.  Summaries of each game follow.

After having to settle for a split when the teams played two weeks ago in Davenport, the Flyers again came out strong in the first game.  Pekin opened the scoring midway through the first period, on a screen shot from the blue line on which Goalie Brandon Morgan had no chance.  The Flyers concentrated their defensive efforts on stopping Eagles’ leading scorer Josh Moon, who was held without a shot on goal.  Pekin added two more goals in the second period and ended with a convincing 4-0 win, marking the first time the Eagles had been shut out this season.  The Eagles played the game without four of their players, out with injuries or illness.

The Eagles regrouped for the second game, as they attempted to maintain a share of first place in the CIHL standings.  During the first shift of the game, the Eagles were unable to get the puck out of their zone as Pekin tested Goalie Brandon Kruse with four shots in the first 40 seconds.  After a line change, Ryne Takacs took charge as he skated the length of the ice.  His first shot was stopped, but Takacs batted in the rebound to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead at the 1:00 mark.  Pekin however continued to storm the Eagles’ net, but Kruse was outstanding in making 14 saves to maintain the 1-0 lead.  With the Eagles shorthanded early in the second period, Josh Moon took advantage of the open ice to set up for a blistering slap shot that cleanly beat the Pekin goalie for his fourth shorthanded goal in the last three games.  Six minutes later, after taking a pass from Robbie Jacobsen, Mark Muenstermann skated in and picked the top corner with a perfect shot to increase the lead to 3-0.  When Moon scored his second of the game early in the third period, it appeared the Eagles were home free. However, Pekin refused to quit, and aided by a couple of Quad City penalties, narrowed the lead to 4-2 with two power play goals.  Pekin’s comeback effort died a few minutes later when Takacs scored his second of the game to restore the three goal lead.  Pekin managed to add one more power play goal in the final minute, but the Eagles skated away with a 5-3 win.  Kruse was the difference in the game, stopping 28of 31 shots.

The win boosted the Eagles’ record to 3-1 in the CIHL, and 13-4 overall, with games scheduled this weekend for Crystal Lake and Rolling Meadows.