Forest City, IA- The Redbirds hit the road this past weekend to play division rivals, Waldorf Warriors. The last time these two teams played, ISU swept them at home in two competitive games. The Redbirds were looking for another two wins to put a strain on their lead in the division.
On Friday, Brendan Donovan and the Redbirds were overwhelmed by the Warriors 6-1. The Warriors took advantage on the powerplay 3 times throughout the game. Donovan had a 25 save performance and Tony Campise would be the only tally for Illinois State. The Redbirds couldn’t stay out of the box which lead to their downfall against Waldorf.
On Saturday, The Redbirds were looking for redemption, in the 1st period there was no tallies added to the score sheet as Caleb Sauer starts the game, 7 for 7 on saves. Heading into the 2nd period, Waldorf would put two unanswered goals up on the board and put the Redbirds in a sense of déjà vu. But The Redbirds wouldn’t give up as Mitchell Oberlag scores on the powerplay 2 minutes into the 3rd period making the Warriors lead only by one. Nearing the end of the period, Sean Meyer would go unassisted and would tie the game at 2 with just about 4 minutes left in regulation. But Tony Campise wouldn’t need 4 minutes as Campise lights the lamp for the second time on the weekend on the powerplay. Campises’s 3rd period goal would end up being the GWG for the Redbirds as they split the weekend series with Waldorf.
In summary, The Redbirds were able to secure another two points to help them maintain their 1st place position in the division. Tony Campise adds two more goals giving him 13 on the season. Caleb Sauer gets another win, helping the Redbirds come back and win on Saturday. The Redbirds begin preparation for their final road trip of the semester against Maryville.