Hockey team sweeps Kentucky

IU coaches and players were confident they would sweep the University of Kentucky in the teams' home-and-home series this weekend.\nAnd as IU expected, the Hoosiers crushed the Wildcats both nights, defeating Kentucky 11-5 Friday at the Frank Southern Center, 1965 S. Henderson Ave., and 7-1 Saturday at the Lexington Ice Arena.\n"I think that we handled ourselves pretty well this weekend," sophomore forward Matt Cohen said. "We kept our composure."\nThe Hoosiers (4-1, 4-0 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League) got off to a slow start Friday. Kentucky (5-2-1, 2-2 MCHL) jumped out to a 1-0 lead when forward Aaron Shephenson scored off a Kentucky breakaway at 3:10 in the first period.\nBut that was all the advantage the Wildcats would have, as IU bounced back to end the period with four quick goals.\nCohen and junior forward Bryan Grant each had two goals and two assists for IU Friday. Sophomore defenseman Joe Rogers had a goal and two assists for three points. Six other Hoosiers had two points apiece, and three Hoosiers had a point each for the evening.\n"Kentucky is always a tough team, and they're real physical," Grant said. "But you can't be disappointed with two wins in a weekend."\nSophomore goalie Charley Pulley manned the net until almost midway through the second period, allowing three goals and chalking up eight saves. He was then replaced by senior Josh Sears, who allowed two goals and stopped 14 shots in 28:30.\nSaturday started much the same as Friday, with Kentucky jumping out to a 1-0 lead. But IU senior goalie Chad Whitlock, in his first appearance this season, made 16 saves and held the Wildcats scoreless for the rest of the game. IU skated to an easy 7-1 win in Lexington.\n"We were expecting to get into a pretty close game, but we knew that we would come out on top because of the previous game," Cohen said. "We're just a better team than they are."\nCohen became the first Hoosier to record a hat trick this season, after he offered a slapshot from the red line to give his team its winning goal near the end of the first period. He then scored twice near the end of the game. \nJunior forward Brandon Phillips had the team's first goal and later contributed two assists. Junior forward and team captain Dan Hauck and sophomore forward Bobby Ravensberg contributed two points each, and seven other Hoosiers had a point apiece. IU was four for six Saturday in scoring on the power play and eight for eight on the penalty kill.\n"Our special teams Saturday night were just great," general manager and assistant coach Alex Kyrias said. "You do that every game, and you're going to win a lot of games"