Posted: 1/30/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Wesley Fane Illinois goalie Mike Burda blocks a shot during practice at the Ice Arena on Tuesday. Burda was named Illini of the Week for his work in defending Illinois' perfect record this season on the ice.

This season hasn't been easy for Mike Burda. It just looks that way.

Despite the Illinois hockey club's perfect record and Burda's own impressive statistics, the sophomore goaltender had all he could handle last Saturday as the Illinois hockey club took on rival Ohio. With the game deadlocked in the decisive shootout, Burda didn't just save shots - he saved his team's perfect season.

"I was so nervous; it was terrible," the Buffalo Grove, Ill., native said. "My team bailed me out."

Thanks to Joey Resch's goal following a Burda save, the Illini ultimately prevailed in the 11th round of sudden death. For the series, Burda made 42 saves on 43 shots, not including seven in Saturday's shootout.

With football season over and basketball floundering, it's nice to know there's still a top-tier sports team winning in orange and blue. Sporting an incredible 25-0-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in the nation, Illini hockey is the talk of Champaign.

Thanks to an offense that is scoring an average of 5.7 goals per game, the Illini are eyeing their second national title in four seasons.

Yet, going into the season, the defense was an unknown entity. After the departure of several senior defensemen, as well as All-American goaltender Mike DeGeorge, Burda found himself sparring with fellow sophomore D.J. Kohler for playing time in the crease. Head coach Chad Cassel described the competition as "wide open" before the season started.

"With us coming in and having probably the most dominant offense in the nation, the defense was really the question mark, and the goaltending," Burda said.

Now, as the postseason looms, the Illini defense has removed a lot of doubts. Just as the offense has shredded opponents, Burda and his defensemen have been equally stout, earning three shutouts in the sophomore's last six starts.

"I'm just glad that I'm really starting to step up and fill that role and complete the whole team. The defense is just a full threat, a complete package," Burda said.

Continued...

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