By: Casey Roehl

Bloomington, IN-- Fueled by strong goaltending and relentless offensive aggression, the Indiana Hoosiers earned their first win of the new year with a 4-1 win against Northern Illinois on Friday at Frank Southern Ice Arena. Indiana (13-5-3), has outscored teams at the Frank 40-11 through six games this season. NIU (9-14), has dropped back-to-back road contests dating back to December of 2018 with the loss.

Indiana 4- NIU 1

The win on Friday featured stellar goaltending by junior netminder Joseph Stebbins and four different goal scorers in Indiana's rout of the Huskies. The Hoosiers lit the lamp first in the opening period on Drew Medema's first goal of the season. The sophomore for the Hoosiers returned to the ice for the eighth time Friday after dealing with an upper body injury for a majority of the season. The 19-year-old beat NIU netminder Stephen Thulin on a wrister past the glove side to put IU up 1-0 at the 4:11 mark.

The Hoosiers added another goal in the frame on a power-play goal from Scott Berger, his second of the season, and sixth in total on the campaign. The sophomore alternate hammered a one-timer from the blue line past the blocker side of Thulin to send Indiana up 2-0 after the first period.

Indiana doubled up in the second period with two more goals scored by two different skaters.

IU sophomore Colan Fitzgerald scored the third tally of the night on a rebound in front to notch his seventh goal of the season, putting Indiana up 3-0 at the 17:21 mark in the second. 

The Hoosiers fourth goal was years in the making.. While on a 3-2 breakaway, Jonathan Schubauer faked a pass to Jack Penniall and wristed his first career Indiana goal past Thulin to make the score 4-0. The 23-year-old graduate student in his fifth season with Indiana had recorded two points in his Indiana career through his first two seasons. With the goal, the forward now sits with a career high five points and a goal this season.

NIU scored their lone goal in the third period to break the shutout by Stebbins at the 1:48 mark in the frame. 

Stebbins with the win moves to 5-1 this season. The 21-year-old netminder faced 39 Huskies shots, making 38 saves. In Stebbins' last two starts, he has faced a combined 94 shots and has made 90 saves. 

Thulin receives his ninth loss of the season, dropping him to 6-9 over 15 games.

The Hoosiers and Huskies conclude the series on Saturday at 3:15 pm ET at Frank Southern Ice Arena. 

Tune in to the Indiana University Ice Hockey Facebook Page at 3 pm ET for the Indiana University Ice Hockey pregame show, with puck drop at 3:15.