The Johnnie hockey team opens its MIAC schedule by playing host to Bethel this Thursday, Nov. 11. The game is set for 7 p.m. at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.  SJU then travels to face the Royals for a 5 p.m. contest Friday, Nov. 12, at the National Sports Center in Blaine. – Thursday's Live Stats | Listen Live (Both Games) | Friday's Live Stats/Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (0-4, 0-0 MIAC) suffered a pair of one-goal losses to unfamiliar opponents last weekend.  The Johnnies recorded their third consecutive one-goal loss, a 4-3 decision, to No. 11 St. Scholastica in their most recent game Nov. 6. SJU countered its four-goal, first-period deficit with three goals in the second. St. Scholastica went ahead 1-0 with a shorthanded goal at the 13:28 mark of the first period, then built it to 3-0 with a pair of goals 1:20 apart to chase sophomore Adam Andersson (Pixbo, Sweden) from the contest. The Saints made it 4-0 with their second power-play goal of the game with 48 seconds left in the opening period. Sophomore Michael Palmiscno (East Grand Forks, Minn.) snapped the Johnnies' scoreless power-play streak 4:08 into the second period. Senior Brent Brodersen (Shakopee, Minn.) and freshman Trent Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) were credited with assists. Twenty-seven seconds later, senior Pat McClure (Maple Plain, Minn.) cut the deficit to 4-2, with assists going to senior Mike Wallgren (Oakdale, Minn.) and junior Conor Rooney (Stillwater, Minn.). Wallgren charged the net and nearly cut it to a one-goal game a minute later, but he was called for a roughing-the-goaltender penalty. Seventeen seconds after his penalty expired, Wallgren tallied his second goal of the season to make is 4-3 in favor of the Saints. Junior Nick Roscoe (Eau Claire, Wis.) assisted on the scoring play. Junior Tony Civello (Shoreview, Minn.) took the loss, allowing one goal (the eventual game-winner) with 19 stops in relief. He is now 0-3 on the season, despite a .905 save percentage and a 2.61 GAA. 

FIRST-PERIOD WOES: SJU has been outshot 50-20 and outscored 7-2 in the first period this season. On the flipside, the Johnnies have outshot their opponents 85-57 with a 6-5 goal disadvantage from the second period on.

A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: Bethel (0-4, 0-0 MIAC) dropped a pair of high-scoring games, 7-2 to St. Thomas and 6-4 to Concordia, in the MIAC Showcase, but played much better in a pair of close losses to strong opponents last weekend. The Royals fell to now-No. 10 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 2-0, before dropping a 3-2 decision to No. 3 St. Norbert (Wis.) last Saturday. Sophomore Jack Paul leads BU in both goals (4) and points (5), while Zac Bush is 0-3 with a .881 save percentage and a 4.05 GAA in net. Since the 1984-85 season, SJU is 33-19-8 against Bethel, but is just 1-7-3 in the last 11 meetings, including a 0-4-0 record under the direction of Doug Schueller. The Johnnies have outshot Bethel each of the four meetings with Schueller as head coach (138-103 advantage overall). SJU lost a pair of two-goal games (5-3, 3-1) to Bethel, thanks to an empty-netter in each, last season. Brodersen has four career assists against BU, while senior Grant Ellena (Coon Rapids, Minn.) has two goals, including one on the power play, and one assists. Palmiscno tallied a shorthanded goal against the Royals last season.