The Saint John's University hockey team (2-8, 2-2 MIAC) returns to MIAC action with a weekend series against Augsburg (4-3-1, 0-2-0 MIAC), beginning this Friday, Dec. 3. The puck is set to drop at 7:05 p.m. at Augsburg Ice Arena in Minneapolis. SJU then hosts the Auggies for a 2 p.m. game Saturday, Dec. 4, at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. – Listen Live (Friday) | Live Stats/Live Video (Friday) | Live Stats (Saturday)
Preview Video:
-Head coach Doug Schueller (3:22)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Johnnies dropped both games at the 2010 PrimeLink Shootout in Plattsburgh, N.Y. last weekend. SUNY-Plattsburgh scored three second-period goals and added two more in the third in a 7-4 win over SJU last Friday, Nov. 26. Sophomore Joe Harren (Warroad, Minn.) gave SJU an early 1-0 lead with the first of his two goals on the night 6:06 into the first period. Senior Grant Ellena (Coon Rapids, Minn.) and sophomore Michael Palmiscno (East Grand Forks, Minn.) assisted on the scoring play. The Cardinals tied the game at 1-1 exactly one minute later, before Harren gave the lead back to SJU with a shorthanded tally at the 8:11 mark of the opening period. Senior Brent Brodersen (Shakopee, Minn.) was credited with an assist. Plattsburgh tied it at 2-2 with 3:14 left in the first period. Senior Mike Wallgren (Oakdale, Minn.) ended the five-goal first period with his fourth goal of the season at the 18:35 mark. The Cardinals scored three goals in the second period, including two on the power play, and added another on the man advantage 1:34 into the third period to take a 6-3 lead. Freshman Justin Brausen (Little Canada, Minn.) cut the deficit to 6-4 with his first collegiate goal 9:09 into the third period. Brodersen and sophomore Jascha Pettit (Wadena, Minn.) assisted on the scoring play. Plattsburgh ended the scoring with a tally two minutes later.
In the third-place game, SJU lost its fifth one-goal game of the season, 2-1, to No. 14 Middlebury (Vt.). The Panthers took a 1-0 lead 8:57 into the contest. Wallgren tied the game with a power-play goal, his fifth tally of the season, which snapped the Johnnies' 0-for-29 scoreless streak with the man advantage. Brausen assisted on the scoring play for SJU. Sophomore Adam Andersson (Pixbo, Sweden) made 39 saves in the loss, as the Johnnies were outshot 41-22 in the contest.
A LOOK AT THE AUGGIES: Augsburg swept Concordia (Wis.) in a two-game, non-conference series Nov. 19-20. The Auggies earned a 5-2 victory in the first game. Augsburg trailed 2-1 late in the second period, but scored four unanswered goals, including three in the third period. Six different players scored a goal as Augsburg posted a 6-0 win in the second game. Junior forward Nick Guran tallied his ninth goal on the season, a total that is currently tied for third-most in NCAA Division III hockey according to the collegehockeystats.net website. Senior forward Joel Sauer recorded his 10th assist during the game, which ties him for 12th for most assists in the nation. Both of them lead the MIAC with 13 points. Sophomore Justin Lochner is second in the conference in both save percentage (.938) and GAA (1.65).
LAST YEAR: Augsburg swept SJU in last season's series, 3-2 and 3-1. Augsburg jumped to an early 1-0 lead 5:30 into game one before SJU answered with a power-play goal at the 14:20 mark of the first period. The Auggies regained the lead 1:38 later and added a power-play goal of their own 13:49 into the second frame to build a 3-1 lead. The Johnnies cut the deficit to one at the 11:37 mark of the final period. Augsburg scored three goals on special teams to win game two, 3-1. SJU was 0-7 with the man-advantage after entering the contest with the MIAC's No. 1 power play percentage (21.9 percent, 14-64). Halfway through the first-period the Auggies scored a breakaway shorthanded goal and a power-play goal to jump ahead 2-0. Ellena cut the deficit 10:04 into the second frame. Augsburg scored on another power-play goal to end the scoring at 3-1.
