The Saint John's hockey team begins its 2011-12 season with a pair of games at the MIAC Showcase this weekend. The Johnnies take on Gustavus Adolphus for an 8 p.m. game Friday, Oct. 28, followed by a 1 p.m. Sunday matinee against Concordia-Moorhead Oct. 30. Both games are scheduled to be held at Fogerty Arena in Blaine. - Listen Live (Sunday) | Live Stats (Both Games) | Watch Live  (Both Games) | MIAC Showcase

Preview Video:
-Head coach Doug Schueller (2:40)

**Due to Game 7 of the World Series, Friday's SJU hockey game will be carried on WVAL-800 AM and not streamed live on www.gojohnnies.com**

SEASON PREVIEW: At the beginning of the season, hockey coaches often spell out the expectations for their teams.

Two likely items on Saint John's University hockey coach Doug Schueller's list for the 2011-12 season would be to get off to a quicker start to the season, and turn around a losing trend in one-goal games.

Last season, the Johnnies began the season cold, losing their first five games and ended with a 6-17-2 overall record (5-9-2 MIAC). When they did play well, they came oh-so-close to victory, posting a 2-9 record in games decided by one goal. SJU has lost a total of 19 one-goal games in the past three seasons under Schueller.

One trend the Johnnies would like to see continue is some recent success against ranked teams. Over the past three seasons, SJU has tallied six wins and five ties against ranked teams (Top 15 or those receiving votes), including 3-1 victories over then-No. 8 Hamline and then-No. 15 Gustavus Adolphus last season.

Here's a look at the Johnnies, by position:

FORWARDS
Offensively, the 2011-12 Johnnies return five of their top seven scorers from a year ago, including points leader Joe Harren (Warroad, Minn.), who totaled 19 (9g/10a) as a sophomore last winter. He tallied the Johnnies' lone shorthanded goal of the season and was named All-MIAC honorable mention.

The Johnnies top two assist leaders, senior Conor Rooney (Stillwater, Minn.) and junior Michael Palmiscno (East Grand Forks, Minn.), also return. Rooney and Palmiscno racked up 12 and 11 assists, respectively, while lighting the lamp five times each last season. Rooney led the team in assists, as well with two game-winning goals. He was named to the MIAC All-Sportsmanship team. Palmiscno, meanwhile, proved to be a force on special teams with his team-leading three power-play goals for a total of seven power-play points. He also posted a team-best .573 faceoff percentage (winning 135 of 181 faceoffs).

Other returning forwards include juniors Tobias Linbro (Nykvarn, Sweden) and Jascha Pettit (Wadena, Minn.). Pettit had four points on the season, including one power-play goal, in 18 games. Linbro is expected to be a key contributor to the Johnnies' offense this winter after recording five goals in 22 games last season.

Sophomores Josh Gross (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Justin Hochsprung (Alexandria, Minn.) are also expected to compete for playing time on the Johnnies' top three lines this season. Hochsprung played in all 25 games for SJU and finished the season with three points and 46 shot attempts, while Gross appeared in 12 games but did not record a point.

The Johnnies will need to replace graduated seniors Alex Lindeberg, Grant Ellena and Mike Wallgren. Both Wallgren and Ellena were in the Johnnies' top five for scoring and combined for 33 points (14g/19a) last season.

DEFENSEMEN
Trent Johnson (Duluth, Minn.), the leading scorer among SJU defensemen in 2010-11, returns for his sophomore year with the Johnnies. A member of the 2010-11 MIAC All-Rookie team, Johnson recorded 10 points (2g/8a) last season, nine of which were tallied in conference play. Seniors Corey Kosak (Grand Rapids, Minn.) and Nick Roscoe (Eau Claire, Wis.), junior Ryan Wold (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and sophomore Axel Ramsgard (Gothenburg, Sweden) also return to the blue line this season. Kosak collected two assists in 14 games, while Ramsgard and Roscoe added a point apiece in 18 and 16 games, respectively.

SJU needs to replace three defensemen due to graduation: Brent Brodersen, Pat McClure and James Olmscheid. The trio combined for 75 career points (18g/57a) in 247 games played.

GOALTENDING
All three goaltenders return for SJU in 2011-12. Last year, senior Tony Civello (Shoreview, Minn.) appeared in 18 games (16 starts) and posted a 5-10-2 record with a 3.03 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Junior Adam Andersson (Pixbo, Sweden), meanwhile, tallied a 0-4-0 record with a .903 save percentage and a 2.86 GAA in 272 minutes played. Junior J.D. Wells (Anoka, Minn.), meanwhile posted a 1-3-0 record with 77 saves in four starts last season.

FRESHMEN TO WATCH
Five freshmen, all of whom have junior hockey experience, are expected to contribute right away this season: forwards Josh Gaughan (Buffalo, Minn.) and John Haeg (Lakeville, Minn.), and defensemen Wally Cossette (Maple Grove, Minn.), Dave Mylrea (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Buzz Tryggeseth (Buffalo, Minn.). Haeg collected 34 regular-season points (17g/17a) for the Owatonna Express (NAHL) and added four points in four playoff games. He appeared in all 58 games last season. Cossette spent a year and a half with the Springfield, Ill., Junior Blues (NAHL) before he was traded to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL) halfway through last season, just in time to win the national championship. He amassed 24 points (4g/20a) in 49 games from the blue line last year. Gaughan and Tryggeseth were teammates at Buffalo High School before going their separate ways after graduation. Gaughan recorded 14 points (7g/7a) in 50 games for the Alexandria Blizzard (NAHL) last year, while Tryggeseth accumulated a plus/minus of +2 and five points, all assists, in 41 games for the Alaska Avalanche (NAHL). Mylrea captained the Coulee Region Chill (NAHL) last season after playing for the NAHL's North Iowa Outlaws in 2009-10.

OVERVIEW
Saint John's opens the season Oct. 28 against Gustavus Adolphus in a non-conference game at the MIAC Showcase in Blaine. The Johnnies play host to St. Thomas for the home and MIAC opener on Nov. 11 at St. Cloud State University's National Hockey Center. Schueller's squad is scheduled to play nine games, six in conference play, against three of the MIAC's top four teams from a year ago: Concordia-Moorhead, Gustavus Adolphus and St. Thomas.

Away from the National Hockey Center, SJU is scheduled to host the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) Dec. 9 at St. Cloud's Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) and plays two “home” games at neutral sites in the beginning of January: Wisconsin-River Falls Jan. 6 at Alexandria and Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jan. 7 in Buffalo.