Saint John's returns to conference action with a weekend series against No. 15 Gustavus Adolphus this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13-14. SJU plays host to the Gusties for Faith & Family Night at 7 p.m. Friday at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. The Johnnies then travel to St. Peter for a 7:05 p.m. puck-drop Saturday. – Listen Live (Both Games, WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats/Live Video (Saturday)
FAITH & FAMILY NIGHT: Rob Globke, a former NHL player for the Florida Panthers, is scheduled to be the special guest Friday. He will speak between the second and third periods and will be available for photos and autographs following the game. Admission is $7. Children, ages 7-17, will be admitted free with a non-perishable food item. All proceeds go to Catholic Charities.
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (3-8-2, 1-3-0 MIAC) looks to end a four-game skid with the return to MIAC play this weekend. A night after posting a 39-26 advantage in shots in the 3-0 loss to No. 5 Wisconsin-River Falls, Wisconsin-Eau Claire exploded for three goals in the second period en route to a 4-1 win over the Johnnies last Saturday in Buffalo. The teams tallied 11 shots each in a scoreless first period before the Blugolds erupted for a 21-8 shot advantage. Freshman Josh Gaughan (Buffalo, Minn.) tied the game in front of the hometown crowd 1:30 later. The goal, which was Gaughan's third of the season, was assisted by freshman John Haeg (Lakeville, Minn.) and junior Trent Johnson (Duluth, Minn.). The momentum shift was short-lived, however, as the Blugolds tallied a breakaway goal 17 seconds later. Senior Tony Civello (Shoreview, Minn.) made a season-high 41 saves in the loss.
RECENT POWER-PLAY WOES: SJU is just 1-for-22 (4.5 percent) on the power play, including a current 0-for-13 streak, since starting the season 10 of 30 (33.3 percent) in the first seven games. Nevertheless, the Johnnies' power play is currently second in the MIAC (all games) at 21.2 percent (11-for-52).
SECOND-HALF SURGE: The Johnnies boast a 14-12-4 MIAC record in the second half of the season (post-Holiday break) under the direction of head coach Doug Schueller.
A LOOK AT THE GUSTIES: Gustavus (9-4-2, 3-3-0 MIAC) returns to conference play riding a seven-game winning streak. Each of the Gusties' last three wins, all against NCHA opponents, was decided by one goal. Senior Ross Ring-Jarvi leads the team with 14 points (5g/9a), followed by sophomore Zach May and freshman Andy Pearson with 13 (7g/6a) and 12 (3g/9a) points, respectively. Goaltender John McLean, a six-foot-eight freshman and the reigning MIAC Player of the Week, boasts a 1.90 GAA and a .935 save percentage.
EARLIER THIS SEASON: Saint John's clawed back with two goals in the game's final seven minutes to tie Gustavus Adolphus 3-3 in the season opener for both teams at the MIAC Showcase Oct. 28. Sophomore Justin Hochsprung (Alexandria, Minn.) tied the game at 1-1 on the power play, his second career goal, at the 11:51 mark of the first period. The Gusties took advantage of a 1:40, 5-on-3 power play with a goal from Andy Pearson. Zach May added his second power-play goal of the night 4:19 later to give the Gusties a 3-1 lead. SJU received a five-minute power play via major penalty four minutes into the third period, but could not capitalize. Freshman Phil Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) cut the deficit to 3-2 with his first collegiate goal at the 13:24 mark of the third period and junior captain Michael Palmiscno (East Grand Forks, Minn.) tied the game with 2:02 left in regulation on a pass from Trent Johnson, his second assist of the contest. Civello made 29 saves in goal for SJU. Gustavus out-shot the Johnnies 32-22 on net, though SJU had 26 shots blocked in the game (63-58 advantage in total shots).
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies have either defeated or tied Gustavus in 33 of the last 39 meetings (28-6-5 record), including a 19-3-1 record in St. Cloud since the 1992-93 season (17-1-1 in the last 19 games at the National Hockey Center). SJU is 2-3-2 against GAC under the direction of head coach Doug Schueller, including a 2-0 record at home.
