No. 15 Saint John's travels to Wisconsin for a pair of non-conference games this weekend, beginning with a 7:05 p.m. contest at Wisconsin-Superior this Friday, Nov. 8. The Johnnies then travel south to face top-ranked Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a rematch of last year's NCAA-Tournament game, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. – Listen Live (Both Games, WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats (Friday) | Live Video (Friday) | Live Stats (Saturday) | Live Video (Saturday)
Preview Video:
-Head coach Doug Schueller (2:22)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's went 1-1 in the season-opening, non-conference MIAC Showcase last weekend in Blaine. Each member of the Johnnies' fourth line scored a goal and had two assists as SJU defeated Hamline 4-2 Nov. 1. The fourth line's three forwards, senior Zach Knight (Minneapolis, Minn.), junior John Carroll (Eagan, Minn.) and sophomore Neal Smith (Rogers, Minn.), accounted for nine of the team's 11 points on the night. Smith gave SJU an early 1-0 lead with a power-play goal 6:49 into the game, his second collegiate goal. Sophomore Andrew Commers (Edina, Minn.) took advantage of a Hamline turnover and made it 2-0 in favor of SJU with his first goal as a Johnnie 6:43 into the second period. The Johnnies' fourth line lit the lamp again, this time from Carroll 1:35 later. HU erased the shutout with a power-play goal from Brandon Zurn at the 13-minute mark of the second period. The Pipers cut the Johnnies' lead to 3-2 with 14:22 remaining, seven seconds after a Hamline power-play expired. Knight ended the scoring with an insurance goal at the 18:48 mark of the third period, with assists going to Carroll and Smith. Sophomore Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) made 21 saves off of 23 shots on goal for the win.
The Johnnies fell by a 2-0 score to Concordia-Moorhead Nov. 2. Caleb Suderman broke the scoreless tie with an unassisted goal that proved to be the game-winner with 8:29 remaining in the third period. Jordie Bancroft added an empty-net goal with four seconds remaining to seal the win for the Cobbers in their season opener. Senior Mitch Thompson (Onalaska, Wis.) stopped 32 shots in the loss for SJU. The start was Thompson's first of the season and fourth of his Johnnie career. Concordia held a 34-29 edge in shots and both teams were 0-for-5 on the power play.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The Johnnies fell four spots to No. 15 in the latest USCHO.com Division III Top 15 poll released Nov. 4. SJU received votes, along with Wisconsin-Superior, in the D3hockey.com poll released the same day. Wisconsin-Eau Claire holds the top spot in the USCHO.com rankings and is listed fifth by D3hockey.com.
A LOOK AT THE YELLOWJACKETS: Wisconsin-Superior fell victim to a tale of two seasons in 2012-13. The Yellowjackets were sitting at 10-4-1 on the season following a win on Jan. 4 and in second place in the NCHA standings. Then the bottom fell out, as UWS won just one game the rest of the way on its way to an 11-14-2 record and a first-round loss in the conference playoffs. Superior will rely on a mix of veterans and newcomers in 2013-14, with a core that includes eight seniors. Senior goaltender Drew Strandberg posted an 8-10-2 record with a 2.88 GAA and a .869 save percentage in net last season. He'll be pushed this year by a pair of newcomers in Zach Thompson, a freshman out of Duluth Denfeld High School and Dayn Belfour, a junior transfer out of Division I Nebraska-Omaha who is the son of NHL great Ed Belfour. UWS returns its top four scorers from last winter, including seniors Pat Dalbec (15g/12a) and Joey Massingham (10g/14a). A three-time all-conference honoree, senior defenseman Jeff Forsythe returns after posting 18 points (6g/12a) to earn All-America honors last season. He'll be joined by fifth-year senior Derek Stauber, who returns to the lineup after missing all but two games last season due to an injury.
WIAC HOCKEY: For the first time since 1980, Superior will be playing in a conference that is not the National College Hockey Association (NCHA). Instead, all University of Wisconsin-affiliated schools/hockey programs will compete, like their other sports, under the banner of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).
THE LAST MEETING: Wisconsin-Superior held on to a 3-2 win the last time these two programs met on Nov. 4, 2010, in St. Cloud. The Yellowjackets outshot the Johnnies 30-27 in the game, thanks to a 15-5 advantage in the opening period. SJU, however, retaliated with an 11-6 shot advantage in the third period, including numerous scoring chances late in regulation. Tobias Linbro '13 scored his first career goal just 22 seconds into the game, with assists going to Mike Wallgren '11 and junior Connor Rooney '12. Superior tied the game at 1-1 with a 5-on-3 power-play goal from Jeff Forsythe at the 14:05 mark of the first period. The Yellowjackets built a 3-1 lead with a pair of second-period goals less than four minutes apart. Jascha Pettit '13 tallied his first goal of the year at the 12:03 mark of the second period to cut the deficit to 3-2.
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are only 4-19-1 against Superior since the 1983-84 season and are looking for just their second win in the last 19 meetings (1-16-1 record) with the Yellowjackets Friday night. Coincidentally, the last SJU win in the series was a 4-1 decision on Jan. 14, 2006, in Superior. The two teams last met on Nov. 4, 2010, in St. Cloud; a 3-2 Superior win.
A LOOK AT THE BLUGOLDS: Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the defending NCAA Division III champion, was predicted win the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) title in 2013-14, according to the preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Two of the Blugolds' top four point scorers from a year ago return, including seniors Mark Pustin and Daniel Olszewski. Pustin compiled 26 points (9g/17a) to finish fifth in the league, while Olszewski contributed seven goals and 16 assists. Junior Jack Callahan, a first-team All-American, claimed second in the NCHA with 18 assists. UWEC needs to replace All-America goaltender Brandon Stephenson, who posted a 22-4-2 record in net with a 2.12 GAA and a .931 save percentage. The Blugolds open their 2013-14 season at home against St. Olaf Friday night before SJU comes to town Saturday.
ANOTHER TRIP HOME: A native of Elk Mound, Wis., Soley returns to his old stomping grounds for the third time in the Johnnies' last 21 games. He became the first goaltender to earn the title of Mr. Hockey as the state's player of the year in Wisconsin playing for Eau Claire Memorial High School in 2011.
LAST YEAR: UWEC erased a 2-1 deficit with three even-strength goals in a span of 3:11 late in the second period to defeat Saint John's 4-2 in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Division III Tournament on March 6 in Eau Claire. The loss ended Saint John's 2012-13 season with a 16-8-4 overall record (9-4-3 MIAC). UWEC scored three even-strength goals in a 5:26 span of the second period in its 5-1 home win over SJU earlier in the season (Jan. 4).
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 2-8 in their last 10 meetings with UWEC, including losses in each of the last six, and 2-8 all-time against the Blugolds in Eau Claire. The last time SJU won in Eau Claire, Wis., was an 8-1 decision on Nov. 15, 2002.
