The Johnnie hockey team returns to action with a home-and-home series with nationally-ranked Augsburg this weekend, beginning with a 7:05 p.m. contest Friday, Dec. 6, at Ed Saugestad Rink in Minneapolis. The Johnnies return home to host the Auggies at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. – Listen Live (Both Games) | Live Stats/Live Video (Friday) | Live Stats (Saturday) | Live Video (Saturday)
Preview Video:
-Head coach Doug Schueller (2:02)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (4-4, 2-2 MIAC) surrendered leads of three and two goals in a weekend split at Saint Mary's Nov. 22-23 in Winona. SJU lost a 3-0 first-period lead but tallied the game-winner in the third period for a 4-3 win Nov. 22, but let a 2-0 lead slip away in a 3-2 loss Nov. 23. The Johnnies were whistled for 14 penalties in Saturday's game, as SMU took advantage of a five-minute major power play, and scored two third-period goals.
FOUR BY ONE: SJU is now 14-4-2 against Saint Mary's in Winona since the 1995-96 season. All four losses were decided by one goal.
PENALTY KILL: Saint Mary's entered its series against SJU two weeks ago with the MIAC's top power play at 19.4 percent (6-for-31). The Johnnies, however, killed off all but two of the Cardinals' 19 power-play chances (89.5 percent).
A LOOK AT THE AUGGIES: Augsburg (7-0-1, 1-0-1 MIAC) enters the weekend with an undefeated record after out-scoring Northland (Wis.) by a 16-5 margin in a non-conference weekend sweep Nov. 22-23. Junior forward Nick Widing, a transfer from Hamline, leads the team with 11 points (5g/6a), while classmate Ben McClellan is close behind with 10 points, including a team-leading seven goals. Junior goaltender John Bretzman boasts a .916 save percentage and a 1.78 GAA. The Auggies tout the second-best power play, overall, at 17.9 percent (7-for-39), but are last in conference play (0-for-7 in two MIAC games).
NATIONAL RANKINGS: Augsburg is ranked No. 14 and No. 15 in the nation by D3hockey.com and USCHO.com, respectively. Saint John's did not receive votes in either poll after starting the season ranked No. 11 by USCHO.com and No. 14 by D3hockey.com.
LAST YEAR: Saint John's and Augsburg split their series, for the second consecutive season, last year. SJU dropped its third consecutive conference game, 3-1, at Augsburg last Nov. 15. Thomas Paine gave Augsburg a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal 4:16 into the second period and Derek Loisel gave the home team a two-goal lead 7:16 later. Senior Justin Hochsprung (Alexandria, Minn.) put SJU on the scoreboard with the put-back of Jascha Pettit's '13 shot with 3:26 left in the second frame. Loisel padded the Auggies' lead to 3-1 with his second goal of the game 8:28 into the third period. The Johnnies mustered five shots on net during a five-minute power play that started 1:25 into the game, but could not score.
SJU erased a 2-1 deficit with three goals in the final 7:49 to earn a 4-2 victory the following night in St. Cloud to begin a five-game win streak. Michael Palmiscno '13 gave SJU a 1-0 lead with his second goal of the season at the 14:17 mark of the opening period. Landon Olson tied the game at 1-1 for Augsburg at the 10:58 mark of the second period. The Auggies outshot SJU 17-6 in the second period but failed to convert on any of their four power-play opportunities, including a 37-second, five-on-three advantage. Niklas Almstrom gave the Auggies their first lead of the game 7:08 into the third period. Pettit tallied the equalizer 5:03 later on a play created from nifty passing by Hochsprung and junior John Haeg (Lakeville, Minn.). Haeg crashed the net and tallied his fifth goal of the season 1:38 later and ended the scoring with an empty-netter with 1:17 remaining. Hochsprung tallied the assists on both goals to finish with three for the game. Sophomore Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) made 31 saves, nine on the power play, to improve to 2-2 on the season.
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies lead the all-time series 36-34-1 since the 1984-85 season, but are 6-8 in the last 14 meetings (2-6 in last eight), including a 2-5 record in Minneapolis.
UNLUCKY DOUG: SJU head coach Doug Schueller has won only once in five games at Augsburg since he took the head coaching position prior to the 2008-09 season. That victory, a 2-1 contest on Jan. 17, 2009, came in a game where the Auggies' offense was stagnant, going 1-for-11 on the power play. Pat Connelly '09 scored both goals for SJU, one in the second period and one in the third.
