Saint John's enters the final regular-season series against Bethel this weekend within striking distance of the MIAC title, beginning with a 7 p.m. game Friday, Feb. 15, at Schwan Super Rink in Blaine. The return-game is set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at the National Hockey and Events Center in St. Cloud. A free bus will be available for CSB/SJU students Saturday night. – Listen Live (Both Games, Real Audio Player) | Live Video (Friday) | Live Stats (Saturday)
Preview Video:
-Head coach Doug Schueller (1:41)
SATURDAY NIGHT'S BUS: The student buses will depart from the Bell Banner (SJU) at 6 p.m., followed by a 6:15 p.m. pick-up at the HCC (CSB).
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Johnnies (12-7-4, 7-4-3 MIAC) moved into a second-place tie with St. Thomas, one point behind league-leading St. Olaf, with a series sweep of the Oles (4-2 and 4-0) Feb. 7-8. SJU was able to rally from a 2-1 deficit, scoring three unanswered goals in the third period, to earn the 4-2 victory Feb. 7 in St. Cloud. The Oles' Jeff Harris opened up the scoring with a power-play goal less than one minute into the game. It was only the second goal allowed on the power-play by SJU in 43 chances in MIAC play. Sophomore Dave Mylrea (Brooklyn Park, Minn) tied it up for the Johnnies just over three-minutes later with his second game of the season. The Oles, however, took the lead once again with just 5:39 left in the first on Nick Marsh's first goal of the season. Senior Jascha Pettit (Wadena, Minn.) tied the game 6:56 into the third period with his seventh goal of the season and junior Jason Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) scored what proved to be the game-winner 1:15 later. Sophomore Phil Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) added an insurance goal with 2:23 to end the scoring.
Three Johnnies combined to score all nine points and freshman Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) made 30 saves as Saint John's completed a sweep of MIAC-leading St. Olaf with a 4-0 shutout of the Oles on Friday, Feb. 8, in Northfield. Junior Josh Gross (Maple Grove, Minn.) gave SJU a 1-0 lead with his first goal of the season, a rebound of sophomore John Haeg's (Lakeville, Minn.) initial shot, 5:59 into the game. Junior Justin Hochsprung (Alexandria, Minn.) extended the lead to 2-0 with his fifth goal of the season 5:24 into the second period on a pass from Gross, via Haeg, 10 seconds after SJU killed off a power play. Hochsprung then capitalized on a St. Olaf turnover and made it 3-0 with 4:20 left in the second, unassisted. Haeg ended the scoring with an empty-net goal, his 10th tally of the season, with 31 seconds left, on a pass from Gross.
TITLE, PLAYOFFS: The Johnnies earned a berth to the five-team MIAC playoffs with St. Thomas' 4-2 win over Augsburg Feb. 14. A sweep or win and tie against the Royals, in addition to some help, would guarantee SJU at least a share of the MIAC title and the No. 1 seed in next week's conference playoffs. In this scenario, the Johnnies need St. Thomas (19 points) to lose or tie against the Auggies Feb. 15 and have St. Olaf (18 points, vs. Gustavus) lose or tie one of its two games this weekend. The margin of error is slim for SJU, however, as the Gusties (16 points) and Concordia (16 points, vs. Saint Mary's) are within striking distance of a MIAC-playoff berth as well. Sweeps by both teams would launch them ahead of the Johnnies pending a slip-up this weekend and push SJU to the No. 5 seed.
2013 CLIMB: SJU resumed conference play Jan. 11 tied for seventh in the MIAC with two points (1-3-0 record) in the conference standings, eight points from Bethel and St. Thomas at the top (5-1-0 record). The Johnnies posted a 6-1-3 record since, while the Royals won one of their next eight games (1-7-0).
SOLEY AT THE TOP: Soley posted a 1.00 GAA and a .958 save percentage (46 saves) in the Johnnies' sweep of St. Olaf to earn MIAC Men's Hockey Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this season. Soley is now 11-4-1 overall (7-3-1 MIAC) in net and leads the MIAC (conference games only) in both GAA (1.30) and save percentage (.947). He made 16 saves in SJU's 4-2 win Feb. 7 in St. Cloud before stopping all 30 shots to tally his second collegiate shutout (in his last four games), 4-0, Feb. 8 in Northfield. The shutout of St. Olaf was the first for a Johnnie goaltender since Adam Hanna in March 2004 and the first in Northfield since Mark Rice in February 1999. Soley is 6-1-1 with two shutouts, a 0.98 GAA and a .958 save percentage in eight games since Christmas break.
100 GAMES: Senior forward Michael Palmiscno (East Grand Forks, Minn.) is expected to become the 33rd Johnnie in school history to play in 100 games when he takes the ice Friday in Blaine. The last players to achieve this accomplishment were Brent Brodersen and Mike Wallgren in 2010. Palmiscno has 60 points (21g/39a) and 11 power-play goals in his career.
J.V. SUCCESS: The Johnnies' junior-varsity team finished the season with an 11-1-2 record and an average of 5.85 goals per game. Freshman Jake Senta (Savage, Minn.) led the way for the Johnnies with 21 points (16g/5a), while sophomore Danny Heck (Roseville, Minn.) and freshman Danny Cashman (Little Canada, Minn.) followed with 18 (5g/13a) and 15 (8g/7a) points, respectively. Freshman Andrew Doig (Duluth, Minn.) led the defensemen with 10 points (4g/6a). Freshman goaltender Alec Almquist (Plymouth, Minn.) finished the season with an undefeated 6-0-1 record in net.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: The Johnnies received votes in both the USCHO.com (Feb. 11) and D3hockey.com (Feb. 12) Division III top-15 polls. The Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.), which SJU defeated by a 3-2 score Dec. 15, is ranked No. 13 by the USCHO.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: The first NCAA West Region rankings were released Feb. 12 with the Johnnies listed eighth. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, ranked third nationally, claimed the top spot in the West. Defending national-champion St. Norbert (Wis.) was listed second and Adrian (Mich.) third. Wisconsin-River Falls was ranked fifth, followed by MSOE and Marian (Wis.). The Johnnies are scheduled to play Eau Claire, River Falls and Marian in 2013-14.
A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: Bethel (7-16-0, 7-9-0 MIAC) enters this weekend's series with a 1-10 record in its last 11 games, including a pair of losses (9-4 and 4-1) to Augsburg last weekend. Freshman forward Mitch Hughes enters the final series of the season in a tie for first in the MIAC (with Haeg and St. Olaf's Jeff Harris) with 24 points (13g/11a). The team's second-leading scorer, senior forward Jack Paul (8g/15a), leads the MIAC in assists and recently tallied his 100th career point (53g/47a). Four goaltenders have combined for a 3.78 GAA and .866 save percentage. BU's second-ranked power play (21.2 percent, 22-for-104) will square-off against SJU's league-leading (all games) penalty kill (86.7 percent, 72-for-83) this weekend.
EARLIER THIS SEASON: Bethel broke the game open with a pair of third-period, power-play goals in a 3-0 non-conference win over Saint John's in the season opener for both teams earlier this season on Oct. 26 at the MIAC Showcase in Blaine. Garrett Windle gave Bethel a 1-0 lead with 4:14 left in the second period. Jack Paul made it 2-0 with two seconds left on the five-on-three advantage, 5:40 into the final period. Tyler Swanson ended the scoring with a power-play goal of his own 6:24 later. Senior J.D. Wells (Anoka, Minn.) made 26 saves, the most in a single game since he stopped a career-high 33 shots at St. Norbert (Wis.) on Jan. 7, 2011. Dan Harper made 22 saves in the shutout for the Royals, who held SJU to only four shots on four power-play opportunities. BU converted two of its power-play chances. Senior Jascha Pettit (Wadena, Minn.) led SJU with five shots.
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 36-22-8 against Bethel since the 1984-85 season, but 3-8-1 in the last 12 meetings. SJU is 1-6-1 in its last eight games on the Royals' home ice, including a 1-5 record at Schwan Super Rink in Blaine.
