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Post-Game Interviews:
-Gross, Haeg, Senta & Schueller (1:48)

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Saint John's tallied two power-play goals and added an empty-netter, shorthanded, in a 5-3 win over Wisconsin-Stout on Friday, Jan. 10, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

The Blue Devils entered the contest as NCAA Division III's top-ranked team in regard to combined special teams (63.8 percent): No. 10 on penalty kill (90.3 percent) and No. 11 on power play (25.6 percent). SJU ended the night 2-for-3 on the power play and did not allow a shot to reach sophomore goaltender Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) on four minutes of power play as Stout went 0-for-2 on the man advantage.

Senior forward Josh Gross (Maple Grove, Minn.) gave SJU (7-6, 3-3 MIAC) a 1-0 lead 6:41 into the game with his sixth goal of the season and 15th of his collegiate career. Senior defenseman Axel Ramsgard (Gothenburg, Sweden) slapped a shot from the point that was redirected by junior forward John Haeg (Lakeville, Minn.) on net, and Gross was there on the doorstep to light the lamp. Gross now has a point in each of his last eight games for a total of 13 (6g/7a) during that span.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Stout's Jordan Tredinnick snuck a shot through heavy traffic in front to the back of the net 30 seconds later.

Junior defenseman Nick Vatnsdal (Independence, Minn.), making a spot start at forward, gave the lead back to the Johnnies with his second career goal at the 17:58 mark of the opening period. Senior forward Jason Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) ripped a strong shot on net from the left circle and the rebound went directly to Vatnsdal's stick on the far side. Junior forward Phil Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) recorded the second assist.

Kevin O'Donnell tied it for Stout (4-9, 1-1 WIAC) with his eighth goal of the season, off a nice feed from behind the net by Craig Lindegard, 15:09 into the second period.

SJU re-gained the lead on a power-play goal from junior defenseman Nick Senta (Savage, Minn.) with 1:18 left in the second frame, with assists going to Gross and freshman defenseman Brady Riesgraf (Chaska, Minn.).

Gross gave the home team a two-goal lead with his fifth power-play goal of the season 3:25 into the final period. Haeg and Senta registered the assists.

Zach Vierling cut the Blue Devils' deficit to one 4:16 later, but sophomore forward Alex Ach (Champlin, Minn.) sealed the win for SJU with a shorthanded, empty-net goal from center ice with 52 seconds remaining.

Soley made 31 saves to improve to 6-4 on the year. The Johnnies out-shot Stout 44-34 in the game, including a 34-21 advantage after the first period, and won 42 of the 65 faceoffs.

The Johnnies were without four regulars that have appeared in 10 games or more each during fall semester, three due to injury: senior defenseman and captain Trent Johnson (0g/3a; Duluth, Minn.), sophomore forward Andrew Commers (2g/0a; Edina, Minn.) and freshman forward Dan McNamara (2g/2a; Grand Rapids, Mich.). Senior forward Justin Hochsprung (1g/5a; Alexandria, Minn.) spent some time over Christmas break in China as part of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University E-Scholars program and is expected to return to the lineup when SJU resumes conference play next week. In addition, junior forward Jobe Peterson (St. Cloud, Minn.) left Friday night's game following an elbow to the head with 3:14 left in the second period and did not return.

SJU plays host to Marian (Wis.) for a 7 p.m. game Saturday, Jan. 11, at the National Hockey Center.