Saint John's hockey returns to action with a pair of non-conference games at home this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11. The Johnnies play host to Wisconsin-Stout on Friday and Marian (Wis.) Saturday. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. – Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM, via Real Audio Player; Friday only) | Live Stats (Both Games) | Live Video (Both Games)
Preview Video:
-Head coach Doug Schueller (1:39)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (6-6, 3-3 MIAC) sophomore defenseman Joe Freemark's first collegiate goal 4:43 into the third period proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win over then-No. 9 St. Scholastica on Dec. 13 at the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud. Freemark (Lakeville, Minn.) ripped a slap shot from the point, through traffic, where it found the top right corner of the net. Senior Josh Gross (Maple Grove, Minn.) and junior John Haeg (Lakeville, Minn.) tallied their second assists of the night on the scoring play. Derek Sutliffe gave St. Scholastica a 1-0 lead 4:24 into the game. Junior Phil Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) tied it for SJU (6-6, 3-3 MIAC) with his third goal of the season at the 11:11 mark of the first. Sophomore Dan McNamara (Grand Rapids, Mich.) fed the puck to senior Jason Johnson (Duluth, Minn.), who found Phil Johnson, no relation, for the one-timer in front. Junior Dave Mylrea (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) gave the Johnnies a brief 2-1 lead with a power-play goal, his second tally of the year and fifth of his career, 5:59 into the second period. The Saints' Derek Hills, however, matched Mylrea's slap shot to tie the game 25 seconds later. Junior Jobe Peterson (St. Cloud, Minn.), the shortest player on the SJU roster at 5-foot-8, was called for a five-minute major penalty for kneeing with 2:26 left in the second frame. CSS, however, registered only two shots on goal during the five-minute man advantage. St. Scholastica entered the game with one of Division III's best power-play units at 29.7 percent (11-for-37), but went 0-for-4 on the night. Sophomore Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) made 24 saves to improve to 5-4 on the season and earn his 20th career win (20-9-1 record). The Johnnies are now 8-3-1 against St. Scholastica in the last 12 meetings, including a 6-1-1 record in St. Cloud.
EUROPEAN TRIP: The SJU hockey program made its first international trip, an eight-night (nine-day) excursion to Europe Dec. 27-Jan. 4. The group spent three days in Bolzano, Italy before departing for Germany for the remainder of the trip. The Johnnies also visited the German cities of Fussen, Munich and Dachau and compiled a 3-1 record on the ice: W, 7-4 at ASD Hockey Pergine Valsugana, Italy (Dec. 29); W, 2-1 at Panthers Hockey Bolzano, Italy (Dec. 29); L, 2-3 at EC Kitzbuhel, Germany (Dec. 30); and W, 13-3 at ESC Geredsried, Germany (Jan. 2).
HOME STRETCH: The Johnnies begin the 2014 portion of their schedule this weekend with four consecutive home games. In fact, eight of SJU's 13 remaining regular-season games are at home.
A LOOK AT THE BLUE DEVILS: Wisconsin-Stout (4-8, 1-1 WIAC) returns to action after splitting a pair of games out east in Oswego, N.Y., Jan. 3-4. Five of the team's eight losses were decided by one goal. Senior Kevin O'Donnell is 19 points away from 100 for his career and leads the team in both goals (7) and assists (6). Freshman Corey Koop has been the goaltender of record in all 12 games this season and has a 2.91 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
SPECIAL-TEAMS SHOWCASE THIS WEEKEND: The Herb Brooks National Hockey Center will feature three teams that are ranked in the top 10 in combined special teams in Division III: top-ranked Wisconsin-Stout (63.8 percent), No. 5 SJU (56.9 percent) and t-No. 8 Marian (55.7 percent). Stout is 10th nationally on the penalty kill (90.3 percent) and 11th on the power play (25.6 percent). The Johnnies, meanwhile, are fifth in the nation combined thanks to its penalty kill, which is ranked 13th in the country (88.5 percent).
SEE YOU AGAIN SOON: SJU travels to face Stout for a 7:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Dunn County Ice Arena in Menomonie, Wis. The game is the Johnnies' lone contest of the week and the final non-conference tilt of the regular season.
LAST YEAR: The Johnnies battled to a 2-2 tie with Wisconsin-Stout last Nov. 2 (2012) at the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud. O'Donnell gave Stout a 1-0 lead with his second goal of the season, on the power play, with nine minutes left in the first period. The Blue Devils turned an SJU 2-on-1 shorthanded opportunity by Haeg and Tobias Linbro '13 and broke the scoreless tie with 17 seconds left on the man advantage. Garrett Grimstad made it 2-0 with an even-strength goal 45 seconds into the second period. Haeg cut the Blue Devils' lead in half with his fourth goal of the season, on the power play, with 15:26 left in the second period. Gross and Freemark assisted on the scoring play. Sophomore Neal Smith (Rogers, Minn.) tied the game at 2-2 with 3:19 remaining, his first collegiate goal. Smith carried the puck up the right side, gained the corner and ripped a strong backhander off a Stout defender and into the goal. Freemark and senior Justin Hochsprung (Alexandria, Minn.) added the assists. Senior Mitch Thompson (Onalaska, Wis.) made 27 saves in his SJU debut. SJU held a 35-29 edge in shots and a 58-28 advantage on faceoffs in the contest. The home team amassed 10 shots on five power-play opportunities but capitalized on only one (Haeg).
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 10-5-1 against Stout, including a 4-4-1 record in St. Cloud.
A LOOK AT THE SABRES: Marian (4-8-1, 3-4-1 NCHA) enters this weekend with a 0-4-1 record in its last five games. Like Stout, Marian has been snake-bit with four one-goal losses. The Sabres, who travel to face Concordia-Moorhead Friday night before facing SJU Saturday, are led by senior Tyler Klein in both goals (8) and assists (9). Senior Josh Baker (2-7-0 record) and freshman Mike Baldwin (2-1-1 record) have combined for a 2.74 GAA and a .914 save percentage in net. MU averages nearly seven penalties per game (6.7) and has not converted on either of its last power-play opportunities. Saturday's meeting will be the first between SJU and Marian on the ice.
