Box Score
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BLAINE, Minn. – Saint John's hockey clinched, at worst, the fourth seed in the five-team MIAC Playoffs with a 3-1 win at Bethel on Saturday, Feb. 15, in Blaine.
SJU (15-8, 9-5 MIAC), which has now won 10 of its last 12 games, clinched a berth to the five-team MIAC Playoffs with Concordia-Moorhead's 5-2 loss at home to Saint Mary's earlier in the day. The Johnnies are currently fourth in the standings, one point behind idle St. Olaf, entering the final weekend of the regular season.
The Johnnies failed to capitalize on a five-minute major, and power play, called on Bethel 3:53 into the game but sophomore Andrew Commers (Edina, Minn.) put the visitors on the scoreboard with his fourth goal of the season 10:06 into the first period. Freshman Dan McNamara (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and sophomore Neal Smith (Rogers, Minn.) assisted on the scoring play.
Junior John Haeg (Lakeville, Minn.) made it 2-0 for SJU 14:32 into the second period with his sixth goal of the season, on assists from senior Justin Hochsprung (Alexandria, Minn.) and junior Wally Cossette (Maple Grove, Minn.). The goal was Haeg's fourth point of the weekend and 10th (6g/4a) in seven career games against the Royals.
The two-goal cushion only lasted 35 seconds, however, as freshman Kevin Becker (Roseville, Minn.) made it 3-0 in favor of SJU with this sixth goal of the season. McNamara and Smith collected the assists.
Tyler Swanson denied sophomore Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) his second shutout of the season with his first goal of the year with 9.5 seconds left for BU (3-18-2, 2-11-1 MIAC).
Soley made 13 stops to improve to 13-6 (8-5 MIAC) on the season.
SJU out-shot the Royals 30-14 in the game, including a 22-9 advantage in the final two periods. The two teams combined for a 0-for-11 showing on the power play (0-for-6 SJU, 0-for-5 BU), of which the Royals generated only one shot on net in their five chances. SJU killed off all 10 chances on the weekend.
With the victory, SJU head hockey coach Doug Schueller (67-72-13 record) broke his tie with Denny Hartman (1981-88, 66-118-2 record) for second in the program's history in wins, 174 behind John Harrington (1993-08, 241-142-31), a two-time Olympian as a player and member of the 1980 U.S. "Miracle on Ice" hockey team.
The Johnnies wrap up their regular-season schedule with a pair of games against nationally-ranked St. Thomas next weekend, beginning with a 7:30 p.m. game Friday, Feb. 21, at Cadet Ice Arena in Mendota Heights.
