Saint John's hockey aims to bounce back in the win column with a home-and-home series against Hamline this weekend, beginning with a 7:05 p.m. game Friday, Feb. 7, at Oscar Johnson Arena in St. Paul. The Johnnies return home for Senior Day, a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. – Listen Live (Friday) | Live Stats (Friday) | Listen Live (Saturday, via Real Audio Player) | Live Stats (Saturday) | Live Video (Saturday)
Preview Video:
-Head coach Doug Schueller (1:09)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (11-8, 5-5 MIAC) saw its six-game win streak come to an end with a pair of losses, 2-1 and 4-1, to league-leading Gustavus Adolphus last weekend. Then-No. 15 Gustavus tallied two rebound goals, unanswered, last Friday (Jan. 31) in St. Peter and then posted a 21-7 shot advantage in the first period, which led to a quick 3-0 lead, in the 4-1 win Saturday at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. Freshman defenseman Brady Riesgraf (Chaska, Minn.) and junior forward Phil Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) scored SJU's goals on the weekend, while sophomore goaltender Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) was saddled with both losses. The loss on Friday night was his first since Dec. 6 at Augsburg (3-1).
GUSTAVUS SWEEP: The weekend sweep was Gustavus' first in the MIAC regular season over SJU since the 1994-95 season. Saturday's loss at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center was just the fifth win (5-20-2 record) for the Johnnies on their home ice against GAC since the 1992-93 season.
PENALTY-KILL STREAK ENDS: GAC's Andy Pearson snapped the Johnnies' penalty-kill streak at 34 with a power-play goal 6:13 into Saturday's game and Adam Smyth made it 4-0 with another power-play goal 3:37 into the third period.
A LOOK AT THE PIPERS: Hamline (2-16-1, 1-9-0 MIAC) begin the weekend riding a six-game losing streak, four of which were shutouts. The Pipers' last victory was a 5-4 decision against Northland (Wis.) Jan. 11 and the lone MIAC win was a 2-1 triumph at Bethel Dec. 6. Sophomore forward Kevin Novakovich (5g/6a) and junior defenseman Joe Rubbelke (2/g9a) lead the team with 11 points apiece. HU has been out-scored 81-26 so far this season, including a 38-9 margin in MIAC play. Freshman goaltender John Sellie-Hanson is 1-8 in net with a 3.73 GAA and a .874 save percentage. The Pipers' power play is at 11.4 percent (9-for-79), 3-for-30 in conference play, while the penalty kill has allowed 18 power-play goals this season (76.9 percent, 60-for-78).
EARLIER THIS SEASON: Each member of Saint John's fourth line scored a goal and had two assists as the Johnnies defeated Hamline 4-2 in a non-conference game, as part of the season-opening MIAC Showcase, earlier this season on Nov. 1 in Blaine. The fourth line's three forwards, senior Zach Knight (Minneapolis, Minn.), junior John Carroll (Eagan, Minn.) and sophomore Neal Smith (Rogers, Minn.), accounted for nine of the team's 11 points on the night. Smith gave SJU an early 1-0 lead with a power-play goal 6:49 into the game, his second collegiate goal. Sophomore Andrew Commers (Edina, Minn.) took advantage of a Hamline turnover and made it 2-0 in favor of SJU with his first goal as a Johnnie 6:43 into the second period. The Johnnies' fourth line lit the lamp again, this time from Carroll 1:35 later. Knight and Smith were credited with the assists on the goal, which was the second of Carroll's collegiate career. HU erased the shutout with a power-play goal from Brandon Zurn at the 13-minute mark of the second period and cut the Johnnies' lead to 3-2 with 14:22 remaining, seven seconds after a Piper power-play expired. Knight ended the scoring with an insurance goal at the 18:48 mark of the third period, with assists going to Carroll and Smith. Soley made 21 saves in the win as both teams registered 23 shots on goal. The victory was the Johnnies' first season-opening win since the 2009-10 season, a 4-0 shutout in the first MIAC Showcase on Oct. 31, 2009, at the Bloomington Ice Gardens.
SERIES HISTORY: Saint John's is 43-18-5 against Hamline since the 1984-85 season, including a 5-5-2 record under the direction of head coach Doug Schueller.
