Saint John's hockey returns to Wisconsin for a pair of games this weekend, beginning with a 7 p.m. puck-drop on Friday, Nov. 4, at Wisconsin-Eau Claire. SJU ends the trip at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Northland (Wis.).

LIVE COVERAGE:
-Friday, Nov. 4 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire: Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats | Live Video
-Saturday, Nov. 5 at Northland (Wis.): Listen Live (WMIN-1010 AM/101-1. FM) | Live Video 
    *note that Saturday's radio broadcast is on WMIN-1010 AM/101.1 FM due to the SJU football game on WBHR-660 AM.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (1-0 overall) scored three unanswered goals to win its 2022-23 season opener with a 3-1 score over Wisconsin-River Falls Saturday night (Oct. 29) at Hunt Arena.

Valentino Passarelli gave UWRF a 1-0 lead 4:07 into the game, but freshman defenseman Mason Campbell (Rosemount, Minn.) answered with a game-tying goal – his first collegiate point – 29 seconds later.

Senior forward Joe Papa (St. Charles, Ill.) tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal with 6:41 left in the opening period and junior forward Max Borst (Edina, Minn.) added an insurance goal with the empty net at the 19:28 mark of the third frame.

Sophomore goaltender Bailey Huber (Mahtomedi, Minn.) made his first collegiate start and stopped 27 shots in the victory.

The two teams combined to go 0-for-6 on the power play (SJU: 0-4, UWRF: 0-2). SJU posted a 15-6 advantage in shots in the first period, though the Falcons registered a 22-12 margin the rest of the way. 

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Huber was named the MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week on Monday (Oct. 31) for his 27-save performance at Wisconsin-River Falls.

RECEIVING VOTES: Wisconsin-Eau Claire tied with Wisconsin-River Falls with six votes in the first USCHO Division III poll of the regular season released Monday (Oct. 31). Augsburg was ranked No. 4, while Bethel (four votes), SJU (three votes) and St. Olaf (two votes) represented the MIAC.

A LOOK AT THE BLUGOLDS: Friday night's game is the season opener for Wisconsin-Eau Claire, which returns nine of its top 14 skaters from 2021-22. Ty Readman, an All-WIAC first-team honoree last season, led the team in all three offensive categories – goals (10), assists (10) and points (20) – and is taking advantage of the fifth-year option awarded by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blugolds also return juniors Quinn Green (9g/5a) and Ryan Green (6g/7a), who combined for 27 points. The question mark for UWEC in 2022-23 is at goaltender. Like SJU, the Blugolds did not return collegiate experience this season. Ryan Ouellette posted a 17-6-1 record with a 1.66 and a .923 save percentage (470) last season as a freshman, but transferred up to Division I Niagara. Eau Claire was picked second in the WIAC preseason coaches' poll and finished with a 18-11-1 record (10-6-0 WIAC) in 2021-22.

LAST FALL: SJU opened its 2021-22 season with a 1-0 shutout of Wisconsin-Eau Claire last Oct. 30 (2021) at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (HBNHC) in St. Cloud. Goaltender Mac Berglove '21 made 34 saves to earn his fourth career shutout.

Senior forward Nick Michel (Waconia, Minn.) scored the game's lone goal 3:28 into his Johnnie debut. Defenseman Cole Souto '22 ripped a shot from the left faceoff circle and the save bounced up the slot to senior forward Henry Enebak (Lakeville, Minn.), who followed suit with a shot-on-goal of his own. The rebound found Michel, who sent a shot through the five-hole. 

The Blugolds out-shot SJU by a 34-28 margin, thanks to a 16-10 showing in the third period. The two teams combined for 17 penalties (for 56 minutes).

A LOOK AT THE LUMBERJACKS: Northland (0-1-1 overall) followed a 7-1 road loss to St. Olaf in Oct. 28's season opener with a 2-2 tie Tuesday night (Nov. 1) at home to Finlandia (Mich.). Josh King and Rajvir Sangha have two points (1g/1a) apiece. LC is 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) so far on the power play, while the opposition is only at 6.7 percent (1-for-15). The Lumberjacks were picked to finish last out of six teams in the WIAC preseason poll. Northland, which posted a 4-20-3 (1-13-1 WIAC) record last season, hosts Concordia-Moorhead Friday night before SJU comes to town.

IN JANUARY: The Johnnies snapped their power-play drought and recorded their seventh five-goal game of the season in a 5-2 victory over Northland back on Jan. 24 at the HBNHC. SJU ended a 0-for-24 skid on the power play (since Dec. 10 at Concordia, Wis.) by scoring two goals on its first two opportunities on the man advantage and finished 2-for-4 on the night.

Senior forward Jack Johnson (Bemidji, Minn.) collected three assists, while a pair of classmates from Edina, captain Auggie Moore (2g/1a) and defenseman Peter Tabor (1g/2a), totaled three points apiece. The multi-point game was Moore's fourth of the season and 13th of his career (sixth of three points or more).

Moore opened the game's scoring with his sixth goal of the season 4:28 into the game and Enebak made it 2-0 with his first tally of the season, on the power play, at the 16-minute mark. 

Ben Varga cut the Lumberjacks' deficit in half 57 seconds later and Parker Severson tied the game 2:36 into the second period.

The Johnnies' power play answered the bell for the go-ahead goal, Moore's second of the night, at the 11:12 mark of the second period.

Sophomore forward Spencer Rudrud (Eden Prairie, Minn.) then found classmate Jackson Sabo (Rosemount, Minn.) all alone in front with 1.5 seconds remaining in the second period to give SJU a 4-2 lead. The goal was Sabo's first as a Johnnie and fourth point in his third game.

Tabor ended the scoring with his second goal of the season, 4-on-4, with 8:44 remaining in the contest.

Goaltender Michael Magnuson '22 made his fourth start of the season and stopped 17 shots to even his record at 2-2. SJU out-shot LC by a 36-19 margin, including 27-10 through the first two periods.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 7-0 all-time against Northland, including a 4-0 mark on the Lumberjacks' home ice.