Saint John's hockey returns to conference play with a home-and-home series against Bethel, beginning with a 7 p.m. puck-drop on Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. The two teams complete the regular-season series at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Super Rink in Blaine.

LIVE COVERAGE
-Thursday, Dec. 1: Listen Live (WMIN-1010 AM/101-1. FM) | Live Stats/Live Video 
-Friday, Dec. 2: Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats | Live Video
*note that Thursday's radio broadcast is on WMIN-1010 AM/101.1 FM due to the final Football Weekly show on WBHR-660 AM

TICKET INFORMATION: Fans wishing to attend SJU hockey's home games at the HBNHC in St. Cloud must purchase tickets online. The ticket booths will not be open due to staffing. – Purchase Online Tickets

FREE BUS FOR CSB/SJU STUDENTS ON THURSDAY NIGHT: Thanks to the SJU Senate, a bus will be available for CSB/SJU students for Thursday night's home game in St. Cloud. The bus departs the SJU Abbey Bell Banner at 6:15 p.m. (then a pickup from Flynntown) and leaves CSB's HCC at 6:30 p.m.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (4-4-1, 2-1-1 MIAC) dropped a pair of close games last weekend at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, despite outshooting the Raiders, 70-51.

at Milwaukee School of Engineering 3, Saint John's 2 (Nov. 25)
A late goal handed SJU a 3-2 loss last Friday. A rebound goal from Jackson Hughes proved to be the game-winner for MSOE with 2:05 remaining. The Johnnies killed off a five-minute major, including 1:43 of a 5-on-3 power play, in the third period and outshot the Raiders by a 38-26 margin for the game.

SJU controlled play for a majority of the first period, totaling a 10-7 advantage in shots, but MSOE scored two goals in the final minute of the frame. Stuart Harley gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead with 56 seconds left and SJU was whistled for a penalty 37 seconds later, which MSOE took advantage of on a power-play goal from Christian Sabin with one second remaining.

The second period, however, belonged to the Johnnies as the visitors registered a 19-8 advantage in shots, which generated two goals to tie the game at 2-2. Freshman defenseman Mason Campbell (Rosemount, Minn.) cut the Johnnies' deficit in half with a power-play goal, 5-on-3, eight minutes into the second and senior captain Auggie Moore (Edina, Minn.) tied the contest with 2:48 left before intermission. Sophomore goaltender Bailey Huber (Mahtomedi, Minn.) made 23 saves in the loss, the first of his collegiate career (3-1-1 record).

at Milwaukee School of Engineering 2, Saint John's 0 (Nov. 26)
The Johnnies ended the weekend series with a 2-0 loss on Saturday afternoon. Matt Hanewall scored a pair of power-play goals 1:26 apart for MSOE in the second period for the game's scoring.

The Johnnies outshot the Raiders once again, 32-25, but went 0-for-4 on the power play to MSOE's 2-for-8 showing. Freshman goaltender Jon Howe (Mahtomedi, Minn.) made 23 saves in the loss.

AGAINST BETHEL: Five Johnnies have recorded three points or more against Bethel: senior captain Auggie Moore (Edina, Minn.), seven points (4g/3a) in six games; senior forward Jack Johnson (Bemidji, Minn.), five points (3g/2a) in four games; senior forward Brett Meister (White Bear Lake, Minn.), five assists in four games; senior defenseman Joe Raleigh (Lake Elmo, Minn.), three assists in six games; and senior forward Dan Wieber (St. Joseph, Minn.), three points (1g/2a) in three games.

STAT COMPARISONS
Scoring Offense
-BU: 3.8 gpg.
-SJU: 3.1 gpg.

GAA
-BU: 1.29
-SJU: 2.41

Power Play
-SJU: 33.3 percent (14-for-42)
-BU: 20.9 percent (9-for-43)

Penalty Kill
-BU: 97.5 percent (39-for-40)
-SJU: 75.8 percent (25-for-33)

A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: Bethel (7-2-1, 2-1-1 MIAC) extended its unbeaten streak to five games with a sweep at Lake Forest (Ill.), 7-1 and 3-0, last weekend (Nov. 25-26). Senior forward Dylan Giorgio was named the MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week for his three goals in the sweep. Another senior forward, Jarrett Cammarata, is tied with SJU's Michel for the MIAC lead with seven goals and leads the Royals with 13 points, one ahead of senior forward Justin Kelley (5g/7a). Freshman goaltender Austin Ryman, a transfer from Division I Alaska-Fairbanks, has a 1.21 GAA and a .956 save percentage. 

LAST SEASON: The visiting team won each meeting last November.

Bethel 1, at Saint John's 0 (OT, Nov. 10, 2021)
Bethel's Caydon Meyer scored as the final horn sounded in overtime to hand SJU a 1-0 loss last Nov. 10 (2021) at the HBNHC. The Johnnies dominated puck possession all night long and outshot BU by a 42-25 margin, but their power-play woes continued with a 0-for-4 showing. SJU were 0-for-18 on the man advantage at that point of last season. SJU totaled 83 shot attempts to 51 for BU, but 28 were wide of the net. The Johnnies edged the Royals in defensive blocked shots, 16-13.

Goaltender Mac Berglove '21 made 24 saves, including three on breakaways, in the loss to even his record at 1-1-1. The loss snapped SJU's unbeaten streak in the series at 15 games (a 14-0-1 record) and was the first to BU at the HBNHC since Nov. 11, 2010 (4-3).

Saint John's 5, at Bethel 1 (Nov. 23, 2021)
SJU evened its season record and earned a series split against Bethel with a 5-1 win nearly two weeks later (Nov. 23) in Blaine. The Johnnies produced the victory thanks to goals from its team captain and four underclassmen, as well as 29 saves from Berglove.

Sophomore forward Cody Carlson (Buffalo, Minn.) gave SJU a quick 1-0 lead with his first collegiate goal 2:26 into the game and senior forward Nick Michel (Waconia, Minn.) made it 2-0 with his fourth goal 6:07 into the second period.

Bethel cut its deficit in half with a goal with 26 seconds left in the second period, 19 seconds after SJU killed off a Royal power play. The Johnnies answered with three goals in the third period to seal the win. Max Osborne made it a two-goal game with his second goal of the season 2:10 into the third period.

Junior forward Max Borst (Edina, Minn.) tallied his second goal of the season with 9:34 remaining and Moore ended the scoring with an empty-netter - his second straight game with a goal - with 1:54 remaining. The Johnnies outshot the Royals, 39-30. Both teams were 0-for-3 on the man advantage.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 22-9-1 against BU under the direction of head coach Doug Schueller (11-4-0 at the HBNHC and 11-5-1 in Blaine). The Johnnies are 15-1-1 in the last 17 meetings (19-2-1 in the last 22).