The Johnnie hockey team ends the regular season with a home-and-home series against No. 4 Augsburg, beginning with a 7 p.m. puck-drop on Friday, Feb. 18, in Minneapolis. The two teams complete the schedule with a 7 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

LIVE COVERAGE
-Friday, Feb. 18 in Minneapolis: Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats/Live Video
-Saturday, Feb. 19 in St. Cloud: Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats/Live Video 

FREE BUSING FOR CSB/SJU STUDENTS ON SATURDAY: Thanks to the SJU Senate, a bus will be available for CSB/SJU students for Saturday night's game. The bus departs the SJU Abbey Bell Banner at 6 p.m. (6:05 p.m. pickup from Flynntown) and leaves CSB's HCC at 6:20 p.m.

SPECTATOR POLICY: Saint John's University and St. Cloud State University updated the spectator policy for home hockey games in the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. 
 
-Masks are required at all times. This is both an MIAC and SCSU policy. 

-Social distancing is strongly encouraged. The lower bowl will be open on both sides of the ice (seating will be blocked off behind the team benches).
 
-The concession stand will not be open. No food or drink is allowed to be brought in. 
 
Fans with any COVID-19, cold or flu symptoms are asked to not enter the venue.   

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (15-6-2, 8-3-1 MIAC) extended its win streak to four games with a series sweep of St. Olaf last weekend.

Saint John's 4, at St. Olaf 2 (Feb. 11)
SJU broke a 2-2 tie with two unanswered goals in the game's final six minutes for the 4-2 win. Freshman forward Matt DeRosa (Alpharetta, Ga.) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, his third tally of the season and first since Nov. 12, 47 seconds after Tyler Cooper tied it at 2-2 on the power-play for St. Olaf with 6:31 remaining. Junior forward Dan Wieber (St. Joseph, Minn.) sealed the victory for SJU with an empty-net goal, his second tally of the season and 10th of his career, with 1:02 left. 

Freshman forward Jackson Sabo (Rosemount, Minn.) opened the scoring with his third goal of the season (and sixth point) 4:15 into the game, his eighth as a Johnnie. The Oles, however, tied the game on a goal from Sean Walsh, his 10th of the season, during a 5-on-3 power-play with 8:35 left in the first period. Junior captain Auggie Moore (Edina, Minn.) gave the lead back to SJU with his 11th goal of the season, on an assist that served as freshman forward Spencer Rudrud's (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 20th point of the season (5g/15a), with 38 seconds left in the opening frame. The goal was Moore's third in his last two games and sixth over the last six contests. 

SJU killed off 59 seconds of another 5-on-3 in the second period. The Johnnies amassed 12 shots on net - as well as three off the pipe - but went 0-for-7 on the power play, to the Oles' 2-for-6 performance. Senior goaltender Mac Berglove (Elk River, Minn.) made 19 saves to move his record to 11-4-2 on the year.

at Saint John's 3, St. Olaf 1 (Feb. 12)
The Oles gained a quick 1-0 lead on a goal from Sean Walsh on the game's first shot 55 seconds into the contest, but SJU scored the next three goals. Senior forward Braden Altena (St. Cloud, Minn.) tied the game at 1-1 with a one-timer on the doorstep from freshman forward Cody Carlson (Buffalo, Minn.), his second goal of the season, 42 seconds later.

Sabo made it 2-1 with his fourth goal of the season, a rebound off a shot on goal from Carlson, with 4:23 left in the second period. Sophomore forward Lewis Crosby (Edina, Minn.) sealed the win with an empty-net goal, his MIAC-leading 16th tally of the season, with 15 seconds remaining.

Senior goaltender Michael Magnuson (Sunfish Lake, Minn.) made 25 saves to improve to 4-2 on the year and earn his fifth collegiate win.

SJU out-shot STO by a 39-26 margin, including a 27-13 advantage in the first two periods. Both teams were 0-for-5 on the power play.

MIAC PLAYOFFS: This year's MIAC Playoffs will be an "all-comers" tournament, in which the Johnnies have clinched at least the third seed and a home game in next weekend's quarterfinals. Due to HBNHC availability, SJU's quarterfinal game will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27 (instead of 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26).

STAT COMPARISONS
Scoring Offense
1. AUG, 4.64 gpg, (3.83 Overall)
6. SJU: 3.33 gpg, (3.52 Overall)

GAA
1. SJU, 1.72 (1.93 Overall) 
2. AUG, 1.79 (1.56 Overall)

Power Play
1. AUG, 27.1 percent/16-for-59 (22.6 percent/21-for-93 Overall)
9. SJU, 6.0 percent/3-for-50 (11.9 percent/12-for-101 Overall)

Penalty Kill
1. AUG, 97.9 percent/47-for-48 (91.4 percent/74-for-81 Overall *No. 4 in Division III)
4. SJU, 83.8 percent/31-for-37 (82.9 percent/ 63-for-76 Overall)

A LOOK AT THE AUGGIES: Augsburg (21-2-0, 13-1-0 MIAC) extended its win streak to 12 games with a sweep of Saint Mary's, 5-4 (Friday in Minneapolis) and 7-3 (Saturday in Winona), last weekend. The Auggies trailed, 4-3, entering the third period but scored a pair of goals 1:45 apart in the game's final six minutes. Senior forward Austin Martinsen is second in the MIAC in points with 30 (12g/18), while senior forward Gavin Holland is second with 26 (13g/13a). Junior Jack Robbel (12-1, 1.70 GAA, .927) and freshman Samuel Vyletelkla (9-1, 1.40 GAA, .944) have split time in net this season.

LAST YEAR: The Johnnies and Auggies split their series, with the home team winning each game, last winter. 

at Augsburg 6, Saint John's 0 (Jan. 30, 2021)
SJU controlled the first three-quarters of the first period, boasting a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal, until the Auggies struck for two goals in the final four minutes. Charlie Parker took advantage of an SJU turnover in its own zone and gave the home team a 1-0 lead, on its third shot of the game, with 3:50 left in the opening frame. Austin Martinsen made it 2-0 with a power-play goal nearly two minutes later (18:05), six seconds into the man advantage. 

Erik Palmqvist padded the Auggies' lead, seconds after a 3-on-1 rush by the Johnnies failed to produce a shot, 2:36 into the second period. The situation turned worse for SJU when Augsburg was awarded a 5-on-3 power play, thanks to a 2-minute minor penalty and 5-minute major at the same stoppage, 26 seconds later. Grant Reichenbacher used the two-man advantage and extended the Auggies' lead to 4-0 at the 4:47 mark. 

SJU had a 5-on-3 power play of its own for 1:50 late in the second period, but did not score. Martinsen made it a five-goal game 10:45 into the third period and Parker ended the scoring with 4:38 remaining. 

The Johnnies posted a slight edge in shots on goal, 32-31, but went 0-for-6 on the power play. Berglove made 25 saves in the loss, his first since Dec. 15, 2019. 

at Saint John's 4, Augsburg 2 (Feb. 25, 2021)
All four SJU goals were scored by sophomores. Moore collected three points (1g/2a), including what proved to be the game-winning goal, and junior forward Jack Johnson (Bemidji, Minn.) added a pair of goals in the win.

SJU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to two goals in the game's first 2:33. Junior forward Henry Enebak (Lakeville, Minn.) put SJU on the scoreboard with an unassisted, breakaway goal - his third tally of the season - 1:14 into the game. Johnson then made it 2-0 with a power-play goal 1:19 later.

Logan Kons cut the Auggies' deficit in half, 2-1, with a power-play goal 8:37 into the second period. Berglove made the initial save of an Auggie shot, but the puck squirted to Kons, who had an open net. Berglove made 27 saves to earn his 15th career victory. 

The Johnnies out-shot Augsburg 16-11 in the second period and hit the pipe twice, Enebak and Russell Harren '21, 1:13 apart halfway through the frame. Tanner Dufault '21 clunked the iron early in the third period. An Augsburg skater lost an edge in his own zone and Moore took advantage of the turnover 28 seconds into the third period. Reichenbacher made it a one-goal game again with a power-play tally at the 8:52 mark of the third, but Johnson ended the scoring by putting away his own rebound with 4:37 remaining. 

SJU out-shot the Auggies, 35-29. Augsburg started the game with only 15 skaters, of which four were defensemen. The undermanned visitors lost one to injury with 5:07 left in the first period and another with 1:38 remaining.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 44-39-2 against the Auggies since the 1986-87 season: 18-15-2 in St. Cloud, 19-21 in Minneapolis and 7-3 at a neutral site. SJU is 6-8-1 in the last 15 meetings.