Box Score

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Saint John's hockey opened its 2023-24 season with a 2-0 non-conference loss to Wisconsin-River Falls on Senior Night - Saturday, Oct. 28 - at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Jonny Meiers broke the scoreless stalemate for UWRF with a power-play goal just 1:56 left in the second period and Noah Roofe made it a two-goal game 3:52 into the third period. Arsenii Smekhnov took down sophomore defenseman Mason Campbell (Rosemount, Minn.) in front of the SJU net, possessed the puck and passed across the goal mouth to Roofe for the easy goal.

Junior goaltender Bailey Huber (Mahtomedi, Minn.) made 29 saves in the loss as the home team out-shot the Falcons, 33-31. SJU, however, went 0-for-4 on the power play to UWRF's 1-for-2 showing. Saturday's season opener served as the collegiate debut for six Johnnie freshmen.

Senior forward Max Borst (Edina, Minn.) led SJU with five shots, while junior forward Jackson Sabo (Rosemount, Minn.) and freshman forward Cam Boche (Lakeville, Minn.) added four shots apiece. Sabo's four shots came in the game's first 5:40 before he left the game due to injury.

The Johnnies host a pair of "home" games next Friday-Saturday (Nov. 3-4) at the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) in St. Cloud. SJU faces No. 14 UW-Eau Claire at 6 p.m. Friday and Northland (Wis.) at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.