COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - After splitting the net with All-MIAC selection Bailey Huber '25 the past three seasons, Saint John's senior goalie Jon Howe entered the 2025-26 campaign knowing he had the chance to take over the job full time.

And the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Totino-Grace High School graduate has made the most of the opportunity.

Through the Johnnies' first 11 games, Howe boasts a record of 6-1-3. His .933 save percentage ranks second nationally in NCAA Division III among goalies with 300 saves or more, and his 2.45 goals-against-average ranks eighth in the nation among those with 600 or more minutes played.

"When I did my exit interview at the end of last season with (head coach) Doug (Schueller) and (assistant coach) Travis (Tollette), we talked about how I'd have the chance to take over more of the reins this year," he said. 

"So I knew coming into the season that the chance was there to really show what I could do. But that meant I had to be at the top of my game if I wanted to be the guy to carry the load. I worked hard in the offseason to make sure I was ready, and so far, I think I'm off to a pretty good start. Now the goal is to continue that the rest of the way."

Howe's performance this past weekend kept the momentum going. He recorded a total of 86 saves as his team (6-2-3 overall) returned from its holiday break to sweep Trine (Ind.) – ranked No. 12 in the nation in Division III at the time – in a two-game non-conference series at the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud. 

The goalie stopped 40 shots in a 3-2 win on Jan. 2, then made 46 saves in a 4-2 victory the following night. That performance earned him MIAC defensive player of the week honors for the second time this season.

"Jon has shown that it's his net," said Schueller, whose team next takes on Beloit (Wis.) in a non-conference matchup at 7 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 8) at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

"We'll get the other guys (senior Tom Kuriscak and freshman Kyle Abrahamson) opportunities too. But when it comes to big games, right now, Jon is our guy. He gives us a chance to win every night and that's all you can ask from your goalie."

Howe transferred from Minnetonka High School to Totino-Grace prior to his senior season and recorded a 19-8 record for the Eagles in 2019. He then spent three seasons in the junior ranks before arriving in Collegeville in the fall of 2022.

"I knew (All-American goalie) Mac Berglove was graduating and there'd be an opportunity to play here," Howe said. "Then I started finding out more about the school and the alumni network that exists. That's really what drew me in."

From the beginning, Howe found himself splitting time almost evenly with Huber, who compiled a 2.45 goals-against-average en route to earning All-MIAC honors as a senior a year ago.

"I knew him a bit previously, and after I got here, we started to get even closer," Howe said. "It's the same thing with Tom. All three of us were pretty tight. We called ourselves the black line because we all wore black jerseys.

"Bailey was a great goalie and I picked up a lot of things playing with him," he continued. "We communicated really well and bounced things off each other.

"He helped make me a better player."

Schueller said that was apparent down the stretch last season when Howe came on strong.

"With the way he was playing at the end of last season, we knew he had the potential to have a big year (as a senior)," Schueller said. "Positionally, he does a great job. He's a guy who makes all the saves he should and a bunch of them he shouldn't. He's consistent and reliable in both his preparation and his play."

Howe grew up around hockey. His father, Doug, played the game, as did his three brothers. Howe's older brother Andrew – now an accountant – also played in high school, as well as for a couple of seasons on the college club team at Creighton (Neb.).

"I was on skates at a pretty young age," he recalled. "I started organized hockey when I was 4 or 5. But I think I was skating by the time I was 3. I grew up around the game and I've loved it for as long as I can remember."

Howe, an accounting major, already has a full-time job lined up at Deloitte following his graduation this May. For now, though, his focus is on bringing his hockey playing days to as impressive a conclusion as possible.

"It's a weird feeling to think I only have a certain number of games left," he said. "Hockey has been such a big part of my life for so long now. I don't even know what it will be like after the last game is over. For now, I'm just trying to enjoy every moment and make the most of the time I have left."