Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's completed the series sweep of Augsburg and clinched its eighth MIAC Playoff appearance in the last 10 seasons with a 6-1 win on Friday, Feb. 13.

Ten Johnnies recorded a point or more as SJU (13-6-4, 8-3-3 MIAC) out-shot Augsburg (6-14-3, 3-9-2 MIAC) by a 40-27 margin and won 43 of the 61 faceoffs (70.5 percent).

Freshman forward Carter Krenke (Bloomington, Minn.) started the game's scoring with his 10th goal of the season, on a breakaway, with 3:37 left in the first period. Krenke sped up the boards and stickhandled through the stick of the only remaining Auggie defender. He capped his rush with a quick move and shot to his forehand. 

Freshman forward Tyler Smith (Carver, Minn.) made it 2-0 with his first collegiate goal just eight seconds into the second period. Junior forward Logan Lyke (Medina, Minn.) won the opening draw to junior forward Jackson Borst (Edina, Minn.), who walked it into the zone and dropped a pass back for Smith. Smith rifled his first collegiate tally from the outside of the circle. 

Ryan Comishock cut the Auggies' deficit in half (2-1) with what proved to be the home team's lone goal of the night, on the power play, 6:47 into the second period.

Junior forward Jackson Bisson (Edina, Minn.) lit the lamp with a power-play goal of his own, his eighth tally of the season and seventh point (4g/3a) on the man advantage this season, to cap the second period. After a quick passing play between Lyke and junior forward Jack Wandmacher (St. Louis Park, Minn.), Bisson faked a pass, moved into position again, and found the back of the net. 

Senior defenseman Conner Couet (St. Michael, Minn.) scored the Johnnies' second breakaway goal of the game 4:48 into the third period. Couet stole the puck from an Auggie attacker as he pushed him out of the zone. He tripped up the last defender remaining and ripped his second goal of the season and fifth as a Johnnie into the top right corner.

Smith scored his second goal of the game at the 7:05 mark of the third, hitting a one-timer off a feed from Borst on the 2-on-1 rush down the ice. 

Junior forward Chris Kernan (Maple Grove, Minn.), the reigning MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week, scored his seventh goal of the season with 5:30 remaining. Kernan split the defense and found the top corner after senior defender Zach Enebak (Lakeville, Minn.) flipped the puck to Kernan from the SJU goal line.

Senior goaltender Jon Howe (Chanhassen, Minn.) made 26 saves to improve to 12-5-4 this season.

The six goals scored are the most for the Johnnies – at Augsburg – since Jan. 26, 2008 (a 6-0 win). SJU has now outscored the Auggies 23-7 over the last four meetings overall.

The Johnnies return home to host Concordia on Thursday, Feb. 19, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.