Box Score

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Saint John's hockey opened its final regular-season series with a 2-1 win over Concordia-Moorhead on Thursday, Feb. 19, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

The reigning MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week, senior goaltender Jon Howe (Chanhassen, Minn.) made double-digit saves in each period and the fourth line accounted for all of SJU's points to lift the Johnnies (14-6-4, 9-3-3 MIAC) to victory.

Joseph Harguindeguy gave Concordia (11-11-2, 6-8-1 MIAC) the first lead 7:07 into the opening frame when he kicked the rebound to himself after a shot from the point and tapped it around Howe.

Freshman defenseman Cashen Naeve (Independence, Minn.) evened the score with his fourth goal of the season seven minutes later. Senior forward Rob Christy (St. Paul, Minn.) kept the puck in the zone for the Johnnies and dished a pass to the half-wall for junior forward Jacob McPartland (Victoria, Minn.). McPartland sent a shot off Concordia goaltender Philippe De Champlain and the rebound bounced right to Naeve, who rifled his shot from the circle to the top corner.

The Johnnies' fourth line swung the lead in favor of the home team for what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 12:51 mark of the second. Freshman forward Seth Terhell (Cambridge, Minn.) won his offensive zone faceoff to McPartland on the wing, who walked below the goal line and faked the Cobber defense with a pass back to his center. Terhell gathered the give-and-go and dished it back to his center. Terhell, like his classmate Naeve, sent his shot ricocheting through the top corner of the net.



Howe held the Johnnies' lead with five saves in less than a minute, including consecutive stops on a 2-on-1 and a Cobber breakaway. 

SJU was whistled for a five-minute major at the 15:37 mark in the third period. Part of the kill was alleviated with a Concordia penalty 1:30 into the five-minute call, but SJU was called for a penalty once more with 24 seconds remaining in the major. 

The Johnnie penalty kill held through the 5-on-3, getting sprawling saves from Howe and a crucial blocked shot from freshman forward Jordan Larkee (St. Paul, Minn.) in the crease to maintain their lead.

Howe added four saves after Concordia pulled its goaltender for the extra skater in the final 45 seconds of the game and finished with 38 stops on the night to improve to 13-5-4 on the year.

The two teams complete the regular-season schedule with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Moorhead Sports Center.