Hockey Preview: Stout returns to WIAC action with pair of games at Superior

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THIS WEEK'S GAME: The Blue Devils (5-9-0, 1-1-0 WIAC) return to WIAC play when they travel to UW-Superior (5-8-2, 0-1-1 WIAC) for a pair of games, Jan. 17 and Jan. 18. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Stout is coming off a split from last weekend, falling to St. John's University, 5-3, but bouncing back for a 5-4 overtime win at Concordia-Moorhead. The Yellowjackets are also coming off a weekend split, blanking Bethel, 2-0, but then were held scoreless by St. Thomas, 3-0.

WEBCASTS:  All UW-Stout home games are scheduled to be broadcast in a live video stream by Blue Devil Video. Brady Burzynski and Josh Halling will be on the call throughout the season.  Live Stats should also be available for most home games. Check out the Blue Devil Webcast page for a complete listing of home and away broadcasts.

THE 2013-14 BLUE DEVILS (5-9-0, 1-1-0 WIAC): Kevin O'Donnell leads Stout with nine goals and eight assists. O'Donnell currently ranks 12th on the UW-Stout all-time scoring list. Zach Vierling exploded for him most offensive weekend, tallying three goals and two assists combined against St. John's and Concordia-Moorhead, bringing his season totals to five goals and six assists, second ont he team. Danny Ray and Jordan Tredinnick have each scored four goals and six assists for 10 points. Matt Millis has four goals and three assists, while team captain Logan Maly has two goals and five assists. Tyler Cayemberg and Joe Haydock each have four assists. .  Twenty different Blue Devils have scored at least one point, while 15 have scored at least one goa, and 19 have scored at least one assist. Corey Koop has spent the most time in the net, posting a 3.06 goals atainst average and a saves percentage of .916. His 59 saves against nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point in December was the most by a Stout goalie in more than 10 years in a single game. As a team, Stout is being outscored, 46-41 (3.3-2.9). Stout has lost four games by one goal and has won four games by one goal.  |  2013-14 Statistics

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Blue Devils have scored 13 power play goals, second only to UW-Stevens Point in the WIAC, going 13-of-50 (26.0 percent). Kevin O'Donnell, Matt Millis, Danny Ray and Logan Maly each have two power play goals. Craig Lindegard, Justin Moody, Hunter Scott, Zach Vierling and Jake Useldinger each have a power play goal.  Stout is in the middle of the pack in penalty kill, allowing 10 power play goals in 69 opportunities (14.5  percent). Stout also has two shorthanded goals with Moody and Nolan Kirley scoring the shorties.  Nationally, Stout is ranked 17th in power play and 19th in penalty kill. They are ranked third in combined special teams percentage (59.3 percent).

STOUT'S LAST TIME OUT: Stout split a pair of non-conference games, falling at St. John's University, 5-3, Jan. 10, and taking a 5-4 overtime win at Concordia-Moorhead, Jan. 11. Stout matched St. John's University goal-for-goal, but then allowed two power play goals within five minutes of playing time and the Johnnies carried a 5-3 win out of the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center Friday. Danny Ray scored on a two-man advantage with less than a minute remaining in overtime to cap off a Stout 5-4 come-from-behind win over Concordia-Moorhead Saturday afternoon. Zach Vierling had two first period goals and added an assist in the third period.  |  St. John's Story and Box Score | Concordia-Moorhead Story and Box Score

SCOUTING UW-SUPERIOR YELLOWJACKETS (5-8-2, 0-1-1 WIAC):  Through the month of November, the Yellowjackets went 5-5-0, but since then they have gone 1-3-2, including a 2-2 tie with defending national champion UW-Eau Claire. Cody Hochkin leads the Yellowjackets with five goals and seven assists. Pat Dalbec has five goals and four assists and Michael Rey has four goals and four assists. In the net, Drew Strandburg has seen the most time, gathering 527 minutes with a GAA of 1.93, a saves percentage of .919 and a record of 3-3-2. Dayn Belfour has 369 minutes played, with a GAA of 3.41, a saves percentage of .857 and a record of 2-5-0. The Yellowjackets have three shutouts to their credit, but they have been shutout twice, both coming within the last three games. As a team, the Yellowjackets are being outscored, 40-34. |  2013-14 Statistics

LAST TIME OUT: The Yellowjackets were blanked by St. Thomas, 3-0, Jan. 11. Dayn Balfour recorded 24 saves. | St. Thomas Box Score

THE SERIES: Over the past five season, the teams have played fairly even, with Stout holding a slight 7-6-2 advantage. The Blue Devils won two of three games last season, taking two games at home by identical 4-1 scores, but losing in Superior, 6-4. The teams are scheduled to meet in the last regular season game of the year, Feburary 21.

LAST YEAR WHEN THEY MET:  Stout won two of three games last season, two at home by identical 4-1 scores and falling at Wessman, 6-4. In the opener, Nov. 16, 2012, Stout scored two power play goals on three opportunities held the Yellowjackets to 1-of-12 for power play chances. The following night in Superior, trailing 3-1 heading into the final period, Stout scored three times to knot the score, but the Yellowjackets got the win with two late goals. Back in Menomonie in January, Stout scored three second period goals and held off the Yellowjackets for the win. | Game One Story and Stats | Game Two Story and Stats | Game Three Story and Stats

USCHO.com POLL: UW-Superior received votes in the latest D3hockey.com poll, but was not mentioned in the USCHO.com Division III men's poll..   Blue Devil opponents in the poll: UW-Stevens Point (2nd), St. Norbert (4th), St Thomas (6th), UW-Eau Claire (8th), Utica (9th), UW-River Falls (13th) and St. Scholastica (15th). Augsburg is receiving votes.

RECORDS AND MILESTONES: Kevin O'Donnell has continued to work his way up the UW-Stout all-time career scoring list. His 85 total points (37-48 - 85) ranks him 12th on the UW-Stout all-time scoring list, just behind Rick Beckfield (1975-79),who has 86 points (49-37). His 37 goals ranks him 20th, behind Nate Legler's (2000-04) 39 goals. His 48 assists ranks ties O'Donnell with Sam Carr (2009-13) and Glen LaChapelle (1970-73) for 10th on the all-time list.

AWARDS AND HONORS: Logan Maley was the WIAC player of the week after being named to the Oswego Classic all-tournament team...Corey Koop was the WIAC and the UW-Stout Northwestern Mutual player of the week, Dec. 10, after making 59 saves against nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point...Kevin O'Donnell was a first team all-WIAC selection last season; Jordan Tredinnick and Zach Vierling honorable mention all-WIAC.

TEAM CAPTAINS: Logan Maly is the team captain, while Kevin O'Donnell and Zach Vierling are assistant captains for the 2013-14 season.

THE COACHES: UW-Stout:  Terry Watkins (212-242-28) is in his 18th season as the head coach of the Blue Devils' varsity program. Watkins spent eight years coaching the club team (104-102-16) as Stout prepared to return to varsity status in 1997. Watkins was the 2006-07 NCHA coach of the year when Stout finished in a three-way tie for first. Watkins had a Hall of Fame career at Stout as a defenseman. Stout won a WIAC title in 2010-11, and an NCHA title during the 2006-07 season. Watkins reached 700 games as the head coach of a UW-Stout hockey team (varsity and club) when the Blue Devils played UW-Stevens Point, Dec. 7, 2013. UW-Superior:. Dan Stauber is in his 14th season as head coach of the Yellowjacket men's hockey program. In 13 previous seasons Stauber's teams have been consistent, racking up 234 wins. He ranks among the active leaders in wins and winning percentage among Division III head coaches.

THE CONFERENCES: Stout is a member of the five team Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The WIAC is made up of Stout, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Superior and UW-River Falls.

2012-13 BLUE DEVILS (10-13-2, 5-13-0 NCHA): After a hot start to the season, Stout finished the 2012-13 season with a 10-15-2 overall record, 5-13-0 in their last season in the NCHA and 2-10-0 in the WIAC.   | 2012-13 Statistics

STOUT'S RANKED HISTORY: Stout finished the 2008-09 season as the second ranked team in the USCHO.com poll. With the exception of the Nov. 17, 2008, USCHO.com poll, Stout had been ranked in the top 15 since the Nov. 13, 2006, poll. Stout made their first appearance in the poll on Nov. 27, 2000, when they received one vote, then moved up to 10th the following week. The 2008-09 season ending poll matched Stout's previous high mark of second  in the Jan. 29, 2007, poll. Stout opened the 2009-10 season ranked third, their highest-ever season-opening ranking, but fell out of the polls midway through the season and returned to the top 15, Nov. 22, 2010. Stout was in the 2011-12 USCHO.com poll early in the season, dropped out, returned again, but  dropped out. Stout returned to the poll after a win over top-ranked St. Norbert, Jan. 18, garnering eight votes in the Jan. 21 poll, effectively ranking the Blue Devils 19th. | USCHO.com Division III poll

UP NEXT: It will have been 51 days in between games that Stout has played at the Dunn County Ice Arena when the Blue Devils entertain St. John's University, Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m.