Hockey Preview: Blue Devils begin homestand by hosting Concordia

Blue Devil home games: Live Stats | Live Video

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (2-2-2, 0-0-0 WIAC) begins a seven game homestand when they host Concordia University of Wisconsin (4-2-1, 3-2-1 NCHA), Saturday, Nov. 21. Concordia upended No. 8 UW-Eau Claire, 2-1, last night in Eau Claire.

WEBCASTS: All UW-Stout home games are scheduled to be broadcast in a live video stream by Blue Devil Video. Brady Burzynski and Hayden Bowe will be on the call throughout the season. Live Stats will also be available for home games. Blue Devil home games: Live Stats | Live Video


THE 2015-16 BLUE DEVILS (2-2-2, 0-0-0 WIAC): Senior Jake Useldinger has emerged as the early season scoring leader, putting in three goals, with all three coming on special teams. Useldinger has two power play goals and a shorthanded goal. Useldinger last year was the team's third leading scorer. Last year's leading scorer, Justin Moody found the back of the net for the first time this season to go with his team-high three assists. Karl Andersen scored a goal in each game over last weekend and has an assist. Seven other Blue Devils have one goal apiece - Riley Colvard, Tyler Cayemberg, Dylan Zinz, Mathias Ahman, Joe Anderson, Steve Doane and Shayne McLaughlin. Colvard, Danny Ray and Jordan Stejskal each have two assists. Cayemberg, Zins, Craig Lindegard, Sam Naegele, Derek Sand, Tom Schmidt and goalie Spencer Viele each have an assist. Viele, who was the WIAC player of the week two weeks ago, has played in five of the six games, posting a 2-1-1 record, with a GAA of 1.48 and a saves percentage of .958. Chase Hollander has worked two games and has a GAA of 4.24. Compared with the first six games of last year, the Blue Devils are ahead of last year. Stout is currently averaging 2.2 goals per game and giving up 2.3 goals. Last season after six games, Stout was averaging 2.3 goals, but were giving up 4.3 and were 1-5-0. | 2015-16 Blue Devil Statistics

THE 2015-16 BLUE DEVILS PREVIEW: UW-Stout's 2015-16 roster features two seniors, 12 juniors, three sophomores and 13 freshmen. Ten returners played in all 26 games last year and 11 played in 20 games or more. The Blue Devils return 13 of their top-15 scorers and six of their top-eight scorers from last season, including junior forward Justin Moody, who led the squad with 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points. UW-Stout will play nine of its first 13 games at the Fanetti Community Center (formerly the Dunn County Ice Arena), including seven consecutive home contests from Nov. 21-Jan. 8. The Blue Devils were picked to finish fifth in the WIAC in a preseason poll. Jake Useldinger scored seven goals and nine assists. Craig Lindegard added seven goals and eight assists, while Tyler Cayemberg had five goals and 10 assists. Spencer Viele and Chase Hollander split time in the net, with Viele posting a 5-11-1 overall record, with a goals against average of 3.62 and a saves percentage of. .908. Hollander had a 3-6-0 record with a GAA of 4.13 and a saves percentage of .893. | 2015-16 Blue Devil Statistics

STOUT'S LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils lost 4-1 at Augsburg College, Nov. 13, but came back for a 4-1 win over St. Olaf College, Nov. 14. | Augsburg Story and Box Score | St. Olaf Story and Box Score



SCOUTING CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY: Freshman Stefan Seel is the team's scoring leader with four goals and four assists. Braden Crone has two goals - both power play goals - and five assists. Connor Hogg has three goals and two assist, while Trammell Lynes has four assists. The Falcons have used all three of their freshman goalies, with Andrew Munroe playing four complete games. Munroe has a record of 3-1-0 with a goals against average of 1.67 and a saves percentage of .935. Jack Romanuik has seen aaction in two games, including the team's on overtime contest, and has a GAA of 1.50 with a saves percentage of .946. Nick Malvin saw action in one game and a GAA of 3.03 with a saves percentage of .857. The Falcons have a four game undefeated streak, beating ranked MSOE, 3-1, tying Finlandia, 3-3, downing Finlandia, 5-0, and UW-Eau Claire, 2-1. The Falcons have a power play percentage of 7.1 percent, but lead the NCHA in penalty kill, running out 91.7 percent of the penalties. | 2015-16 Statistics

FALCONS' LAST TIME OUT: The Concordia University Wisconsin did something Friday night it has never done in the nine-year history of the program. The Falcons defeated a top 10 team, downing No. 8 UW-Eau Claire Friday night in non-conference action. CUW held a lead in all but the first 42 seconds of play as it didn't take long to get on the board Friday night. Freshman Connor Hogg lit the lamp for the 1-0 lead on a score assisted by freshman Jon Brumwell and senior Buster Hebda. The Falcons second goal came midway through the second period as senior Eli Riddle posted his first goal of the year. Riddle's goal was assisted by sophomore Braden Crone and freshman Stefen Seel , both players running their point streaks to four games in the process. Eau Claire's lone goal came late in the second period on the power play. Freshman Andy Munroe was outstanding between the pipes for the Falcons in gaining his third victory in four starts. Munroe tied a career high with 33 saves, including eight in the final period with his team up just a goal. He also had 16 stops in the second stanza.  UW-Eau Claire Game Story | Concordia University Wisconsin Men's Hockey team knew it needed to play better than it did Friday night in a 3-3 tie against Finlandia University in Saturday's tilt featuring the same two teams. The Falcons did just that Saturday, dominating the Lions in a 5-0 NCHA win at the Ozaukee Ice Center. The Falcons will be at UW-Eau Claire, Friday, Nov. 20. | Finlandia Game Story and Stats

LAST TIME CONCORDIA AND STOUT MET: An offense that was non-existent the night before returned as UW-Stout captured a wild 8-5 win over Concordia University of Wisconsin Jan. 10 at the Dunn County Ice Arena. Eight different Blue Devil players scored goals. | Game Story and Statistics

THE SERIES: The Blue Devils hold a 5-0-0 lead in the series. The teams are scheduled to meet again this season, Friday, Jan. 22 in Mequon.



USCHO.com TOP 15 DIVISION III POLL: Neither Stout or Concordia received votes in the latest USCHO.com poll. | USCHO.com Division III Poll

TEAM CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2015-16 season are Jake Useldinger, Derek Sand, Justin Moody and Danny Ray.

AWARDS AND HONORS: Goalie Spencer Viele was selected as the WIAC athlete of the week after snagging a win over Bethel and playing to a scoreless tie with Gustavus Adolphus, Nov. 6-7. Viele posted a saves percentage of .963 over the two games...(2014-15) Spencer Viele was selected as the WIAC athlete of the week Feb. 3, after posting a 4-3 win over 12th ranked UW-Eau Claire...Chase Hollander was selected as the UW-Stout athlete of the week after sweeping UW-Superior Jan. 16 and Jan. 17...Spencer Viele was selected the WIAC player of the week Nov. 25 after recording wins over Finlandia (4-1) and Lawrence (2-1)...Jordan Tredinnick was a WIAC honorable mention choice in 2013-14.

THE COACHES: UW-Stout: Terry Watkins (225-270-31) is in his 19th 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. Concordia University: Jasen Wise is in his fourth season as the Falcons head coach. Wise, who guided CUW to a program record for wins in a season in each of his first two years, is the Falcons winningest coach in program history.


THE CONFERENCES: UW-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. Even though Superior is leaving the conference is other sports after this year, the hockey programs will remain affiliated with the WIAC. Concordia University is a member of the NCHA.

SCORELESS TIE: If fans were looking for scoring in the UW-Stout/Gustavus Adolphus College game Nov. 7, 2015, they went away disappointed. The scoreless tie with the Gusties was a first for UW-Stout, which has never had a scoreless tie in any of the program's varsity games, stretching back to 1968. Gustavus last season set an NCAA Division III record for ties with eight and one was a scoreless tie. According to Tim Danehy of collegehockeystats.net, scoreless ties are "not common obviously, but not that rare overall" across all divisions, both men and women, and appear to be on the rise. So far this year, six scoreless ties have been reported, but the Stout/Gustavus double goose eggs were the first of the season for Division III men. Last season there were 17 scoreless ties reported to collegehockeystats.net, of which six were Division III men, Danehy said. In 2013-14 there were nine total and 2012-13 had 10 total. The same night UW-Stout and Gustavus were going scoreless, the UW-Eau Claire women and St. Catherine played to a 0-0 decision.

LENDING AN ASSIST: When Spencer Viele was awarded an assist against Bethel University, Nov. 6, 2015, he was not the first Stout goalie, and won't be the last, to get an assist. Since the Blue Devil hockey program returned to varsity play during the 1996-97 season, seven goalies have earned at least one assist. Chase Hollander was awarded an assist for his pass as Danny Ray scored against UW-Superior, Jan. 17, 2015. Corey Koop did it during the 2013-14 season, Jeff Stone during the 2008-09 season, and Jake Schuman during the 2004-05 season each recorded an assist. Jeff Dotson did it in 2000-01 as a freshman, then did it again as a senior in 2003-04. Kelly Elde did it twice during the 1996-97 season.

HAT TRICK: Austin Nelson's hat trick on Jan. 23, 2015, against Aurora University was not only the first hat trick of the season for the Blue Devils, but Stout's first hat trick since the 2011-12 season when Branden Gay executed the feat Dec. 2, 2011 against St. Scholastica.

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

NEW NAME: The Dunn County Board last spring approved renaming the Dunn County Ice Arena to the Fanetti Community Center in recognition of Marilyn Fanetti's contribution to fundraising efforts undertaken by the Menomonie Youth Hockey Association to remodel and add to the arena at the Dunn County Recreation Park. Fanetti donated $370,000 to the project and asked that the hockey arena and new community room be named for her family.

UP NEXT: The Blue Devils take a break over Thanksgiving weekend, but then will roll off five home games in December. The Blue Devils will open the WIAC season by hosting UW-Eau Claire, Thursday, Dec. 3, then will host UW-Superior, Friday, Dec. 4. Stout will step out of league play when they host the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Tuesday, Dec. 8. Stout will complete December play by hosting Concordia-Moorhead, Friday, Dec. 11 and St. Olaf College, Saturday, Dec. 12.