Blue Devils and Gustavus Adolphus play to a scoreless tie

UW-Stout 0, Gustavus Adolphus 0 (OT) | Archived Video | Photo Gallery

MENOMONIE (November 7, 2015) - It only happens few and far between, but UW-Stout and Gustavus Adolphus College skated to a scoreless tie in a non-conference overtime contest at the Fanetti Community Center.

Both goalies - Stout's Spencer Viele (Jr, Wildwood, Mo) and Gustavus' Chris Amsden - received credit for the shutout and both did yeoman's work. Amsden recorded 32 saves for the game, but Viele was especially tough in the overtime period where he recorded seven of his 30 saves.

The Blue Devils (0-0-2) took a penalty with 1:35 left in the overtime, and played the remainder of the game one man down. Viele recorded three saves during that final stretch of the game.

The Blue Devils were whistled for five penalties, while the Gusties (1-1-2) had three penalties.

The scoreless tie 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.

Stout will be at Augsburg College, Friday, Nov. 13, then will be at St. Olaf College, Saturday, Nov. 14, before coming home Saturday, Nov. 21 to begin a seven-game homestand.