Hockey Preview: Four-game homestand begins with No. 6 Falcons

Blue Devil home games: Live Stats | Live Video      

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (8-12-1, 3-5-0 WIAC) continue their stretch of games against nationally ranked teams when they host sixth-ranked UW-River Falls (16-4-1, 5-3-0 WIAC) Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. 

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.

THE 2014-15 BLUE DEVILS (8-12-1, 3-5-0 WIAC):  Justin Moody leads the team in goals with nine and has nine assists for 18 total points. Jake Useldinger has seven goals with eight assists for 15 points. Joey Haydock has six goals with 10 assists for 16 points. Tyler Cayemberg is matching Haydock with a team-high 10 assists and has added four goals. Craig Lindegard has six goals and seven assists. Jordan Tredinnick has four goals and nine assists. Eighteen players have scored goals, 22 players have tallied at least one assist and 23 players have scored at least one point.  Spencer Viele and Chase Hollander have shared time between the pipes. Viele has started 14 games and Hollander seven, but since the beginning of January,  Viele has gotten six decisions and Hollander five. Viele is 5-8-1 overall, with a goals against average of 3.60 and a saves percentage of .905. Hollander's numbers are similar. He has an overall record of 3-4-0, with a GAA of 3.83 and a saves percentage of .904. The Blue Devils can finish no lower than fourth in the five team WIAC, which is where they currently set, but can finish higher with a concerted run over the final four games.   |   Blue Devil Statistics

SAVED BY THE BELL: Scott Bell played in his first game since Feb. 16, 2013, and tallied an assist in Stout's Jan. 30 game at UW-Eau Claire.

PENALTY FREE: When Jordan Tredinnick was whistled for tripping against Concordia University, Jan. 10, it was the first time he was sent to the penalty box since Jan. 31, 2013 against UW-River Falls. That is 42 consecutive games without getting an inside view of the penalty box. That is Tredinnick's sole trip to the box this year.

HAT TRICK: Freshman Austin Nelson's hat trick on Jan. 23 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.

LENDING AN ASSIST: When Chase Hollander was awarded an assist for his pass as Danny Ray scored against UW-Superior, Jan. 17, 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, six goalies, including Hollander, have earned at least one assist. Corey Koop did it last year. 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.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Blue Devils' special teams have taken some hits over the last several weeks. Among the conference leaders on the power play just a a few weeks ago, Stout scored four power play goals on 34 opportunities in the month of January for a power play percent of 11.8. In last week's two games with UW-Stevens Point, Stout was 0-for-3 on the penalty. . On the season, Stout has a power play percentage of .195 (15-77) and a penalty kill of .798 (20-99), right n the middle of the WIAC pack for both categories. Stout has scored four shorthanded goals, with Jake Useldinger getting three of them. Useldinger is tied for third nationally in shorties. The Blue Devils have allowed six.

STOUT'S LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils did an aboutface last weekend. After getting blanked, 6-0, in Menomonie, Feb. 6, Stout held the upperhand, Feb. 7, taking a two goal lead into the third period until the Pointers tied the game in regulation and winning in overtime, 3-2. Blue Devil goalies turned in big nights. Spencer Viele took the 6-0 loss against his former teammates the first night, but still managed to turn away 49 shots. Chase Hollander recorded 44 saves in the 3-2 loss.  | Game One Story and Box Score | Game Two Story and Box Score


SCOUTING UW-RIVER FALLS: Despite not playing last weekend, the Falcons slipped one spot to sixth in the latest USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll. The conference race is still up for grabs, and the Falcons are right in the midst of the battle. River Falls opened the season with a 13 game winning streak, but have gone 3-4-1 since then. After dropping a series to UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 23-24, the Falcons righted the ship with a 3-1, 4-1, sweep over UW-Superior, Jan. 30-31. Kyle Gattelaro has scored 10 goals, five on the power play, and seven assists to lead the team. Ryan Doner and Taylor Burden have a team-high 10 assists, with Doner popping in six goals and Bruden three. Christian George has seven goals iwht five assists and Blake Huppert has five agoals with seven assists. Mitch Kontny has six goals and seven assists. Tanner Milliron is the only Falcon to protect the pipes this season. Milliron has a GAA of 1.87 and a saves percentage of .931, both marks tops in the WIAC.  Falcons Statistics

UW-RIVER FALLS' LAST TIME OUT: The Falcons had the conference bye last weekend, but are coming off a weekend sweep of UW-Superior, downing the Yellowjackets, 3-1, Jan. 30, and 4-1, Jan. 31 at Hunt Arena. After a tough weekend against UW-Eau Claire the previous weekend, Falcons junior goaltender Tanner Milliron flexed his muscles this weekend, stopping 61 shots in the two meaningful WIAC wins, putting the Falcons in solid position heading into the WIAC stretch run. Not only did UWRF win both games this weekend, the Falcons finish the regular season with a 3-0 record against struggling Superior. | Game One Story and Statistics | Game Two Story and Statistics

LAST TIME THEY MET: UW-River Falls used a three goal run over the end of the second period and early in the third period to break apart a one goal game and went on to a 7-3 win over UW-Stout Dec. 4 at Hunt Arena. Just seconds after Stout (2-6-1, 0-1-0 WIAC) pulled to within 3-2 on Jake Useldinger 's  first goal of the night at 14:14 of the second period on a power play goal, the Falcons  answered right back with a shorthanded goal to make the score 4-2. The undefeated Falcons added an even strength goal at 17:37 and another two minutes into the third period and it was a 6-2 lead.. | Game Story and Statistics

THE SERIES: River Falls owns a 71-21-1 advantage in the series.



USCHO.com TOP 15 DIVISION III POLL: UW-Stout ranked opponents include: UW-Stevens Point (3rd); UW-Eau Claire (12th); UW-River Falls (6th); Lake Forest (13th) St. Thomas (15th). MSOE and St. John's were receiving votes.

TEAM CAPTAINS: Captains for the 2014-15 season include Jordan Tredinnick, Jake Useldinger and Tate Rusk.

AWARDS AND HONORS: 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 (223-263-29) 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. UW-River Falls: Steve Freeman (336-169-41) is in his 19th year as the head coach of the Falcons. He is the program's all-time leader in games won. In 2014 Freeman  coached in his 500th career game at UWRF and won his 100th WIAC contest. Freeman has been named Coach of the Year 11 times in his career at UW-River Falls. Freeman is the WIAC all-time leader in games won. He has led the team to the WIAC Championships in 10 of the past 14 seasons. He is the winningest coach in UW-River Falls hockey history and that was accomplished in just six seasons, the shortest period of time of any UWRF coach. Freeman has led the Falcons to 336 wins during his tenure. His teams have averaged nearly 20 wins a season over his 18 years, with a 25 game regular season schedule.


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.

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: The Blue Devils will close out the regular season when they host UW-Eau Claire, Thursday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. and host UW-Superior, Friday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The time for the Eau Claire game was pushed back 30 minutes to allow for the Menomonie High School/Somerset High School WIAA first round playoff game.