Hockey Preview: Blue Devils take swing through southern Wisconsin

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (4-2-0, 0-0-0 WIAC) will be at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, (1-3-2, 1-3-2 NCHA) Friday, Nov. 18, then will be at Concordia University -Wisconsin, Saturday, Nov. 19. Stout is on the road until Saturday, Dec. 10.

WEBCASTS: All UW-Stout home games are scheduled to be broadcast in a live video stream by Blue Devil Video. Live Stats will also be available for home games. 


UW-STOUT: The Blue Devils needed additional scoring and so far this year, they are getting it at opportune times on their way to a 4-2-0 overall record with 16 players scoring at least one point and eight players scoring at least one goal. Senior Riley Colvard has scored four goals, matching the single season best that he set last season. Freshman Connor Valesano has scored three goals and two assists, while senior Justin Moody and freshman Connor Valesano have both scored two goals and two assists. Both senior goalkeeper Spencer Viele and freshman Tommi Ahlgren have started three games. Viele has a goals against average of 2.62, while freshman Tommi Ahlgren has a GAA of 2.37 with a saves percentage of .917. The Blue Devil power play has a been a little low, recorded only three power play goals in 23 opportunities. On the other hand, the Blue Devils penalty kill is 87.5 percent, allowing five power play goals in 40 attempts (.130). The Blue Devils were receiving votes in the USCHO.com coaches poll, but the loss to Augsburg dropped the Blue Devils off the sheet.

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: The Blue Devils lost 4-1 to Augsburg College, Nov. 11, then bounced back for a 5-4 overtime win over St. Olaf, Nov. 12. Jordan Stejskal scored the winning goal with just over a minute remaining in the overtime period.

UW-STOUT PREVIEW: Are the Blue Devils a veteran team or are they a young, inexperienced team? The argument can certainly be made both ways. The Blue Devils are heavy in seniors with nine on the roster, and all nine have seen a great deal of time in a UW-Stout uniform. By the same token, 12 freshmen and one junior transfer will be putting on the navy and white for the first time this season. With only one junior returner, the Blue Devils lean more towards the younger side with seven sophomores. Senior Justin Moody was second on the team last year in scoring with nine goals and a team-high 14 assists, and earned all-WIAC honorable mention honors. Sophomore Joe Anderson scored six goals and nine assists. Senior forwards Riley Colvard and Craig Lindegard were among the team leaders in assists. Colvard had 10 assists to goal along with four goals and Lindegard dished off 11 assists along with three goals. Senior Shayne McLaughlin pushed in seven goals and fellow senior Karl Andersen had five goals and five assists. Senior goalie Spencer Viele is Stout's only returning goalie. An injury early in the season slowed Viele down after an initial fiery start. Viele finished the season with a 4-3-2 overall record and an GAA of 2.56. Sophomore defenseman Joe Kleven returns after an all-WIAC honorable mention, season. Kleven was also an offensive threat with six goals and six assists. The Blue Devils will need to more offensive to move up in the WIAC. Stout last year averaged 2.7 goals per contest. The defense allowed only 3.4.

Game Stats Tracker (2016-17 Stats)

SCOUTING MSOE: Gage Christianson leads the Raiders with four goals and three assists.Matthew Romund has three goals and three assists. Zach Woodman and Austin Campbell has split time in the goal. Woodman has made four starts with a GAA of 3.54, while Campbell has made two starts with a GAA of 3.36. The Raiders will be heading into their second home game of the season after playing five on the road.

LAST TIME OUT: Northland scored the game-winner just 29 seconds into the third period to hand the MSOE hockey team a 3-2 defeat Saturday afternoon at Bay Area Civic Center. The Raiders jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but could not hold off the Lumberjacks in the end. 

WHEN MSOE AND STOUT LAST MET The Milwaukee School of Engineering's Michael Romund scored with .7 seconds left in the game to give the Raiders a 3-2 win over UW-Stout Tuesday at the Fanetti Community Center. The game looked like it might be heading for overtime after the Blue Devils' Tom Schmidt scored on a power play goal with less than five minutes left to play to tie the score at 2-2. But the Raiders (5-3-0) attacked the zone in the final 40 seconds and Romund skated around the top of the circle and took the shot with a crowd in front of the net, beating Blue Devils' goalie Chase Hollander. 

THE SERIES: Stout holds a 7-2-0 lead in the series.The Raiders have won the last two meetings.


SCOUTING CONCORDIA: Stefan Seel  leads the Falcons with two goals and four assists. Connnor Hogg is the team's leading goal scorer with four goals and two assists. Nicholas Erb has three goals and four assists. Josh Adkins has dished off five assists. Jack Romanuik has started five of the Falcons' six games in net, with a 2.77 GAA and a saves percentage of .906.Romuniak was named the NCHA Defensive Player of the Week after notching the two wins over Finlandia last weekend.

LAST TIME OUT: Stefen Seel scored the game-winning goal with 46 seconds remaining in regulation, lifting the Concordia University Wisconsin Men's Hockey team a NCHA sweep over Finlandia University. The game-winning score in the final minute gave the Falcons a 4-3 win Saturday, following a 5-2 win in the opener Friday night.

WHEN CONCORDIA AND STOUT LAST MET The teams split a pair of games last year, with both teams winning on their home ice, Stout taking a 5-2 win in Menomonie in November and the Falcons taking a 6-1 decision in Mequon in January.

THE SERIES: Stout holds a 6-1-0 lead in the series. Last year's win was Concordia's first over the Blue Devils.


USCHO.com TOP 15 DIVISION III POLL: Blue Devil 2016-17 opponents receiving votes in the latest USHCO.com Division III poll are: UW-Stevens Point, 1st; UW-Eau Claire, 13th; Augsburg (11th). St. Scholastica (10pts), UW-River Falls (1), and UW-Superior (3) are receiving votes. Stout is receiving one vote.

TEAM CAPTAIN Captains for the 2016-17 season are Derek Sand, Justin Moody and Shayne McLaughlin. Sand and Moody are captains for the second consecutive year.



AWARDS AND HONORS: 2016-17: After dishing off three assists in the first period against Finlandia University in the season opener and adding another assist the following night, freshman defenseman Trent Olson was selected as the UW-Stout/Digi-Copy Athlete of the Week, Oct. 31...Joe Kleven and Justin Moody were both all-WIAC honorable mention picks last season.


THE COACHES: UW-Stout: Terry Watkins (237-283-35) is in his 21st 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. MSOE: Mark Ostapina, who played college hockey under legendary coach Bob Johnson at the University of Wisconsin, serves as the MSOE Raiders head ice hockey coach. In his 13th season as head coach, Ostapina has helped put the program on the map as one of the premier programs in NCAA Division III. Since coming aboard, he has led the Raiders to three MCHA championships and three Harris Cup trophies. He also led the Raiders to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2011-12.  Concordia: Jasen Wise completed his fourth season as the Falcons Head Men's Hockey coach in 2015-16. Wise, the winningest coach in program history, has helped the Falcons set a new season wins mark in three of his four seasons at the helm. In 2015-16, Wise led the Falcons to an 11-win season, the most 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. Both MSOE and Concordia-Wisconsin are members of the NCHA.

LENDING AN ASSIST: Two different Stout goalies earned assists during the 2015-16 season. Spencer Viele was awarded an assist Nov. 6 against Bethel University, then added a second assist Jan. 29 at UW-Superior and Chase Hollander earned an assist Nov. 21, 2015, against Concordia. The three helpers mark the first time two UW-Stout goalies have gotten an assist in the same year since the team returned to varsity status 20 years ago...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.

PREVIOUS BLUE DEVIL HAT TRICKS (since 2008)
Joe Anderson vs. Gustavus Adolphus, Jan. 9, 2016
Tyler Cayemberg vs. Concordia University Wisconsin, Nov. 21, 2015
Austin Nelson vs. Aurora University, Jan. 23, 2015
Branden Gay vs. St. Scholastica, Dec. 2, 2011
Branden Gay vs. St. Norbert, Feb. 12, 2011
Scott Motz vs. St. Mary's University, Jan. 13, 2009
Nick Klaren vs. Northland, Nov. 4, 2008
Scott Motz vs. Northland, Nov. 4, 2008
Derek Hanson vs. Augsburg, Oct. 31, 2008
Derek Hanson vs. Concordia, Oct. 24, 2008

The Last Time in a Single Game...
Two Stout players recorded a hat trick: Scott Motz, Nick Klaren vs. Northland College, Nov. 4, 2008
A Stout player recorded two or more power play goals: 2, Tyler Cayemberg vs. Concordia Wisconsin, Nov. 21, 2015
A Stout player recorded a shorthanded goal: Tyler Cayemberg vs. Concordia-Moorhead, Dec. 11, 2015
Stout scored two empty net goals: Jake Useldinger, Nolan Kirley vs. Saint Mary's University, Jan. 16, 2016
A Stout goalie recorded 40-45 saves: 44, Nick Schmit vs. Hamline University, Jan. 8, 2016
A Stout goalie recorded 46-50 saves: 49, Spencer Viele vs. Aurora University, Jan. 24, 2015
A Stout goalie recorded 50-55 saves: 51, Corey Koop vs. UW-Eau Claire, Feb. 20, 2014
A Stout goalie recorded 55-plus saves: 59, Corey Koop vs. UW-Stevens Point, Dec. 7, 2013
A Stout player recorded four goals: 4, Brad Weappa vs. Hamline University, Jan. 18, 2000
A Stout goalie recorded an assist: Spencer Viele vs. UW-Superior, Jan. 29, 2016
A Stout team scored 5-7 goals: 6 vs. Saint Mary's (W 6-3), Jan. 16, 2016
A Stout team scored 8-10 goals: 8 vs. Concordia Wisconsin (W 8-5), Jan. 10, 2015
A Stout team scored 10-plus goals: 11 vs. Northland College (W 11-2), Nov. 4, 2008
Stout posted a shutout: vs. Gustavus Adolphus (0-0), Nov. 7, 2015
Stout was shut out: vs. UW-Stevens Point (0-7), Feb. 3, 2016
Both teams played to a scoreless tie: vs. Gustavus Adolphus, Nov. 7, 2015

BLUE DEVIL RECORD BOOK
Individual Records
Goals by Game: 8, Glenn LaChapelle vs. UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 18, 1973
Assists by Game: 9, Chuck Gerber vs. UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 18, 1973
Points by Game: 9, Glenn LaChapelle (8/1) vs. UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 18, 1973; Chuck Gerber (0/9) vs. UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 18, 1973;
Saves by Game: 67, Tom Slupe vs. Wisconsin JV, Feb. 14, 1970
Goals by Season: 43, Glenn LaChappelle, 1972-73
Assists by Season: 28, Derek Hanson, 2008-09
Points by Season: 65, Glenn LaChapelle (43/22), 1972-73
Saves by Season: 850, Tad Larson, 1977-78
Goalie Win/Loss Record by Season: 21-5-2, Matt Koenig, 2008-09
Goals by Career: 80, Glenn LaChapelle, 1970-73
Assists by Career: 80, Derek Hanson, 2006-10; Scott Motz, 2006-10
Points by Career: 140, Derek Hanson (60/80), 2006-10
Saves by Career: 2480, Tad Larson, 1974-78
Goalie Win/Loss Record by Career: 44-16-4, Matt Koenig, 2005-09
Fastest First Period Goal: 10 seconds, Mark Ryder vs. UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 17, 1973
Fastest Second Period Goal: 6 seconds, Mike Kautz vs. UW-Stevens Point, Jan. 20, 2006
Fastest Third Period Goal: 6 seconds, Duane Johnson vs. St. Cloud State, Dec. 2, 1978
Fastest Overtime Goal: 6 seconds, Curt Moore vs. Concordia, Nov. 26, 1976

Team Records
Most Goals in a Period: 11, vs. UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 17, 1973
Most Goals in a Game: 21 vs. UW-Stevens Point, Feb. 17, 1973
Most Goals Allowed in a Game: 18, vs. Wisconsin JV, Feb. 14, 1970
Most Penalty Minutes: 21-54 vs. UW-Eau Claire, Dec. 13, 1997
Most Penalty Minutes, Both Teams: 35-96 vs. UW-Eau Claire, Dec. 13, 1997


STOUT'S RANKED HISTORY: The Blue Devils returned to the USCHO.com poll, albeit it was only one vote in the Oct. 31, 2016 poll. The last time Stout was mentioned was Jan. 18, 2016...The Blue Devils returned to the USCHO.com Division III poll, Jan. 18, 2016, after nearly a four year hiatus, receiving five votes. A tie and two straight losses the following week dropped the Blue Devils out of the poll. 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, 2012, garnering eight votes in the Jan. 21, 2012, poll, effectively ranking the Blue Devils 19th. Stout returned to the poll in the early part of the 2012-13 season, receiving seven votes in the Dec. 3, 2012 poll before dropping out.

NEW NAME: The Dunn County Board in 2015 approved renaming the Dunn County Ice Arena 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 are off until they open WIAC play by traveling to UW-Eau Claire, Thursday, Dec. 1 and will be at UW-Superior, Friday, Dec. 2.