Hockey Preview: Blue Devils begin tournament at UW-Superior

at UW-Superior: Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio |  2016 WIAC Men's Hockey Championship

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (9-11-5, 1-6-1 WIAC) finished the regular season as the fifth seed in the WIAC and will travel to UW-Superior (8-14-3, 2-5-1 WIAC) to play in a WIAC tournament first round series, Friday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 20. The puck is scheduled to drop both days at 7:05 p.m. The winner of the series will travel to top-seeded UW-River Falls, Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27. The teams split their two WIAC contests this year, with Stout winning the first, 6-2, but Superior winning the second, 6-3. Superior also won a non-conference contest, 6-2.


THE 2015-16 BLUE DEVILS (9-11-5, 1-6-1 WIAC): Justin Moody leds the team in scoring with eight goals and a team-high 12 assists, recording two power play goals. Team captain Jake Useldinger matches Moody's eight goals and has 11 assists. He has three power play goals and is one of four Blue Devil players to have notched a shorthanded goal this year. Freshman Joe Anderson had a hat trick against Gustavus Adolphus, Jan. 9, and currently mirrors Tyler Cayemberg's six goals, and has nine assists. Cayemberg had a hat trick first semester. Shayne McLaughlin has seven goals and four assists. Danny Ray, Riley Colvard and Craig Lindegard each have eight assists. Karl Andersen has five goals. Joe Kleven has six assists and five goals. The Blue Devils have a power play percentage of 22.5 percent and a penalty kill mark of 74.6 percent. Stout is averaging 2.8 goals per contest and giving up 3.5.. Stout has not given up an overtime goal this season, nor have they scored an overtime goal in five opportunities.

Spencer Viele has a 4-3-2 record with a GAA of 2.56 and a saves percentage of .920. Freshman Nick Schmit has worked 11 games with a record of 3-5-2, on a GAA of 4.00 and a saves percentage of .893. Schmit made a team season-high 44 saves against Hamline University, Jan. 8. Chase Hollander has a 2-3-1 record, working eight games with a GAA of 3.75 and a saves percentage of .856. The team is posting a team GAA of 3.37. | 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:  Riley Colvard scored less than a minute after UW-Stevens Point opened the scoring to tie the game at 1 apiece midway through the first period, but the Pointers rolled off the next three goals on their way to a 5-2 conference win Friday, Feb. 12. | After holding 13th-ranked UW-River Falls to one goal over two periods, UW-Stout saw their hopes of hosting a WIAC first round playoff game go away as the Falcons scored three third period goals in the final three minutes of the game and take a 4-0 win at Hunt Arena Saturday, Feb. 13. | UW-Stevens Point Story and Box Score | UW-River Falls Story and Box Score

Game Stats Tracker

UW-Stout	Statistics	UW-Superior	-
2.8	Goals/game	2.7	-
3.5	Goals allowed	3.6	-
22.5	Power Play %	14.3	-
74.6	Penalty Kill %	77.3	-
1	Shutouts	1	-

SCOUTING UW-SUPERIOR: Anton Svenssen has scored 13 goals and 11 assists. Ian Ecklund has scored 18 assists and nine goals, while Jordan Neduzek has scored 10 goals and six assists. The Yellowjackets have used three goalies throughout the season. Bryce Fink has a 2-5-2 record with a 2.75 GAA and a saves percentage of .903. Cory Simons is 4-3-0 with a GAA of 2.94 and a saves percentage of .906. Ethan Wood has a 2-6-0 record with a GAA of 4.65 and a saves percentage of .845,  | 2015-16 Statistics

THE YELLOWJACKETS LAST TIME OUT: Friday, Feb. 12 was the regular season finale for the Yellowjacket men's hockey team, a team looking to put a positive finish on an inconsistent campaign. After earning an important point against UW-River Falls at home Tuesday, the Yellowjackets were hungry for more, looking to add more points to their season total and secure home ice for the first round of the playoffs. On the other side UW-Eau Claire also had a lot to play for, as they needed points to keep pace with the leaders in the WIAC. And when it was all said and done, it was all Blugolds Friday night. For the second time in three outings the Yellowjackets struggled defensively. Eau Claire scored blew the game open in the second and added insult to injury in the third on their way to a 9-2 win over the Yellowjackets at the Hobbs Ice Center. | Game Story and Stats

WHEN THEY MET THIS YEAR: Six was the big number when the two teams met this year, with the winning team scoring six goals each time out. The Blue Devils took the opening game 6-2 Dec. 4 in Menomonie. The Yellowjackets took a 6-2 non-conference win Jan. 21 in Menomonie, then captured a 6-3 confernce win, Jan. 29, in Superior.  | Game One | Game Two | Game Three

THE SERIES: The Yellowjackets hold a 56-21-5 lead in the series.The teams have met 13 times over the last four seasons, with the Yellowjackets holding an 8-5 advantage. The teams have met the last two years in the WIAC first round game, with the Yellowjackets winning both games, two years ago in Superior, 6-3, and last year, 4-3 in overtime, in Menomonie.


USCHO.com TOP 15 DIVISION III POLL: Blue Devil 2015-16 opponents receiving votes in the latest USHCO.com Division III poll are: UW-Stevens Point, 4th; UW-Eau Claire, 7th; UW-River Falls, 13th;  St. Scholastica, 15th. Augsburg is receving votes. | USCHO.com Division III Poll

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

ALL TIED UP: When the Blue Devils notched a 3-3 tie with St. Scholastica, Jan. 19, it tied a school record for most ties in a single season with four. The 2009-10 team and the 2004-05 team each finished with four ties. The Blue Devils snapped that record a week later, Jan. 28, when they forged a 2-2 tie with ninth ranked UW-Eau Claire.

AWARDS AND HONORS: Senior forward Jake Useldinger was selected as the WIAC and UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual athlete of the week after scoring three goals and two assists over two games against St. Thomas and Saint Mary's University, Jan. 15-16...Freshman forward Joe Anderson was selected as the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual athlete of the week after scoring a hat trick and an assist in a 5-3 win at Gustavus Adolphus, Jan. 9. Anderson also scored a goal the night before against Hamline University...Goalie Nick Schmit was selected the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual athlete of the week, Dec. 14, after recording two wins in his first collegiate starts...Forward Tyler Cayemberg was selected as the WIAC athlete of the week after scoring a hat trick against Concordia University Wisconsin, Nov. 21. Cayemberg had two power play goals and completed the hat trick with an empty net goal with three seconds remaining...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.

THE COACHES: UW-Stout: Terry Watkins (232-279-34) 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-Superior: Dan Stauber (257-147-58) is in his 16th season as head coach of the Yellowjacket men's hockey program in 2015-16. A year ago, Stauber became the all-time wins leader at UW-Superior when his team defeated UW-Stout in overtime February 24. The win was his 249th, passing Steve Nelson on the all-time list.


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 left the conference in other sports this year, the hockey programs will remain affiliated with the WIAC. .

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, continued: Chase Hollander was awarded his second career assist in the Blue Devils' 5-2 win over Concordia University Wisconsin, Nov. 21. That makes two different Stout goalies that have gotten 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. 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 Division III poll, Jan. 18, 2016, after nearly a four year hiatus, receiving five votes. A tie and two straight losses 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. | 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: A win in the first round of the WIAC playoffs and Stout will head to top seeded UW-River Falls, Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27. Lose the series, and the season is over.