Hockey Preview: Blue Devils in WIAC semi-finals at River Falls this weekend

at UW-River Falls: Live Stats | Live Video Friday (Pay-per-View) | Live Video Saturday (Pay-per-View)| Live Audio | UW-River Falls preview

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (10-12-5, 1-6-1 WIAC) split a first round WIAC Tournament series at UW-Superior last weekend and move on to the semi-finals by traveling to top-seeded UW-River Falls, (15-6-4, 5-2-1 WIAC) Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m. both nights. The Blue Devils split the best-of-two series with the Yellowjackets, winning the first, 3-2, but losing the second, 5-3, to set up a mini-game. Craig Lindegard scored two goals in the mini-game as the Blue Devils advanced, 3-2.


THE 2015-16 BLUE DEVILS (10-12-5, 1-6-1 WIAC): Jake Useldinger scored a pair of goals in the win over UW-Superior, Feb. 19, and jumped to the top of the stat sheet with 10 goals and 13 assists. Useldinger has three power play goals and is one of four Blue Devils to have a short-handed goal. Justin Moody has nine goals and a team-high 14 assists, recording three power play goals.  Freshman Joe Anderson had a hat trick against Gustavus Adolphus, Jan. 9, and has six goals and has nine assists. Tyler Cayemberg had a hat trick first semester, and currently has six goals and seven assists. Shayne McLaughlin has seven goals and four assists. Craig Lindegard has three goals and 11 assists. But two of Lindegard's biggest goals this season will never show up in the stats. Lindegard scored two goals in the Blue Devils' mini-game win over UW-Superior in the first round of the WIAC playoffs. Statistics from a mini-game are not counted. Danny Ray and Riley Colvard each have nine assists. Karl Andersen has five goals. Joe Kleven has six assists and six goals. The Blue Devils have a power play percentage of 22.8 percent and a penalty kill mark of 75.8 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 13 games with a record of 4-6-2, on a GAA of 3.83 and a saves percentage of .897. 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 3.47 and a team saves percentage of .894. | 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 3-2 win over UW-Superior on Feb. 19 snapped a nine-game winless streak that stretched back to Jan. 16 when Stout defeated St. Mary's University. During the next nine games, the Blue Devils tied St. Scholastica and UW-Eau Claire. Gavin Smith and Jake Useldinger scored goals in the third period to lift UW-Stout to a 3-2 win over UW-Superior in the first game of a best of two game series in the first round of the WIAC Championship tournament at Wessman Arena Feb. 19. With the Blue Devils trailing 2-1 coming into the final period, Smith scored his third goal of the season at 11:55 to tie the score, getting an assist from Riley Colvard. Five minutes later, Stout would get what would prove to be the game winner when Useldinger scored his ninth goal of the season, but his first goal since Jan. 16, with assists by Justin Moody and Craig Lindegard. The following night, Feb. 20, the teams traded goals over the first four goals, before Stout went up 3-2. The Yellowjackets answered back with the next three goals and forced the mini-game. Tom Schmidt scored a wrap around goal early in the mini-game, but the Yellowjackets neutralized that goal moments later. Lindegard scored the next two goals, including the eventual game winner at the 12:48 mark. The Yellowjackets pulled to within one goal, but the Stout defense allowed only one shot on net after the Yellowjackets pulled their goalie and put an extra attacker on the ice.   | Game One Story and Box Score | Game Two and Mini-Game Story and Box Score

Game Stats Tracker

SCOUTING UW-RIVER FALLS: The Falcons are ranked fifth nationally in goals allowed, averaging a 1.8 goals per contest. The Falcons have a total of six shutouts, with goalie Tanner Milliron recorded four. Milliron has a goals against average (GAA) of 1.84, ranking 13th in Division III. No one is offensively dominating the stat sheet, with six players scoring scoring five goals or more and 11 players scoring five or more assists. Kyle Gattelaro leads the Falcons with nine goals and 10 assists. Zach Schortenboer has eight goals and five assists. Joe Drapluk and Christian George each have seven goals. Ryan Doner and Jeff Bergh each have 10 assists. The Falcons are ranked 13th in the latest USCHO.com Division III poll.    | 2015-16 Statistics

THE FALCONS LAST TIME OUT: River Falls looked to clinch the regular season WIAC Championship when they took on WIAC rival UW-Stout, Saturday night at Hunt Arena.  The Falcons celebrated their seniors before the game, and they also stole the show during the game.  Seniors Zach Schrotenboer, and Mike Williams scored goals for the Falcons.  Senior Captain Alex Murphy added an assist and Tanner Milliron recorded his 4 shutout of season as the Falcons clinched the regular season WIAC Championship with a big 4-0 win over UW-Stout.  | Game Story and Stats

WHEN THEY MET THIS YEAR: River Falls won both meetings this season, 4-3, 4-0. In the opener after Stout opened with a 2-0 lead, Ryan Doner and Zach Schrotenboer combined for the next four goals to put the Falcons up 4-2 heading into the third period. Gavin Smith scored with five minutes remaining, but the Blue Devils could not get past Tanner Milliron, even with a power play opportunity and by putting an extra attacker on the ice late. In the rematch a week later, Stout held River Falls to one goal over two period, but the Falcons scored three goals in the final three minutes of the game to put this one on ice. | Game One | Game Two 

THE SERIES: The Falcons hold the lead in the series. 74-20-1. The Falcons are also holding a 12-game winning streak over the Blue Devils. Stout's last win over the Falcons came Jan. 14, 2012, a 2-1 win at River Falls.


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, 8th; UW-River Falls, 13th;  St. Scholastica, 15th. Augsburg and St. Thomas are 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: Junior forward Craig Lindegard was named to the D3hockey.com team of the week after scoring two goals in a mini-game win over UW-Superior, Feb. 20, to advance the Blue Devils to the semi-final round of the WIAC playoffs. While those stats will not show up in Lindegard's career stats (mini-game stats do not count), Lindegard did record two assists in a 3-2 win and added another in a 5-3 loss in the series. Lindegard was also named as the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual athlete of the week...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 (233-280-34) 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-River Falls: Steve Freeman (355-178-45) is in his 20th season as head coach of the Falcons in 2015-16. He has been the driving force and leader of one of the elite powerhouse college hockey programs in the nation. He is the program's all-time leader in games won. In 2015 Freeman led the Falcons to the WIAC playoff Championship including a thirteen game winning streak and 20-7-1 overall record. 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's led the team to the WIAC Championships in 11 of the past 15 seasons.


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 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. | USCHO.com Division III poll

NEW NAME: The Dunn County Board in 2015 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 WIAC Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, March 5 at the highest seeded remaining team.