Hockey Preview: Stout opens home schedule Friday, Saturday

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (1-0-1, 0-0 WIAC) will open the home season when they host Concordia-Moorhead (0-1-1, 0-0-0 MIAC), Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. and St. John's University (2-0-0, 0-0-0 MIAC), Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Fanetti Community Center.


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.

A LOOK AT UW-STOUT:

• The Blue Devils return two seniors, defenseman and team captain Jordan Stejskal and goalie Etienne Roy, who transferred to Stout last season. Stout has five juniors, but 12 sophomores and nine freshmen. Twelve on the roster are first year players for the Blue Devils.
• Conner Valesano is the team's leading returning scoring player, popping seven goals and added six assists. Adam Kresl, an assistant captain, chipped in five goals and eight assists. Jack Forbort had four goals and eight assists and Alex Toscano six goals and four assists.
• Defenseman Joe Kleven returns as a two-time All-WIAC honorable mention selection.  Kleven led all Stout defensemen in scoring, finding the back of the net three times and dishing off 10 assists.
• Mathias Ahman received honorable mention honors last season. Ahman is an assistant captain this year. 
• The 2016-17 Blue Devils averaged 2.8 goals per contest, and gave up 3.4.  Stout finished the 2016-17 season at 12-13-2, 3-5-0 in the WIAC, good for fourth. Stout hosted UW-Superior in a first round WIAC playoff series. The two teams split the series, but Superior won tie-breaking mini-game. | Story and Statistics
• four players have scored one goal and one assist so far this season -  Conner Valesano, Jack Forbort, Dylan Zins and Connor Chambers.Kyle Sylvester has scored a goal. Mathias Ahman has dished off a pair of assists and Hunter Anderson, Adam Kresl, and Alex Toscano have had one assist.
• Complete Blue Devil 2017-18 Statistics

BLUE DEVILS BETWEEN THE PIPES

• Tommi Ahlgren figured into 12 decisions last season, finishing with a save percentage of .901 and a team-best 3.04 goals against average (GAA), fourth-best in the WIAC.
• With three appearances, Etienne Roy finished with a GAA of 3.91 with a saves percentage of .848. Roy made 33 saves against Trine this season and was the Blue Devils' player of the week in a 2-1 win.
• First year player Evan Hauser was a member of the University of Alaska-Anchorage team last season. Hauser had 19 saves in his first Blue Devil start, a 3-3 tie with Aurora College.

BLUE DEVIL SPECIAL TEAMS

• The Blue Devils power play last season was  21.3 percent (23-106) and the penalty kill finished at 85.1 percent (17-126). Stout  averaged 5.7 penalties per game.  This season, the Blue Devils power play is 30.0 (3-10) and the penalty kills is 1.000 (0-11), with the Blue Devils not allowing a power play goal. Stout has taken 15 penalties thus far this year.

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT

• The Blue Devils opened the season with a 2-1 win over Trine University, Oct. 27, then tied Aurora University, 3-3, Oct. 28.
• Trine University Story and Stats | Aurora University Story and Stats

SCOUTING CONCORDIA-MOORHEAD

• The Cobbers opened their season last weekend at the MIAC Men's Hockey Showcase in Blaine, Minn., forging a 1-1 tie with Gustavus Adolphus and dropping a 4-1 decision to Augsburg University the next afternoon. The Gusties opened the scoring with less than two minutes remaining in the second period. Gustavus netted their only goal of the game at the 18:07 mark to take the 1-0 lead.  The Cobber power play unit tied the game at the start of the third period.
• Senior captain Zach Doerring recorded the first goal of the year for the Cobbers when he fired home the man-advantage nugget at the 5:38 mark of the final period in regulation. Doerring scored the opening goal against Augsburg, but the Auggies scored the next four goals in Concordia's second game of the season.
• Doerring has two goals on the season and Mario Bianchi and Jon Grebosky each have two assists.
• Doerring last year had seven goals and 18 assists. Grebosky had 13 goals last season and 11 assists. Last season, Bianchi had eight goals and 13 assists.
• Jacob Stephan worked the tie with Gustavus and Sam Nelson took the loss against Augsburg. Stephan registered 21 saves, Nelson stopped 41 shots.
• Cobber Statistics

LAST TIME OUT

• Gustavus Adolphus Game Story and Statistics
• Augsburg Game Story and Statistics

LAST TIME THEY MET

• Concordia-Moorhead scored three goals in the second period to run away from UW-Stout in a 6-1 win over the Blue Devils Dec. 9, 2016, in Moorhead, Minn. The Cobbers ran off the first six goals of the game, scoring a power play goal in the first, three even strength goals in the second and one of each in the third period. The Blue Devils wiped off the shutout with 44 seconds left in the contest on a goal by Colton Brausen. The game against Stout was the only contest of last year where Cobbers allowed fewer than 25 shots in a game. 

THE SERIES:

• The Blue Devils lead the series, 9-4-1. Concordia won last year, but the Blue Devils won the previous year, 3-1, in Menomonie.

SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY

• The Saint John's hockey team was picked to finish third out of nine teams in the 2017-18 MIAC Preseason Coaches' poll released Thursday, Oct. 26.
• The Johnnies finished sixth in the MIAC, two points from fifth place and a playoff berth, with a 7-7-2 conference record (12-10-3 overall). It was the sixth consecutive season that SJU finished with a .500 or better league record, and fifth consecutive season the team finished over .500 in all games.
• Statistics

LAST TIME OUT

• Saint John's freshman goaltender Mac Berglove (Elk River, Minn.) made 30 saves in his collegiate debut as the Johnnies earned a 1-0, non-conference shutout over Saint Mary's on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the MIAC Showcase in Blaine. | Game Story and Statistics
• Saint John's hockey cruised to a 5-1 non-conference win over Bethel in the 2017-18 season opener as part of the MIAC Showcase on Friday, Oct. 27, at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine. The Johnnies' fourth line of forwards scored all four of the team's even-strength goals and combined for 13 points (4g/9a) on the night. | Game Story and Statistics

THE SERIES:

• The teams have not played since Jan. 20, 2015, when the Johnnies took a 4-2 win in St. Cloud, Minn. The Johnnies hold a 12-5-1 lead in the series.

USCHO.com TOP 15 DIVISION III POLL: Blue Devil 2017-18 opponents ranking in the Top 15 in the latest USHCO.com Division III poll are: UW-Stevens Point, 5th; UW-Eau Claire, 11th and Augsburg, 13th. UW-Superior, UW-River Falls and MSOE are receiving votes. | USCHO.com Division III Poll

TEAM CAPTAIN: Captains for the 2017-18 season are Jordan Stejskal, Adam Kresl and Mathias Ahman.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Etienne Roy, Sr, Saint-Henri, Quebec (Providence Country Day)

AWARDS AND HONORS: 2016-17:

• Joe Kleven was selected the WIAC Athlete of the Week and the UW-Stout/DigiCopy Athlete of the week, Feb. 13, after scoring a goal and three assists in a 4-3 win over UW-River Falls.
• Riley Colvard was selected the UW-Stout/DigiCopy Athlete of the Week, Jan. 30, after scoring the game-winning goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over UW-Eau Claire.
• Alex Toscano was selected the UW-Stout/DigiCopy Athlete of the Week, Jan. 16, after scoring two goals in the third period against Saint Mary's University
• Mathias Ahman was selected the UW-Stout/DigiCopy Athlete of the Week, Dec. 5 after notching two assists in his first game back from injury this season against UW-Eau Claire, then scored his first goal of the season the following night at UW-Superior...
• 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..

UW-STOUT COACH TERRY WATKINS

• The 2017-18 season will mark Terry Watkins' (246-294-38) 22nd 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. Watkins played in UW-Stout's first-ever game, but he was a member of the Blue Devils' opponents, St. Paul Groveland, Jan. 19, 1969. St. Paul beat the Blue Devils, 8-4. Watkins enrolled at the Stout the following school year and joined the hockey team.
• 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.

CONCORDIA-MOORHEAD HEAD COACH CHRIS HOWE

• Chris Howe was hired in the spring of 2008 and became only the third Concordia men's hockey coach in the past 40 years. Howe has turned the Cobbers into a perennial conference tournament teams in his first eight seasons.

ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY HEAD COACH DOUG SCHUELLER

• Doug Schueller is in his 10th season as SJU's head hockey coach in 2017-18. Schueller became the 22nd head coach in school history on May 16, 2008. The Johnnies earned their first MIAC regular-season title since 2005 (eighth overall) and later earned their sixth appearance at the NCAA Division III Tournament with the first MIAC Playoff Championship since 2003 (fifth overall) in 2012-13. SJU advanced to the MIAC Playoff Championship game once again in 2016.

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.

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: Colton Brausen vs. St. Olaf College, Dec. 10, 2016 (6-on-4)
• 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: 45, Tommi Ahlgren vs. Gustavus Adolphus, Jan. 7, 2017
• 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. St. Mary's (W 6-5), Jan. 14, 2017
• 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. St. Olaf College (3-0), Dec. 10, 2016; 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. | USCHO.com Division III poll

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.

ALL TIED UP: When the Blue Devils notched a 3-3 tie with St. Scholastica, Jan. 19, 2016, 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, then finished with six in the final game of the season against UW-River Falls.

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 will be at St. Olaf, Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m., then will be at Gustavus Adolphus, Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.