Hockey Preview: After win over EC, Stout faces Superior tonight

Blue Devil home games: Live Stats | Live Video | Watch on Live Barn


THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (4-6-1, 1-0-0 WIAC) are coming off an exciting 4-3 conference-opening win over UW-Eau Claire (7-4-0, 0-1-0 WIAC) Wednesday, Nov. 29.  Stout will host UW-Superior (3-6-1, 0-0-0 WIAC), Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. in a second WIAC contest. The Yellowjackets tied with Northland College, 3-3, Tuesday in Ashland.

The Blugolds have been picked in a WIAC preseason poll to win the conference title. Eau Claire is currently ranked 15th in the Nov. 27 USCHO.com Division III poll.

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.
• Mathias Ahman and Hunter Anderson each have nine points, with each tallying four goals and five assists. Ahman has three power play goals.
• Conner Valesano has two goals and a team-best six assists. 
• Connor Chambers, Jack Forbort, Kyle Sylvester, Alex Toscano, and Dylan Zins each have two goals and three assists. Lucas Carroll has two goals. Sylvester and Toscano each have two power play goals.
• Lucas Carroll scored his first collegiate goal, and it was a shorthanded goal against St. John's University, Stout's first shorthanded goal of the season. Stout has allowed five shorthanded goals.
• 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. Ahlgren's first appearance of the 2017-18 season did not go well, and the native of Finland lasted just one period, surrendering two goals against Concordia-Moorhead.  Ahlgren has worked seven games this season, recording a 3.02 goals against average and a saves percentage of .883.
• With three appearances last season, Etienne Roy finished with a GAA of 3.91 with a saves percentage of .848. This season, Roy has already made three appearances with two starts and one long relief outing, recording 69 saves (92.0 saves percentage) and a GAA of 2.28, second in the WIAC.
• First year player Evan Hauser was a member of the University of Alaska-Anchorage team last season. Hauser has had two starts, making 19 saves in his first Blue Devil start, a 3-3 tie with Aurora College, then had 20 saves in a loss to St. John's. Hauser has a GAA of 3.36.

BLUE DEVIL SPECIAL TEAMS

• The  Blue Devils power play is 19.2 percent (10-52) and the penalty kill is 84.3 (8-51). Stout has taken 67 penalties thus far this year.

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT

• The Blue Devils came out blazing, scoring four goals in the first period against No. 15 UW-Eau Claire, but then hung on for a wild ride in the third period for a 4-3 win.
• Dylan Zins opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game. Mathias Ahman added a goal midway through the period, then Hunter Anderson scored a pair of goals in just under two minutes of game time, starting at the 16:15 mark. Anderson assisted on Zins' goal. Zins had a pair of assists, as did Austin Jackson.
• The Blugolds got on the board at the 13:47 mark of the second period. What would turn out to be a pivotal play happened five minutes into the third period when Eau Claire was awarded a penalty shot and Blue Devil goalie Tommi Ahlgren turned away the Blugolds' Todd Koritzinsky.
• The Blugolds scored twice in the final two minutes of the game, getting their second power play goal of the night, then adding their third goal with an extra attacker on the ice. Ahlgren stopped 20 shots, while the Blue Devils chased starter Camden Haugenoe after Stout's fourth goal. Haugenoe, who stopped four shots, gave way to David Johnson, who recorded 13 saves.
• The Blue Devils lost, 2-0, to Aurora University, Nov. 24, then dropped a 3-1 decision to MSOE, Nov. 25 at the UW-Stevens Point Holiday Tournament.
• MSOE Story and Statistics
• Aurora Story and Statistics

Game Stats Tracker

SCOUTING UW-EAU CLAIRE

• The Blugolds (7-3, 0-0-0) are led by two seniors. Mac Jansen and Jesse Tredinnick both have nine points. Jansen leads the WIAC in goals scored with seven and Tredinnick has five goals. Jansen also has one hat trick on the season. In goal, freshman Camden Haugenoe has the most minutes played this season for the Blugolds. He has started nine out of 10 games and holds a 2.11 goals against average to go along with a .898 save percentage. He boasts a 6-3 record for UW-Eau Claire.
• The Blugolds have been picked to win the WIAC and own a pair of WIAC titles, including their most recent in 2016, and claimed the inaugural Commissioner's Cup in 2014. UW-Eau Claire brings back 19 letterwinners from a season ago when they reached the 18-win mark for the fifth time in the last six years. Senior forwards Colton Wolter and Todd Koritzinsky ranked second (24) and fifth (19), respectively, on the team in points in 2017. Wolter compiled 11 goals and 13 assists, while Koritzinsky contributed nine goals and 10 assists.
• UW-Eau Claire Stats

LAST TIME OUT

• The Blugolds swept Finlandia University, 4-1, 5-1, over the Thanksgiving weekend.
• Eau Claire vs. Finlandia, Game One
• Eau Claire vs. Finlandia, Game Two

WHEN STOUT AND EAU CLAIRE MET LAST SEASON

• In the first matchup of the season, UW-Eau Claire beat UW-Stout by a score of 7-3. UW-Stout scored three power play goals and held UW-Eau Claire to one power play goal in three opportunities, but it wouldn't be enough as the Blugolds won in Eau Claire at Hobbs Ice Arena. Story
• During Military Appreciation night, the Blue Devils would win a close one against UW-Eau Claire with a score of 2-1 at the Fanetti Community Center in Menomonie. The Blugolds got on the board first scoring only 2:52 into the game. The Blue Devils would tie up the game with just over four minutes left in the first period. After a scoreless second period, UW-Stout wasted little time taking the lead as the Blue Devils scored only 20 seconds into the third period. The Blue Devils would hold UW-Eau Claire scoreless as UW-Stout took the win at home. Story

THE SERIES: UW-Eau Claire holds a 38-34-4 record over the Blue Devils.

SCOUTING UW-SUPERIOR

• The Yellowjackets (3-6-1, 0-0-0 WIAC) are led by junior Daniel Litchke as he leads UW-Superior in points with 10. Litchke has four goals, three of them power play goals, and six assists on the year. Ian Ecklund leads the Yellowjackets in goals with five. The Yellowjackets split time in the net with Cole Skinner and Kyle Miller. Skinner has started six games and leads the WIAC in save percentage with .924. Skinner also has a 2.17 goals against average. Miller has started four games and holds a .882 save percentage to go along with a 4.18 goal against average.
• UW-Superior has 11 returning letterwinners, including junior forward Daniel Litchke, who was second on the team with 15 goals and third with 20 points. Senior forward Ian Ecklund was second on the squad with 15 assists and fourth with 17 points.
• UW-Superior Stats

LAST TIME OUT

• Northland College scored two goals in the last half of the third period to forge a 3-3 tie with the Yellowjackets Tuesday. Bruno Birzitis and Alec Mackenzie scored in the second period. Northland cut the lead in half early in the third period. Daniel Litchke put the Yellowjacket lead back to two goals, 3-1, a couple of minutes later.
• The Yellowjackets hosted a pair of games over Thanksgiving weekend. On Friday, UW-Superior lost a close game against St. Thomas with a score of 2-1. The Yellowjackets regrouped and won a 2-1 game of their own against St. Scholastica.
• Superior, Game One Story
• Superior, Game Two Story

WHEN STOUT AND SUPERIOR MET LAST SEASON

• The Blue Devils survived a third period shootout, coming out on top of UW-Superior, 5-3, at Wessman Arena. After only one goal in the first two periods by both teams, their would be a total of seven goals by both teams in the third period alone. UW-Stout scored four times and the Yellowjackets scored three times in the third period. Story
• UW-Stout came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the third period, then fought off a power play, only to see the Yellowjackets score four seconds after the power play ended. The Yellowjackets added one more goal and carried a 4-2 victory out the Fanetti Community Center. Story
• UW-Stout came from behind twice and went onto down UW-Superior 4-3, in a first round WIAC Championship tournament game Friday at the Fanetti Community Center. Story
• UW-Stout's season came to a crashing halt as UW-Superior took a 4-2 win to force a 20-minute mini-game and the Yellowjackets turned that into an overtime 1-0 win Saturday at the Fanetti Community Center. With the win, the Yellowjackets advanced to the semi-final round of the WIAC Tournament. Story

THE SERIES: UW-Superior holds a 59-24-4 record over the Blue Devils

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: Augsburg 3rd, UW-Stevens Point, 10th, MSOE 11th and UW-Eau Claire 15th. Concordia-Wis. and St. John's University are receiving votes. | USCHO.com Division III Poll

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


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 marks Terry Watkins' (249-300-38) 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.

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: Lucas Carroll vs. St. John's University, Nov. 4, 2017 (4-5)
• 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: 5 vs. Gustavus Adolphus, Nov. 11, 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


UP NEXT: The Blue Devils will host Concordia University Wisconsin, Friday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. and again Saturday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m.