Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

GameDay Preview

DULUTH, Minn. – It was not always pretty, but goaltender #Steve Bounds# (Sr.-Airdrie, Alta.) and the Saints men's hockey team picked up a pair of 2-0 victories last weekend to advance to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Semifinals against the University of Wis.-Stout. 

Both games were a defensive effort for the Saints, led by #Kelly Reynolds# (Parksville, B.C.), who played in his NCAA Div.-III record-setting 110th consecutive game on Friday night. His fellow defenseman #Neil Sauter# (Jr.-Superior, Wis.) scored his first goal of the season on Saturday night. 

The season series between the Saints and the Blue Devils tilted in the favor of CSS, with the blue-and-gold taking a 5-2 road victory in November while the two teams tied 2-2 in Duluth on January 23. Not surprisingly, CSS leading scorer and NCHA All-Conference selection #AJ Tucker# (Sr.-Fort Frances, Ont.) led the way with three goals and an assist against Stout goaltending. 

Wis.-Stout has not been shut out once this season and has scored three goals or more on 19 different occasions. CSS Head Coach Mark Wick complimented Stout's special teams play, particularly their penalty kill that has three short-handed goals in their past four games.

One key to the Saints victory in November may have been the fact that All-NCHA Honorable Mention Goaltender Matt Koenig (Sr.-Lakeland, Minn.) did not play in the first match-up between the two teams. Koenig compiled an 18-4-2 record this season with an impressive .924 save percentage and 694 saves, the second-most among NCHA goaltenders. Koenig held the Saints to just two goals on 37 shots in the second meeting. 

However, his CSS counterpart, Steve Bounds (Airdrie, Alberta/Powell River (BCHL)), has equally impressive stats. Bounds owns the St. Scholastica school record for shutouts in a career (eight) and in a season (six), and received plenty of from his head coach, who says “Steve is as good as anybody [in the conference].” Bounds also played strongly against Stout, holding the Devils to four goals on 67 shots in the two games. 

All-NCHA forward Derek Hanson (Jr.-Bemidji, Minn.) took the scoring crown for Stout and for the conference with 40 points via 15 goals and 25 assists. Teammate and fellow all-NCHA honoree Joel Gaulrapp (Jr.-Owataonna, Minn.) was second with 38 points including a conference-high 20 goals. Four additional Blue Devils received all-conference honors as they were second in total selections (seven) to Wis.-Superior (eight). 

A spot in the NCHA Championship game may not be the only reward up for grabs Saturday night, as all four teams in the Peter's Cup Semifinals are in the running for an NCAA Tournament berth. An NCAA tournament bid without the Peter's Cup is “not out of the realm of possibility,” according to Wick.

The puck drops on the ice at the Dunn County Recreational Complex in Menomonie, Wis. At 7:30 p.m. this Saturday night, February 28th. Fans can pre-order tickets online or listen to all of the action on ESPN Radio 560 – WEBC, the radio home of St. Scholastica Saints hockey. 

Other Players to Watch
St. Scholastica
#Joey Martini# (Sr.-Calgary, Alta.) – NCHA All-Conference Honorable Mention … 15 G, 15 A, 30 Pts … Three points (one goal, two assist) against Wis.-Stout in regular season … One goal and one assist in first round of NCHA playoffs
#Jordan Chong# (Jr.-North Vancouver, B.C.) – Scored goals in two of last three games … Leads NCHA in shots with 86 … 13 G, 10 A, 23 Pts … Has increased point output every year with Saints
#Dustin DeGagne# (Jr.-Winnipeg, Man.) – NCHA All-Conference Honorable Mention … Team-high 11 points as a defender

Wis.-Stout
Scott Motz (Jr.-Lake Elmo, Minn.) – Third in team and conference scoring with 13 G, 19 A, 32 Pts … Second in conference with five game-winning goals … T-Eighth in conference with five power play goals … One of four players in conference with two hat tricks .. Third in conference for total shots (80)
Jack Wolgemuth (Sr.-Anchorage, Alaska) – NCHA All-Conference selection … 3 G, 12 A, 15 Pts … Sixth-most points among defenders in NCHA … Two power play goals
Nick Klaren (Sr.-North St. Paul, Minn.) – NCHA All-Conference Honorable Mention … 7 G, 18 A, 25 Pts …T-Sixth most assists in conference … Three power play goals … One of nine Blue Devils with positive double-digit plus/minus rating (+12)