DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – Coming off a three-point weekend and unbeaten in its last four games, the St. Scholastica men's hockey team will look to keep it going when it hosts Bridge Rival University of Wisconsin-Superior on Thursday night and the University of Wisconsin-Stout on Friday at Mars Lakeview Arena.
Game Schedule: (Game Day Media)
Thursday vs. UW-Superior – 7 p.m.
(Live Video on Saints Sports Net | Live Stats)
Friday vs. UW-Stout – 7 p.m.
(Live Video on Saints Sports Net | Live Stats)
About the Saints
Record: 7-11-1, 3-8-1 NCHA
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The Saints are coming off a three-point weekend against UW-River Falls. CSS won game one Friday 5-2 to snap the Falcons' six-game winning streak.
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The Saints then had to settle for a 3-3 tie on Saturday after going into the third period up 3-0.
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The current four-game unbeaten streak for the Saints is tied for the fourth-longest in NCAA Division III at the moment and is the longest in the NCHA.
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CSS remains in the seventh in the league with seven points, but are just four points out of third place with six games to play.
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The NCHA schedule moves to travel partner play this weekend as teams will no longer play the same team back-to-back the final three weeks of the regular season.
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Through two periods this season, the Saints and their opponents have each scored 43 goals. However, opponents have outscored CSS 24-19 in the third period.
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Dylan Nowakowski (Calgary, Alberta/Centennial HS (Brooks-AJHL) ) has recorded at least one point in six of the last seven games and his brother Brandon Nowakowski (Calgary, Alberta/Central Memorial HS (Calgary Royals-AJHL)) in five of his last six.
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B. Nowakowski is tied for a league-high with three game-winning goals this season.
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Sophomore Dave Williams (Okotoks, Alberta/Athol Murray College of Notre Dame (Waywayseecappo-MJHL) ) was named the NCHA Player of the Week after recording four points in three games last week.
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Tyler Bruggeman (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS (Austin-NAHL) ) has been the netminder during the four-game unbeaten streak. Bruggeman has seen is goals-against-average drop from 4.55 to 3.31 during that span.
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Opponents have just one goal in their last 10 power-play attempts against the Saints. Oddly enough, the CSS penalty-kill is only (.675) at home, while it is .818 on the road.
About the Yellowjackets
Record: 10-8-1, 5-6-1 NCHA
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UWS enters Thursday's contest on a five-game losing streak.
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In the last two weekends, the 'jackets have played the top two teams in the league and were swept.
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The Yellowjackets are just outside the USCHO Division III poll this week after dropping out.
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Much like the Saints, the 'jackets have a much better penalty-kill on the road (.882) than at home (.741).
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UWS is averaging 3.27 goals per game at Wessman Arena and 2.38 per game away from Superior.
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Pat Dalbec is tied for second in the league with 25 points and is second with 14 goals.
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Dalbec is tied for second in the nation with seven power-play goals.
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Jeff Forsythe and Joey Massingham lead team with 12 assists apiece.
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Drew Strandberg has seen the majority of action in net this season with a 2.85 goals-against-average and eight wins.
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UWS is 8-0-0 when leading after two periods this season and all 10 of its wins have come when it has scored first.
Series History: (CSS is 36-83-9 vs. UW-Superior)
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The teams split the series to open the season in Superior in October.
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CSS took game one 5-1, while the 'jackets had game two 6-4.
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UWS has not lost at Mars Lakeview since 2009.
About the Blue Devils
Record: 9-8-2, 4-8-0 NCHA
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The Blue Devils are coming off a series split with then No. 1-ranked St. Norbert College.
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Stout took the first game 4-3 on Friday, snapping St. Norbert's nine-game unbeaten streak.
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Junior forward Kevin O'Donnell leads the team with 10 goals and 19 points.
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Garrett Grimstad and Joe Beaudette each lead the team with 10 assists.
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Nick Hopper has seen the majority of play between the pipes with .921 saves percentage and a 2.55 goals-against-average.
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The Blue Devils are averaging over a goal less per game away from the Dunn County Ice Arena and are only 2-6-1 on the road this season.
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Stout has the third-best combined special teams (power-play and penalty-kill) in NCAA Division III with a 57 percent success rate.
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The Blue Devils are unbeaten when leading at either intermission, but are winless when trailing.
Series History: (CSS is 17-23-5 vs. UW-Stout)
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The Blue Devils swept the Saints earlier this season in Menomonie, despite being out shot in both games.
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The last time the two teams met at Mars was the 2012 NCHA Peters Cup Quarterfinals where the Saints rallied to win 3-2 in overtime to end Stout's season.
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Four of the last six meetings have gone to overtime.
