DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – With just two games remaining in the regular season, the St. Scholastica men's hockey team sits in a tie for fourth place in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) standings and will need to play well this weekend to clinch home ice for the first round of Peters Cup playoffs.
Game Schedule: (Game Day Media)
Friday at UW-Eau Claire – 7 p.m.
(Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio)
Saturday vs. UW-River Falls – 7 p.m.
(Live Video on Saints Sports Net | Live Stats)
About the Saints
Record: 10-12-1, 6-9-1 NCHA
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St. Scholastica defeated two-ranked opponents last weekend in then fourth-ranked St. Norbert 5-2 Friday night and then 14th-ranked UW-Stevens Point 6-3 Saturday night.
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After beating the second and third-best teams in the NCHA last weekend, the Saints will open this weekend with the best in fourth-ranked UW-Eau Claire.
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The Saints have a record of 6-1-1 in their last eight games.
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Senior forward Tyler Miller (Fort Frances, Ontario/Rainy River HS (Thunder Bay-SIJHL) ) was named the NCHA Player of the Week on Tuesday.
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Miller leads the team with 15 assists.
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Senior Brett Corcoran (Parksville, British Columbia/Ballenas Secondary (Trail Smoke-BCHL) ) has taken over the team lead in points with 24 thus far. He has recorded at least one point in four straight games.
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Brandon Nowakowski (Calgary, Alberta/Central Memorial HS (Calgary Royals-AJHL)) leads the squad with 12 goals.
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The Saints have scored just as many goals as their opponents this season (80-80).
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CSS is outscoring teams 30-23 in the first period this season, but are being outscored 32-26 in the third period.
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The Saints are 8-0-1 when leading after two periods, but are 0-7-0 when trailing after the first period.
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Colin Rundell (Tees, Alberta/Lacombe Composite (Alaska-Fairbanks) ) has been the goalie in net during the three-game winning streak.
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The Saints have allowed over a goal less per game on the road this season than at home.
About the Blugolds
Record: 18-3-2, 13-2-1 NCHA
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UW-Eau Claire clinched at least a share of the NCHA regular season title last weekend and can clinch the title outright with one point this weekend.
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The Blugolds are ranked fourth in this week's USCHO.com Division III poll and second in the D3hockey.com poll.
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The Blugolds have already clinched the top seed due to owning the tiebreaker over St. Norbert.
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The NCHA championship is the first in program history.
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Eau Claire enters the weekend unbeaten in its last seven games.
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Jordan Singer is second in the conference in goals (16) and points (28).
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Mark Pustin and Jack Callahan are tied for third in the league with 15 assists apiece.
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The Blugolds have the seventh-best scoring offense in the nation, averaging 4.22 goals per game
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Brandon Stephenson leads the league with a .925 saves percentage and is second in saves with 533.
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Stephenson's 16 wins this season is a new program record.
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The Blugolds are 9-0-0 this season when leading after the first period.
Series History: (CSS is 23-46-6 vs. UW-Eau Claire)
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The Blugolds swept the Saints earlier this season at Mars Lakeview Arena.
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UWEC has won seven of the last nine meetings.
About the Falcons
Record: 11-9-3, 4-9-3 NCHA
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River Falls is coming off a 3-2 defeat to the Blugolds on Saturday.
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The Falcons are currently in sixth place, two points behind the Saints and UW-Superior. The Falcons face the Yellowjackets Friday night before playing the Saints Saturday.
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River Falls is 1-4-1 in its last six games.
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The Falcons have the fifth-best penalty-kill in the country, killing off 88.2 percent of their opponents' opportunities.
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Adam Cardwell leads the team with 13 goals and 23 assists.
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George Malliaras has a team-high 14 assists.
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Goaltender Scott Lewan leads the conference in saves with 645.
Series History: (CSS is 39-58-6 vs. UW-River Falls)
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The Saints went 1-0-1 in River Falls three weeks ago.
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CSS is unbeaten in its last five meetings against the Falcons.
