St. Scholastica ended the 2010-11 men's season in a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association playoff series against Wisconsin-Superior and will face its cross-bridge rival to open 2011-12 in 7:05 p.m. games today and Saturday at Mars Lakeview Arena.
The Saints look to change their fortunes after going 9-17-1, losing the final seven games and a 1-10 mark the last 11.
In a NCHA pre-season coaches poll, Superior was picked second among seven teams and St. Scholastica last.
The Saints have 19 returners, including senior forwards Carter Davis and Jeremy Dawes. Davis has 55 points in 81 career games and Dawes 74 points in 75 games. The top defensemen are seniors Austin Brown and Daman Milsom.
Graduated is scoring leader Riley Riddell, while the team's three goalies from last season are not back. First-year goalies include Alaska Fairbanks transfer Colin Rundell of Tees, Alberta, along with JoJo Jeanetta of Duluth East and Connor Lucas of Hermantown.
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Mark Wick is 127-115-26 entering his 13th season as a head coach, the last seven with the Saints.
UWS eliminated the Saints in the 2011 league playoffs and defeated Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the semifinals before losing to eventual Division III champion St. Norbert 2-1 in the NCHA title game. The Yellowjackets (16-13-1) were selected for the NCAA playoffs and lost 3-2 in overtime to Hamline University of St. Paul in the first round.
Six of Superior's top seven scorers from last year were underclassmen, including three freshmen forwards, now sophomores -- Pat Dalbec, Tyler Klein and Joey Massingham. Junior winger Justin Faryna is the top returning scorer, with 13 goals and
23 points in 2010-11.
Top defensemen include juniors Brad Phenow and Jeff Forsythe.
Senior Garrett Tinkham and junior Drew Strandberg, who shared time in goal last season, are back. Both had save percentages of .915, while goals-against averages were 2.26 for Strandberg and 2.57 for Tinkham.
Coach Dan Stauber is 208-76-42 entering his 12th season at UWS.
-- In college women's hockey, UWS opens the season at home at 7 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Saturday in a non-conference series against Hamline. The Yellowjackets (13-8-7 last season) are picked to finish second in the 11-team NCHA.
