Senior goalie named an All-American
Fifth-year senior goalie Mac Berglove finished his Johnnie career on March 2 against St. Olaf. He was the third-oldest player in the MIAC this year, and he finished his season with 47 saves on goal. He ends his career with 30 wins, the eighth-most wins in program history. Berglove signed a professional contract with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs on March 7, only five days after finishing his career as a Johnnie.
St. John’s senior standout goaltender Mac Berglove was named a CCM Division III second-team West Region All-American on Thursday, March 24.
The Elk River native was one of the top goaltenders in all of Division III in the 2021-22 season, ranking fifth in DIII in goals-against average (1.88) and fifth in save percentage (.932). Berglove finished the season with a 13-6-2 record, tallying 13 of the 17 Johnnie wins in his senior campaign.
Berglove’s .932 save percentage was the third-best single-season save percentage in program history, and his 1.88 GAA was the fourth-best single-season GAA in program history.
A 2014 high school graduate, Berglove was the third-oldest player in the MIAC in the 2021-22 season, behind classmate Cole Souto and Hamline’s Taylor Trapp.
Berglove’s long journey to being one of the oldest players in the MIAC included two years of playing in the NA3HL for the Granite City Lumberjacks, a brief stint with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL and five seasons of hockey with the Johnnies.
All of this experience has made Berglove a significant asset to his team. This added experience makes the game easier for him and helps his teammates.
“The older you get and the more games you play, the more you learn about the game, what it takes to be a leader and how to be a champion,” Berglove said.
Berglove is the 24th Johnnie hockey player to receive All-American honors and just the fifth Johnnie goalie to receive such recognition.
He was also awarded First Team All-MIAC honors for his season, the first such honor of his career.
Berglove has long been a staple for St John’s hockey, and the record books reflect that. He finished his career as a Johnnie with the eighth-most wins in program history (30), the tenth-most saves (1477), the fifth-best save percentage (.924) and the third-best goals-against average (2.18).
After the Johnnie hockey season ended, Berglove headed down to Roanoke, Va. to start his professional hockey career for the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL).
So far, Berglove has appeared in three games and his save percentage is .790. There are quite a few differences between pro and college games, but the one Berglove has found the most challenging has not necessarily been on the ice.
“The biggest challenge is learning to play with different guys all the time,” Berglove said. “Last Sunday, I had less than 48 hours to prepare myself to play and drive to Peoria, Ill. and then meet my entire new team in the locker room before the game; it was tough being thrown in there like that.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the NCAA ruled that Division III athletes would be able to take an extra year of eligibility, Berglove had a big decision to make.
He could either proceed with his life and go into the workforce or take his fifth year at St. John’s. Berglove ultimately decided to take his fifth year as a Johnnie.
“Ultimately, I didn’t want to be done playing competitive sports. I just loved being on a team and competing at a high level,” Berglove said. “Everyone should play as long as they can because once you’re done, you’re done. There’s nothing quite like being on a college sports team.”
