Johnnie hockey season begins in River Falls

It did not take long for SJU hockey head coach Doug Schueller to be impressed with his team’s performance. The Johnnies were able to get a win in their first game of the season at UW-River Falls on Saturday, Oct. 29.

“Going into River Falls and getting a win is huge,” Schueller said. “We came out of the gate in the first period and played one of the best periods I’ve seen us play in a long time, and that was really exciting.”

UW-River Falls came out quick with a goal early in the first period. However, it took first-year defenseman Mason Campbell only 29 seconds to answer with his first collegiate goal. From there, the Johnnies got two goals later in the game from senior Joe Papa and junior Max Borst to secure the win. Three different players scored for the Johnnies, while four different players assisted. The Johnnies feel comfortable with their roster because of the number of returning players.

“We have five lines of forwards and eight defensemen that can play against anyone in our league and have success,” senior forward Jack Johnson said. “With so many good players, it’s like iron sharpening iron. You get better and better at practice every day, and the internal competition for playing time pushes everyone to be better.”

Of course, the Johnnies are happy to start out their season with a big road win. But, not getting ahead of themselves and staying true to the moment is where their heads are at. The Johnnies have 24 more games before the MIAC playoffs begin. There is still a long season ahead for the squad.

“This first half of the year is just as important as the second half, and we need to get out of the gates well so that we are not trying to take ourselves out of the second half of the year,” Schueller said.

The team seems to have the same mindset as well. With several experienced players on the roster, they know how hard the season can get. Senior forward Auggie Moore, a captain on the team, is one person who knows what it takes to be successful.

“I think it’s just about sticking together and working hard,” Moore said. “We have a lot of really skilled players on the team, and as long as we play for each other, we will get where we want to go.”

The Johnnies have high hopes for the rest of the season. The team sets goals with the endgame in mind.

“We set three goals at the beginning of each year: to win the MIAC regular season championship, to win the MIAC Playoffs and to be National Champions,” Johnson said. “For us to achieve all three of these goals, it takes all 28 guys on the team buying in and doing whatever it takes to win.”

Moore and Johnson know how much work it takes to be a successful hockey team. For Moore, he believes it’s best to be present in the moment despite the long season.

“I think it’s important to just take it one day at a time and keep getting better,” Moore said.

Finding that balance of being confident and humble will be important for the team this season and play into how successful they can be.

The Johnnies travel to Eau Claire, Wis. on Friday, Nov. 4, to play UW-Eau Claire.They will then travel to Northland the following day to play Northland College. Schueller is excited about the season but knows the team still has a long way to go in order to accomplish all of their goals.

“We need to play good hockey, and I think we have the confidence in our room right now that we have the team that can do it.”