SUPERIOR (January 16, 2010) – UW-Stout spotted UW-Superior an early goal, but the Blue Devils rolled off five consecutive goals for a 5-2 win and move to within one point of first place in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) and earn a weekend sweep of the Yellowjackets.

Branden Gay (F)

Branden Gay (Jr, Calgary, Alberta) scored a goal and had two assists to lead Stout’s offensive surge. Coupled with last night’s 4-3 win and tonight’s UW-Eau Claire’s 5-1 win over first place St. Norbert, the Blue Devils moved within striking range of the NCHA top spot.

The Yellowjackets Thomas Erlacher opened the scoring midway through the first period before Stout launched an offensive explosion.

Paul Henderson (Sr, Menomonie) scored on the power play at 16:01 of the first and Gay scored unassisted with 55 seconds left in the period. Stout picked up their second power play goal of the game, as Derek Hanson (Sr, Bemidji, Minn) scored at 16:08.

The Blue Devils (8-7-3, 6-3-3) scored twice in the third period. Joel Whited (So, Indianapolis, Ind) scored at 6:20 and Joe Knoepke (Fr, Rochester, Minn) scored at 11:32, his second goal in as many nights. The Yellowjackets (8-7-2, 2-7-1) got their final goal of the game, a shorthanded goal at 13:46 by Chris Wilson.

Tom Lescovich (Fr, Clifton Park, NY) tallied 18 saves, while the Yellowjackets’ Bryan Dalbec had 20 saves.

Stout will play St. Olaf College, Saturday, Jan. 23 at 1:30 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Nick Hopper (G)

SUPERIOR (January 15, 2010) – UW-Stout scored three first period goals but had to hold off a UW-Superior charge as the Blue Devils went on to a 4-3 win Friday.

Stout (7-7-3, 5-3-3) moved into second place in the NCHA as they got off to a fast start.

Robert Carr (Jr, Roseau, Minn) got things started with a goal only just over a minute into the game.

The Yellowjackets (8-6-2, 2-6-1) tied the score two minutes later on a goal by Talon Berlando.

Stout then reeled off three consecutive goals. Derek Hanson (Sr, Bemidji, Minn) scored on the power player six minutes into the contest. Joe Knoepke (Fr, Rochester, Minn) added a goal at the 13 minute mark and Joel Gaulrapp (Sr, Owatonna, Minn) scored the only goal of the second period, notching the marker at 9:06.

Superior threatened the Blue Devils lead in the final stanza as Chris Wilson scored twice, once at 9:32 and another with 41 seconds left in the game.

Stout’s Nick Hopper (Fr, Culver City, Calif) recorded his first collegiate win by turning away 32 shots. The Yellowjackets’ MIke Rosett had 18 saves.

Stout and Superior will meet again Saturday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.

Joe Knoepke (F)

ST. PETER, Minn (January 9, 2010) – Gustavus Adolphus has certainly had UW-Stout’s number over the past couple of years and this year was no exception as the Gusties handed the Blue Devils a 4-1 defeat Saturday.

After the Blue Devils (6-7-3) tied the game at 1-1 in the second period. the Gusties (10-4-1) scored three unanswered goals, two in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Gustavus swept Stout last year in two games, a 6-5 win early in the season in Menomonie and a 3-2 overtime win in the NCAA Division III semi-final game.

The Gusties Eric Bigham scored 14 minutes into the game. Stout tied the score early in the second period when Joe Knoepke (Fr, Rochester, MInn) scored on assists by Garret Grimstad (Fr, Rochester, Minn) and Paul Hendrickson (Sr, Menomonie).

David Martinson scored unassisted just before the end of the second period, and Mitch Carlson and Dane Erickson added unassisted goals in the third.

Gustavus outshot Stout, 44-33. Tom Lescovich (Fr, Clifton Park, NY) took the loss with 40 saves. Josh Swartout had 29 saves for Gustavus.

Stout will be at UW-Superior, Friday, Jan. 15 and Saturday, Jan. 16.

Nick Hopper (G)

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn (January 8, 2010) – Augsburg College gave UW-Stout a kick in the teeth to start off the game, but the Blue Devils had enough bite left, only to see the Auggies launch a comeback of their own and take a 5-4 overtime decision, Friday, at the Augsburg Ice Arena.

The Auggies (8-3-1) jumped on Stout (6-6-3) in the first 35 seconds of the game as Nick Guran gave the Blue Devils, who have been idle for nearly a month, a wake-up call.

Stout answered back at the midway point of the first period as Joel Gaulrapp (Sr, Owatonna, Minn) scored the first of his two special teams goals on the night, getting assists from Mike Hartviksen (Fr, Thunder Bay, Ont) and Scott Motz (Sr, Lake Elmo, Minn).

The Auggies took the lead back only a minute later on goal by Joel Sauer and Augsburg had a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.

Stout rolled up a 4-2 lead with three consecutive goals over the second and third periods. Gaulrapp scored shorthanded and unassisted five minutes into the second.Brandon Larson (Fr, New Richmond) scored two minutes before the break to give Stout a 3-2 lead at the end of two periods, getting assists from Joe Knoepke (Fr, Rochester, Minn) and Garret Grimstad (Fr, Rochester, Minn).

The Blue Devils doubled up on the Auggies at 9:11 of the third period when Danny Ryan (Jr, Niles, Ill) scored unassisted.

Augsburg’s Guran scored twice in the final five minutes of the game to knot the game and Sauer scored his second goal of the game, the game-winner 48 seconds into the overtime period.

Nick Hopper (Fr, Culver City, Calif) made his first start in goal for Stout since being injured in the first game of the season, stopping 26 shots. Justin Lochner made 27 saves for Augsburg.

Stout will be at Gustavus Adolphus Saturday, Jan. 9. Stout is at UW-Superior, Jan. 15-16.