Northwestern Hockey Team Hosts Gustavus Adolphus JVs on Oct. 31
Game Starts at 7:15 p.m. at Bloomington Ice Gardens; Naturals Take 3-1 Record Into Game
Posted on Oct. 28, 2009
The Naturals, Northwestern Health Sciences University’s collegiate club hockey team, take a 3-1 record into their Oct. 31 game against the Gustavus Adolphus junior varsity team at Bloomington Ice Gardens (BIG). Northwestern expects to have a full squad on the ice for the first time this season to take on the Gusties, who are opening their season against Northwestern.
The game begins at 7:15 p.m. on Rink 3 at BIG. Admission is free to Northwestern students with a student ID and general admission tickets are $3. Kids under 12, when accompanied by an adult, get in free. Concession stands will be open.
“This should be our biggest test this year,” said Steve Dus, the Naturals’ coach. “Gustavus will be fast and disciplined and the Olympic sheet of ice on Rink 3 is tailored to their speed game. But if we play like we did when we beat Dordt College in our last game, we will have a good chance to win.”
Dus said that the Naturals have a couple of keys to doing well. “We have to play with intensity the entire 60 minutes, and we have to use our size to our advantage. We wear teams down with our physical style.” Dus noted that three of the top four Northwestern defensemen weigh 260, 240 and 215 pounds.
The Naturals are hoping to get back first-line defenseman Jeff Bjorklund, T4 chiropractic, who sat out most of the two-game series against Dordt College with a knee strain. Also banged up is forward Aaron Howe, T1 chiropractic, who has scored two game-winning goals this year. He is nursing a sore back from a series of collisions against Dordt College defensemen. Making their collegiate debuts will be forwards Phil Toft, Undergraduate Studies, and Cassidy Quinton, T6 chiropractic.
The Gustavus Adolphus varsity team, which plays in the NCAA’s Division 3, played in the national championship game last season. They lost 4-1 to Neumann College and finished the season 19-11. The Gusties play in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAC). Bloomington Ice Gardens is the site of a MIAC Halloween tournament this year, and the Gustavus Adolphus varsity team will also be playing at BIG on Oct. 31. Northwestern will play three MIAC JV teams this year – Gustavus, St. John’s and St. Mary’s.
Next Road Trip: Northwestern goes to Yankton, South Dakota in mid-November to play a pair of games against the University of South Dakota (USD). The Naturals play the Coyotes on Nov. 13-14. The two teams share a common opponent this season – South Dakota State University (SDSU). Northwestern picked up a pair of wins against the Jackrabbits in mid-October by scores of 9-5 and 5-4. Earlier in October, SDSU beat USD 6-1.
Points Leaders: Defenseman Giles Stifter, T9 chiropractic, leads the Naturals with nine points in four games. He has a goal and eight assists. Second on the team in points is Zach Lundbohm, T1 chiropractic, who has five goals and three assists for eight points. Lundbohm is the leading goal scorer for the Naturals. Matt Miller, T6 chiropractic, has seven points – four goals and three assists – and Jake Bohnen, T4 chiropractic, has six points on four goals and two assists. Chris Trimner, T4 chiropractic, is tied with Miller and Bohnen for second most goals on the team with four. Aaron Howe, T1 chiropractic, leads the team in game-winning goals with two.
ACHA Season Schedule: Northwestern currently has 23 games scheduled between early October 2009 and early March 2010 against a variety of collegiate teams ranging from ACHA Division 2 and Division 3 teams to NCAA Division 3 junior varsity teams. The Naturals are also negotiating games with several other colleges and expect to play between 28 and 30 games this season. See the team’s current season schedule online.
For more ACHA information, visit the ACHA website.
NON-CONTACT TEAM
The Naturals went winless in their last two Showcase Central Silver Fall League games, dropping them out of first place. They lost 8-4 to the Beers on Oct. 19, and then were tied with 12 seconds left in the game by the Busted Tuuks on Oct. 26. Both games were at Mariucci Arena. Northwestern had previously beaten the Beers 12-4 in the two teams season openers and defeated the Busted Tuuks 5-1 in their first game against them. The Naturals are now 4-1-2 in Showcase action, and a 10-4-3 record in non-contact games since July. Jake Bohnen, T4 chiropractic, led Northwestern in the two games with three goals. Greg Petersen, T1 chiropractic, the ACHA team’s assistant coach, scored a pair of goals in the two games. He also had an assist. Phil Toft, Undergraduate Studies, totaled three assists in the two games.
“Our players are having a tough time practicing twice a week, playing contact games on the weekend, and playing late on Monday nights in the Showcase League,” said John Healy, hockey club advisor and director of communications for Northwestern. “It shows on the ice.”