Men's Ice Hockey

Auggies, Johnnies to play in Hockey Day Minnesota 2023

WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. -- Two of the most storied programs in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's hockey will be featured as part of the 2023 Hockey Day Minnesota celebration, as Augsburg University will host Saint John's University on Friday, Jan. 27 at 5:45 p.m. at Polar Lakes Park in White Bear Township.
 
The game will be the first MIAC conference contest to be held as part of Hockey Day Minnesota since the event was established by the Minnesota Wild and Bally Sports North in 2007. It's the second NCAA Division III game to be contested in the event's history; St. Thomas tied Wisconsin-Stout 1-1 at Xcel Energy Center as part of the 2017 event.
 
"The games between Augsburg and Saint John's are always fast, skilled, and physical. The rivalry has been magnified the last handful of years, as we have played in a couple epic overtime games in the finals of the MIAC playoffs. It is a weekend we look forward to every year," said Greg May '07, entering his second season as Augsburg's head coach in 2022-23. "Having the opportunity to showcase not only our rivalry, but Division III hockey and specifically the MIAC, as part of Hockey Day Minnesota is an honor."
 
Augsburg and Saint John's have been two of the most dominant programs in MIAC men's hockey in recent years. Augsburg has won 11 MIAC regular-season titles and five conference playoff crowns -- including three regular-season titles and four playoff crowns since the 2015-16 season. Last season, Augsburg finished 25-5-0 overall and 14-2-0 in MIAC play, winning the MIAC regular-season title and advancing to the NCAA Division III national playoffs for the fifth time in a seven-year span. The Auggies finished in a tie for third place in the NCAA championships in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Auggies also have three NAIA national titles to their credit in program history (1978, 1981, 1982), part of 10 NAIA national tournament appearances from 1971 to 1982.
 
Saint John's has won nine conference regular-season titles, with five coming since the 2002-03 season, and five MIAC playoff crowns. The Johnnies have advanced to NCAA Division III national tournament competition six times, with the most recent coming in the 2012-13 campaign. The Johnnies finished 17-8-2 overall, 9-4-1 in MIAC play last season.
 
"I have been trying to get involved with the Hockey Day Minnesota festivities for years, and I am very excited that we will be part of the event this year," said SJU head coach Doug Schueller, a graduate of White Bear Lake High School. "This will be a great event for not only SJU and Augsburg, but also to promote and bring awareness to MIAC hockey. We want to show the state of hockey that the MIAC and NCAA Division III hockey is entertaining, and a great option for hockey fans around the state. I expect we will have a great atmosphere and it should be a very good hockey game."
 
In the "modern era" of Augsburg men's hockey (since the 1959-60 season), Augsburg is 67-50-4 all-time against Saint John's, including a 6-3-1 record in the last 10 meetings between the schools. The teams have split their MIAC series each of the past three seasons. In recent years, Augsburg and Saint John's have battled in several historic playoff battles, including two of the four longest games in NCAA Division III history -- a 2-1, four-overtime Auggie win on March 2, 2019, and a 5-4, three-overtime win on March 5, 2016.
 
The two teams will complete their MIAC series on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn. Both games will be webcast on their respective school athletic websites, with Augsburg hosting the Friday game (athletics.augsburg.edu) and Saint John's hosting the Saturday game (gojohnnies.com).
 
Friday's Auggie-Johnnie game be part of a full weekend of hockey action at an outdoor rink in White Bear Township's Polar Lakes Park. On Saturday, Jan. 28, there will be three high school games -- Stillwater vs. White Bear Lake girls at 9:30 a.m., Hermantown vs. Mahtomedi boys at 1 p.m., and Hill-Murray vs. White Bear Lake boys at 4:30 p.m. -- leading up to an 8 p.m. Minnesota Wild game against Buffalo at Xcel Energy Center. Other events are also being planned for the weekend in White Bear Lake.
 
For additional information about the event, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit https://hockeydaymn.com.