RIVER FALLS, Wis. - The No. 14-ranked UW-River Falls men's hockey team opens its 2021-22 WIAC schedule this weekend, traveling to face No. 10-ranked UW-Stevens Point on Friday night before returning to Hunt Arena to host Northland College on Saturday evening.
UW-RIVER FALLS (4-1-1, 0-0 WIAC) AT UW-STEVENS POINT (4-2, 0-0 WIAC)
Date: Friday, Nov. 19, 2021
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Stevens Point, Wis. // KB Willett Arena
Live Coverage: Stats //
Video
UW-RIVER FALLS (4-1-1, 0-0 WIAC) VS. NORTHLAND (2-3-1, 0-1 WIAC)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021
Time: 7:05 p.m.
Site: River Falls, Wis. // Hunt Arena
Live Coverage: Stats //
Video
LAST TIME OUT
The Falcons split a pair of non-conference games last weekend at Hunt Arena, falling 2-0 against Hamline University prior to a 3-1 win over Gustavus Adolphus College.
Vilho Saariluoma and
Gibb Coady each had two-point efforts versus Gustavus on Saturday. UWRF averaged 1,237 fans at Hunt Arena during the home openers over the weekend.
AGAINST THE POINTERS
Friday's game marks the 152nd all-time meeting between the Falcons and Pointers, with UWRF holding a slim 70-69-12 series advantage.
Last season, UWRF and UWSP split its season series. The Pointers won 1-0 in River Falls in the series opener before the Falcons bounced back with a 6-2 win, including goals by
Cayden Cahill,
Cory Schillo, and two from Saariluoma.
AGAINST THE LUMBERJACKS
UWRF owns an 11-2 series advantage against Northland, including four-straight wins over the Lumberjacks.
The Falcons swept the season series against Northland last season, earning 3-1 and 4-2 wins.
IN THE POLLS
The Falcons remained ranked in the latest USCHO Men's Division III poll, ranked at No. 14 in the Nov. 15 release. UWRF was ranked No. 12 last week and received votes in the debut poll. WIAC foe UW-Stevens Point is ranked No. 10.
FALCON NOTES
- Sophomore forward Vilho Saariluoma leads the Falcons with seven points off two goals and five assists through six games.
- Newcomers and defenseman Alex Davis and Noah Ganske have combined for nine points, including two goals each.
- UWRF is 3-for-33 on the power play, is 25-for-29 on the penalty kill.
- Nine different Falcons have made their way into the goal-scoring column, including seven with two goals each.
- Falcon goaltenders Dean Buchholz and Dysen Skinner have each started three games, each with 1.6 goals against averages and over .900 save percentages.
