SIOUX FALLS — Augustana coach Garrett Raboin believed his team had been playing a good brand of hockey heading into last weekend’s series against St. Thomas, but he knew that playing in a youth rink in front of 600-plus fans was going to be a unique environment for his players.
Raboin did his best to prepare his players for it, but the series opener resulted in a 4-0 win for the Tommies in which the Vikings never seemed to put it together.
However, the response Saturday was the kind of bounce-back performance Raboin wanted to see.
Augustana looked much more comfortable in the series finale, as a pair of freshmen each tallied their first collegiate goal in a 3-2 victory that gave the visitors a split in their first CCHA action of the season.
“It was a very even game, but we got good goaltending. Our penalty kill stepped up when we needed it to, and it was good for our guys to get a win,” Raboin said about Saturday’s game. “It’s so important in our league.”
Although the Augustana men’s and women’s basketball teams open the regular season this weekend in Missouri, the campus will certainly be busy with several other sports hosting action on campus.
The football team will face Sioux Falls on Saturday in what figures to be one of the biggest Key to the City matchups in the history of the rivalry, while the volleyball team hosts a pair of conference matches on Friday and Saturday.
Of course, there’s also the Vikings’ hockey team, which returns home following its six-game road trip. Augustana will take on reigning CCHA regular season champion Bemidji State in a two-game series at Midco Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Friday and 6:07 p.m. Saturday.
“It’s going to be a great weekend of athletics here,” Raboin said. “I think there’s an opportunity for fans to come early and stay late and make one heck of a weekend out of it.
“We’re excited to take the ice again in conference play, and we’re going to see a real strong team in Bemidji State. Hopefully we can get our end of the bargain done.”
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Last weekend, Augustana (4-4, 1-1 CCHA) couldn’t get much of anything going Friday night. Tommies goaltender Aaron Trotter made 20 saves, while Matthew Gleason contributed a pair of goals to hand the Vikings their most decisive loss of the young season.
The following night, though, freshman Joey DelGreco got the scoring started early in the opening period, and the Vikings never trailed in the contest. AU goalie Josh Kotai stopped 38 shots, while Tyler Hennen, another freshman, provided the game-winning goal at 8:16 of the final period.
The response on Saturday was the continuation of a trend Raboin saw from his team last season, during which the Vikings were 3-1 in games that followed a shutout.
“It’s a great quality to have. It’s necessary,” Raboin said. “Splits are huge in college hockey, especially in our league, to capture something out of the weekend.
“Our guys care. We never question our guys’ energy or effort. Sometimes our youth gets in the way, and we will make mistakes. But our guys were able to learn from some of those things. We just looked like a team on Saturday, which was a good sign for our group.”
Brent Cizek Photography
For their first home series as full members of the CCHA, the Vikings welcome in one of the conference’s top teams.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, BSU was picked to finish tied for first and second in the media and coaches’ preseason polls, respectively. Last season, the Beavers went 8-1-1 to close out the regular season, finishing atop the league standings and winning the MacNaughton Cup for the first time since 2017.
Tale of the tape
|
Augustana |
Bemidji St. |
|
|
2.4 |
Goals/game |
2.3 |
|
2.0 |
Goals allowed/game |
2.3 |
|
25.8 |
Shots/game |
28.7 |
|
32.1 |
Shots allowed/game |
27.9 |
|
1-24 |
PPG |
3-18 |
|
1-25 |
PPG allowed |
3-17 |
Led by 24th-year coach Tom Serratore, Bemidji (3-4, 1-1) is coming off a split last weekend at home versus Minnesota State, winning 1-0 Friday before dropping a 2-1 defeat Saturday.
“They have a veteran presence. The goaltending has been really strong. They’re a darn good team,” Raboin said about BSU. “They’re going to be heavy all year and challenge for a home-ice advantage [in the playoffs], I’d imagine.
“They’re one of those teams that was picked in the preseason to finish right up there. They play fast. They’re in your face. They skate. They angle so well, and then they have a rock back there in the net. It’s going to be a real challenge for us.”
Brent Cizek Photography
That “rock” is Bemidji senior Mattias Sholl, who was named CCHA Goaltender of the Year last season. So far, Sholl has been solid again in 2024-25. He has started all seven of the Beavers’ games this season and already has a pair of shutouts to his name with a goals-against average of 2.24 and save percentage of .918.
A pair of upperclassmen, graduate student Carter Randklev and senior Jere Vaisanen, lead the BSU forward group with five points apiece, while Tony Follmer is the top contributor on the blue line with three points on one goal and two assists.
Fifth-year forward Jackson Jutting is the Beavers’ captain. Through seven games, he has three points (two goals, one assist) and is third in the conference in total face-offs taken (163).
Meanwhile, BSU defenseman Will Magnuson has a league-leading 24 blocked shots on the season.
Brent Cizek Photography
Raboin says the Beavers’ forward depth and ability to get out in transition is what stands out the most about their game.
“They’re fast. You have to try and stay on top of them,” Raboin said. “It’s a quick-strike, energetic group that don’t really give you time to take a breath because they’re always on top of you. They’re relentless, and they can skate.
“When you get your opportunities, then you’re going to run into a darn good goaltender. Hopefully you make the most of them, but you have to manage the game. You can’t get caught up in a track meet. You have to stay together, connected and just manage your emotions in the game and know you’re going to be in for a long night.”
George Dannecker / Tommie Athletics
In a big spot on the road, DelGreco and Hennen delivered goals they’ll never forget.
The freshmen each tallied the first goal of their college career, bookending the scoring for the Vikings in their 3-2 triumph over the Tommies.
It was a game in which AU never trailed.
“It’s exciting to see as a coach. It’s something you want to see,” Raboin said. “They’ve done it once. Now, can they do it again?”
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
A native of Hallock, Minnesota, Hennen has three points on one goal and two assists and is fourth on the team with a plus-3 rating on the ice. Meanwhile, DelGreco, who hails from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, has a goal and an assist.
Both rookies have played in all eight of the Vikings’ games this season.
“You’ve got to play the guys you recruit and help them develop, so for those two guys to get their first career goals, great. But they had an opportunity, and they took advantage of it,” Raboin said. “It was a big part of our win.”
