2025-26 SEASON PREVIEW
The Saint John’s University hockey team made its seventh MIAC playoff appearance in the past nine seasons a year ago.
But the Johnnies still felt there was plenty of room for improvement. Head coach Doug Schueller’s team finished 8-7-1 in MIAC play and 11-14-1 overall.
Five of those losses, though, came by just one goal, and two of them were decided in 3-on-3 overtime.
With 70.5 percent of its scoring (55 of 78 goals scored) back from a year ago, SJU is hoping to turn some of those narrow margins in its favor this season.
Here is a more detailed look at the players who will try to do that:
CAPTAIN CAMPBELL
Senior defenseman Mason Campbell (Rosemount, Minn.) was elected team captain in 2025-26 after serving as an assistant captain last season.
He played all but one game for the Johnnies (25 of 26) from the blue line last season, totaling 12 points (4g/8a). He led SJU with 71 shots, was tied for fourth in assists (8), fifth in power play points (3), seventh in points (12) and eighth in goals (4).
He was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Week in February after a threepoint outing against Concordia, collected All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors and served as an assistant captain.
Campbell has played in 75 games – 25 a season – in his career, totaling 35 points (14g/21a). He was an All-MIAC first team selection in 2023 as well as an All-USCHO Rookie first team honoree.
THREE ASSISTANTS
Campbell will be joined by three assistant captains this season: senior forward Rob Christy (St. Paul, Minn.), senior defenseman Conner Couet (St. Michael, Minn.) and junior defenseman Parker Gnos (Excelsior, Minn.).
Both Couet (3g/12a) and Gnos (5g/10a) have 15 career points as defensemen for SJU. Couet has a plus/minus rating of +11
in 47 games as a Johnnie after spending his freshman season at Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2022-23, while Gnos has three game-winning goals in 44 games.
Christy begins his senior season with seven points (4g/3a) and just three penalties in 43 games.
A SENIOR-LED NET
The Johnnies’ trio of goaltenders this season is led by a pair of seniors in Jon Howe (Chanhassen, Minn.) and Tom Kuriscak (Stillwater, Minn.).
Howe appeared in 14 games (12 starts) and posted a 5-6-1 record with a 2.65 GAA and .926 save percentage (375 saves). He was named the MIAC Defensive Player of the Week in November after a 44-save shutout early in the season.
Howe enters his senior season having played in 34 career games with a 1315-3 record, 2.64 GAA and .917 save percentage (892 saves). Kuriscak has played in three career games (0-1-0 record) with three goals against (2.29 GAA) and 44 saves (.936 save percentage).
The third goaltender is a newcomer, freshman Kyle Abrahamson (Cloquet, Minn.), who went 12-6-1 with three shutouts in 22 games for the NA3HL’s Alexandria
Blizzard in 2022-23. He played for NAHL’s St. Cloud Norsemen (0-1-0 in one game) and Fairbanks Ice Dogs (2-3-2 in nine games), and MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders (1-8-1 in 11 games) in 2023-24. Abrahamson returned to the Blizzard in 2024-25 and tallied an 18-13-2 record in 33 games.
SEASONED SENIORS
The SJU roster boasts seven seniors that have contributed to the program for the last three years with a combined record of 33-36-8 (23-21-4 MIAC). Howe and Kuriscak will lead the Johnnies between the pipes, while Campbell, Couet, Zach Enebak (Lakeville, Minn.) and Michael Spinner (Prior Lake, Minn.) will quarterback the defense from the blue line.
Couet played in 25 of 26 games last season, totaling nine points (2g/7a) on 42 shots. He also led the team in plus/ minus (+6). Spinner skated in 16 games and recorded four assists while Enebak added four points (1g/3a) in 20 games last year.
Christy is the lone forward among the graduating group, collecting four points (2g/2a) in 18 games last winter.
SENIORS
N T H E F I E L D
CHAMPIONS
I N L O G I S T I C S
2025-26 SEASON PREVIEW
JOHNNIE JUNIORS
Ten juniors represent the largest class on the team, as well as nearly half of the team’s points last year (106 of 215). Eight of those 10 are forwards, while Gnos and Sam Berry (St. Louis Park, Minn.) are the two junior blue-liners. Berry played in 18 games with eight points (2g/6a), scoring a shorthanded goal and tying for first in plus/minus (+6).
Six of the junior forwards recorded doubledigit points last year, led by Cam Boche’s (Lakeville, Minn.) 14 (9g/5a). He played 21 games and shared the team lead in powerplay (4) and game-winning goals (2), tied for third in points (14) and goals (9), and was named to the MIAC All-Playoff Team.
Jackson Bisson (Edina, Minn.) and Logan Lyke (Medina, Minn.) each collected 13 points. Bisson skated in 20 games with 10 goals and three assists, while Lyke suited up for 25 games with six goals and five assists. Chris Kernan (Maple Grove, Minn.) recorded 12 points (10g/2a) in 25 games, while Jackson Borst (3g/8a; Edina, Minn.), Jacob McPartland (3g/8a; Victoria, Minn.) and Jack Wandmacher (0g/11a; St. Louis Park, Minn.) each had 11. Kasen Sauer (Maple Grove, Minn.) added a point in two games.
TWO IN YEAR TWO
SJU returns two sophomores –forward Jordan Newpower (Lino Lakes, Minn.) and defenseman George Moore III (Little Falls, Minn.). Newpower recorded an assist in 10 games while Moore was +4 in three contests.
NEW NINE
The Johnnies’ freshman class is comprised of nine players – seven forwards, one
defender and Abrahamson in net. Six of the nine hail most recently from NAHL teams, while the other three played in the NA3HL.
THE 2025-26 SCHEDULE
The Johnnies’ 2025-26 schedule features three NCAA tournament teams from a year ago and includes 10 home games at St. Cloud State’s Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (HBNHC), with five on Thursday night, and two neutral-site games in early January at the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) in St. Cloud.
The eight nonconference opponents combined for a 111-7612 record (.588) last season.
SJU opens the 2025-26 season on Halloween night (Oct. 31) at Marian (Wis.) and begins the MIAC schedule Nov. 7 at St. Scholastica, followed by Senior Night and the home opener Nov. 8. The Johnnies cross the border to face Wisconsin-River Falls (Nov. 14) and Wisconsin-Stout (Nov. 15) before closing the 2025 portion of the schedule with two conference series against St. Olaf (home on Nov. 22) and Bethel (home on Dec. 4).
The New Year starts with four-straight contests in St. Cloud – a two-game series against Trine (Ind.) Jan. 2-3 at the MAC, followed by Beloit (Jan. 8) and WisconsinSuperior (Jan. 10) at the HBNHC.
The 2025-26 season is the first for
Beloit, which absorbed the coaches and student-athletes from Northland after it closed at the end of the 2024-25 academic year and is a new member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in hockey. Trine went 21-7-2, including a 1-1 record in the NCAA Tournament, after finishing as a runnerup in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) last season.
The Johnnies close nonconference play with another trip to Wisconsin against Eau Claire (Jan. 16) and Stevens Point (Jan. 17). The Blugolds won the WIAC playoff title a year ago despite a 14-16-1 record, while the Pointers were 19-6-2.
SJU closes MIAC play with five-consecutive series against Saint Mary’s (home on Jan. 24), Hamline (home on Jan. 29), Gustavus Adolphus (home on Feb. 7), Augsburg (home on Feb. 12) and ConcordiaMoorhead (home on Feb. 19). The Gusties won both the conference’s regularseason and playoff titles in 2024-25.
The MIAC playoffs start with the quarterfinal game (No. 4 vs. No. 5) on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the high seed. The MIAC semifinals follow that Saturday, Feb. 28, and the MIAC championship game, which determines the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs, is Saturday, March 7.
JUNIORS SOPHOMORES
COACHING STAFF
DOUG SCHUELLER
Doug Schueller returns for his 18th season as the head hockey coach at Saint John’s University in 2025-26.
The White Bear Lake (Minnesota) High School graduate boasts a record of 200-17649 (134-98-27 in MIAC play) since taking the
helm of the Johnnies’ program prior to the 2008-09 season. During his tenure, he has twice led his teams to MIAC championships, in 2012-13 and 2019-20, and was named MIAC Coach of the Year following both of those seasons.
After helping lead White Bear Lake to two berths in the state tournament as a player, Schueller played two seasons of junior hockey with the Twin Cities Vulcans.
He went on to be a threetime team captain at Division I Bowling Green, appearing in 138 career games and recording 16 goals and 30 assists as a defenseman. A 1997 draft pick of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, he played three years of minor hockey in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the East Coast Hockey League after college, then later played two seasons overseas in England.
A sports management major at Bowling Green, he maintained
a 3.59 GPA and later went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration and sports management from the University of Coventry (England) Business School in 2005.
Following his playing career, Schueller was an assistant coach with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League (USHL). During the 2005-06 season, he helped coach the team to a 43-13-4 (750) record and the Anderson Cup championship.
He also helped six defensemen secure NCAA Division I scholarships.
He then returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach where he was responsible for Bowling Green’s defensemen and recruiting efforts.
Schueller and his wife, Carrie, live in nearby Sartell with their daughter, Aubree, and sons, Dawson and Luca.
18th SEASON as head coach
COACHING STAFF
DAVE LALIBERTE
VOLUNTEER COACH
TRAVIS TOLLETTE
ASSISTANT COACH
Tollette is in his second season as an assistant coach for SJU in 2025-26. A 2013 graduate of Bethel University, Tollette served as an assistant coach for the Royals for four seasons from 2018-ʼ23. The Andover native coached at the high school level as an assistant at Providence Academy for two seasons (2016-18) and at the elite league levels for five years.
In 2021-22, Tollette helped lead Bethel to its first MIAC playoff appearance in 14 years and the Royals became just the second team to defeat U.S. National Under-18 Team in the last 20 years on Oct. 15, 2022 (4-2).
Tollette and his wife, Gabrielle, have a daughter, Harlee, and live in South Haven.
NOORA RÄTY
GOALTENDER COACH
Räty is in her second season as the Johnnies’ goaltender coach and is also in her second season as an assistant coach for the Division I St. Cloud State women’s team.
Räty represented Finland in four Olympic Games and nine lIH World Championships, winning two Olympic bronze medals and five IIHF medals (one silver and four bronze).
Collegiately, Räty was a two-time All-American and won two national championships at Division I Minnesota. She owns the NCAA record for winning percentage in a season (1.000/38-0 in 2013), is second in career goalie shutouts (43), tied for second in career goalie wins (114) and is fifth in career save percentage (.946).
Laliberte is in his second season as a volunteer assistant coach in 2025-26. The 2000 SJU graduate was previously the head coach at the College of Saint Benedict from 2003-ʼ05. He was also the head girls hockey coach at Woodbury High School from 2000-ʼ03.
TRAVIS TOLLETTE
ASSISTANT COACH
Tollette is in his second season as an assistant coach for SJU in 2025-26. A 2013 graduate of Bethel University, Tollette served as an assistant coach for the Royals for four seasons from 2018-23. The Andover native coached at the high school level as an assistant coach at Providence Academy for two seasons (2016-18) and at the elite league levels for five years.
In 2021-22, Tollette helped lead Bethel to its first MIAC playoff appearance in 14 years and the Royals became just the second team defeat U.S. National Under-18 Team in the last 20 years on Oct. 15, 2022 (4-2).
Tollette and his wife, Gabrielle, have a daughter Harlee and live in South Haven.
DAVE LALIBERTE
VOLUNTEER COACH
Laliberte is in his second season as a volunteer assistant coach in 2025-26.
The 2000 SJU graduate was previously the head coach at the College of Saint Benedict from 2003-05.
He was also the head girls hockey coach at Woodbury High School from 2000-03.
JUSTIN ROST
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
Rost is in his 13th year as an assistant athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach.
He received his bachelor’s degree in
sports medicine from Northwestern College in Orange City, lowa, and his master’s degree in exercise science and education from Wayne State, Neb.
Rost served as a graduate assistant from 2011-ʼ13 at Briar Cliff, lowa, where he was the head athletic trainer for football and wrestling. Rost earned his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) licensure to be able to perform his dual position at SJU.
Justin and his wife, Corrie, live in Avon with their four children, Nina, Patrick, Parker and Moriah.
CHAD HOLIEN, M.D.
TEAM DOCTOR
Dr. Chad Holien is the team doctor for the SJU hockey team. He received his undergraduate degree from Johns
SJU senior duo doing big things off the ice
Kuriscak and Couet making the most of E Scholars
program
Seniors Tom Kuriscak and Conner Couet aren’t just making plays on the ice for the Saint John’s hockey team.
The duo is coming up with big ideas off it as well.
Both Kuriscak and Couet are part of the Entrepreneurial Studies Program at CSB and SJU, which offers students from all disciplines the opportunity to design and implement an entrepreneurial venture.
E Scholars learn the skills and information needed to turn their creative entrepreneurial ideas into reality while also receiving access to mentors and networking.
The students also take part in a global trip during which they set up informational interviews, tour companies, meet with alums and experience the world from a global perspective.
“It’s really unlike any other program,” said Kuriscak, a goalie. “A lot of what you do in the classroom is two-dimensional, but the E Scholar program is three-dimensional. You’re actually in the sandbox creating things. You’re not just learning, but you’re using that information in the real world.”
Kuriscak has partnered with Charlie Ryks, a senior defensive back on the
Johnnie football team, to create Superior Recovery, a mobile unit for athletes.
The pair utilize a custom sauna trailer and cold plunges, allowing athletes to receive therapy for ailments –especially soft tissue injuries like muscle strains, sprains and tendonitis – immediately after their competition.
The company has already provided service at SJU, as well as at Breck (Minnesota) High School.
“Until you actually do it, you don’t understand exactly how much is involved in entrepreneurship,” Kuriscak said. “It’s harder than you think. Sometimes things go wrong and you have to adjust. But that’s part of the learning process that comes with creating something new.”
Meanwhile, Couet – a defenseman –has developed an interactive device designed to help parents teach safety techniques to younger hunters.
“It’s plastic and it doesn’t shoot anything,” he said. “But it can connect to bluetooth and it has a camera attached that allows parents to monitor where it’s being pointed. It also creates a snapshot that you can go back and review later.”
The inspiration for the device – which Couet is working on with his father, Bryan, under the name Hunter’s Edge LLC – came from time the two spent hunting together in South Dakota while Connor was growing up.
“He’d always take me out and I’d walk around with a marshmallow gun because I wasn’t old enough to actually hunt,” he said. “But I learned a lot that way and I wanted to build on that experience to create something kids could use and learn from.
“So far, the feedback has been really positive,” he continued. “I’ve heard from a lot of people who wondered why this hasn’t been done before. The hope is to eventually mass produce it. In E Scholars, we take a trip to Vietnam, which is a big manufacturing center. So I’ll be able to tour plants there and make some really valuable contacts.”
Both Couet and Kuriscak said the program has provided them with experience and resources they wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.
“To have the opportunity to successfully launch a business venture by the time you graduate is amazing,” Kuriscak said. “I didn’t know this program existed until I decided to come to (Saint John’s). Now I can’t imagine not being part of it. It’s changed my life and really opened my eyes to what’s possible.”
senior spotlight
12 ROB CHRISTY
6-0 195 F
ST. THOMAS ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL
What is the biggest challenge you've faced as an athlete and how did you overcome it?
Some of the injuries I’ve faced as an athlete. I’m very grateful for our trainer Holly (Blenker), who has helped me deal with them.
What teammate would you most want riding shotgun on a cross-country road trip and why?
(Senior defenseman) Zach Enebak. I think we’d have a lot of fun doing randoms things on the trip.
30
JON
6-3, 195 G
TOTINO-GRACE HIGH SCHOOL
What were the reasons you chose to come to Saint John’s?
The great alumni connections and the opportunity to play college hockey.
What is your favorite place on campus and why?
The softball field next to Lake Sagatagan (at SJU). I have a lot of good memories of winning a softball intramural championship there.
4
CONNER COUET
6-3 215 D
ST. MICHAEL-ALBERTVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
What – if any – music is part of your pre-game ritual and why?
Christmas music. I play better when I’m in the holiday spirit.
What is something about you most people may not know?
I play guitar and I used to be a lefty.
1
TOM KURISCAK
6-3 215 G
ST. PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL
What is your major and why did you pick it?
Biochemistry. I chose it because I wanted to gain a deeper understanding into the pathways and mechanisms behind how we operate.
What is your best memory from your time on campus – on or off the ice?
Going to Australia as a team. That’s something I will never forget!
20
MICHAEL
6-0, 200 D
What were the reasons you chose to come to Saint John’s?
The deeply rooted history and the reputation it has for being such a great college. I heard nothing but great things from friends who came here before me, and I’ve now had the pleasure of living it out firsthand.
If you could have any meal for dinner tonight, what would it be and why?
Orange Chicken and Lo Mein from Fongʼs in Prior Lake. It’s become a comfort meal. Every time I come home, my family gets it. So it’s a reminder of family and home for me now.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an athlete and how did you overcome it?
3
10 MASON CAMPBELL
Just time management overall. From countless hours at the arena, to classes and homework, to maintaining relationships. Coming from juniors where there were no classes, it was a big change having homework assignments and tests again!
ZACH SPINNER HOWE ENEBAK
6-0 165 D
If you could have any meal for dinner tonight, what would it be and why?
Steak with broccoli and garlic bread.
What is your best memory from your time on campus – on or off the ice?
Just hanging out with my teammates.
What – if any – music is part of your pre-game ritual and why?
Country. I want to be in a happy mood before playing a game instead of trying to run through a wall.
SENIORS
10 MASON CAMPBELL Sr. D 5-11 175 ROSEMOUNT, MINN./MINNESOTA MAGICIANS (NAHL)
2024-25: Played 25 games…totaled 12 points (4g/8a)…led SJU with 71 shots…All-MIAC Honorable Mention…Feb. 24 MIAC Offensive Player of the Week…assistant captain.
2023-24: Played all 25 games…totaled seven points (4g/3a)…led SJU with 68 shots.
2022-23: Played 25 games for the Johnnies…totaled 16 points (6g/10a)…led SJU’s defensemen in the three major offensive categories, as well as a plus/minus ratio of +7…All-MIAC first team…All-USCHO Rookie first team.
Personal: A 2020 graduate of Rosemount High School…recorded 66 points (22g/44a) in 81 games over three seasons with the Irish…served as the assistant captain in 2019-20…played two full seasons in the NAHL…posted 12 points (2g/10a) in 39 games for the Minot Minotaur’s in 2020-21…totaled five points (2g/3a) in 10 games for Minot in the first part of the 2021-22 season, but finished with 22 points (5g/17a) in 46 games with the Minnesota Magicians…shoots right…son of Troy and the late Jayna Campbell of Rosemount, Minn…younger brother, Cadyn, is a freshman on the SJU hockey team…economics major.
12 ROB CHRISTY Sr. F 6-0 195 ST. PAUL, MINN./MINNESOTA
MAGICIANS (NAHL)
2024-25: Skated in 18 games…recorded four points (2g/2a).
2023-24: Played 10 games…did not record a point.
2022-23: Saw action in 15 games for the Johnnies…posted three points (2g/1a).
Personal: A 2019 graduate of St. Thomas Academy…totaled 132 points (64g/68a) in 111 games over four seasons with the Cadets…served as the team’s captain as a senior in 2018-19…started his junior-hockey career with six points (3g/3a) in 19 games with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors before moving on to the NAHL’s Minnesota Magicians…totaled 49 points (27g/22a) in 126 games over two-and-a-half seasons with the Magicians…served as the team’s captain in 202122…shoots left…son of Ray Christy of St. Paul, Minn…older brother, Ray, played hockey at Division I Colorado College and St. Thomas…global business leadership major.
4 CONNER COUET Sr. D 6-3 215 ST. MICHAEL, MINN./UW-EAU CLAIRE (NCAA)
2024-25: Skated in 25 games…recorded nine points (2g/7a)…tied for the team lead in plus/minus (+6).
2023-24: Played 22 games for the Johnnies…recorded six points (1g/5a).
Personal: Transferred to SJU from Wisconsin-Eau Claire…a 2020 graduate of St. Michael-Albertville High School… posted four points (1g/3a) in 13 games for the Blugolds…totaled 46 points (9g/37a) in 53 games over two seasons (201820) at STMA…ended the 2019-20 season with the NAHL’s St. Cloud Blizzard (two assists in 14 games) and Jamestown Rebels (one assist in four games)…split the 2020-21 season between the NAHL’s St. Cloud Norsemen (one assist in 10 games) and Odessa Jackalopes (1g/4a in 31 games)…posted 11 points (2g/9a) in 57 games for Odessa, while serving as an assistant captain, in 2021-22…shoots right…son of Bryan and Keri Couet of St. Michael, Minn…global business leadership major.
3 ZACH ENEBAK Sr. D 6-0 165
2024-25: Played in 20 games for the Johnnies…recorded four points (1g/3a).
2023-24: Appeared in 10 games for the Johnnies…tallied two assists.
LAKEVILLE, MINN./NORTH (H.S.)
2022-23: Played seven games for SJU as a freshman…recorded three points, all assists.
Personal: A 2022 graduate of Lakeville North High School…totaled 49 points (8g/41a) in 69 games over three seasons… shoots right…son of Jake and Becky Enebak of Lakeville, Minn…older brother, Henry ’23, played hockey at SJU…global business leadership major.
SENIORS
30 JON HOWE Sr. G 6-3
195
CHANHASSEN, MINN./JAMESTOWN (NAHL)
2024-25: Appeared in 14 games and started 12 for the Johnnies…posted a 5-6-1 record with a 2.65 GAA and a .926 save percentage (375 saves)…Nov. 18 MIAC Defensive Player of the Week…recorded an assist Nov. 7 vs. St. Scholastica…Academic All-MIAC…AHCA All-American Scholar.
2023-24: Played 13 games and started 12 for the Johnnies…went 6-4-2 with a 2.32 GAA and a .922 save percentage (343 saves)…Academic All-MIAC…AHCA All-American Scholar.
2022-23: Suited up for seven games for the Johnnies…went 2-5 with a 3.18 GAA and a .888 save percentage (174 saves) …AHCA All-American Scholar.
Personal: A 2019 graduate of Totino-Grace High School…posted a 19-8 record for the Eagles as a senior…went 6-7-2 with a .900 save percentage and a 3.37 GAA in 17 games for the NAHL’s Jamestown Rebels in 2019-20…appeared in three games for the NAHL’s Amarillo Wranglers to start the 2021-22 season, before returning to Jamestown for a 9-8-0 record, .906 save percentage and 3.03 GAA in 18 games…glove left…son of Angie and Doug Howe of Chanhassen, Minn…accounting major.
1 TOM KURISCAK Sr. G 6-3 215
STILLWATER, MINN./SHERIDAN (NA3HL)
2024-25: Played and started one game for the Johnnies… went 0-1-0 with a 3.06 GAA and a .923 save percentage (36 saves).
2023-24: Appeared in one game for the Johnnies and made eight saves.
Personal: A 2020 graduate of St. Paul Academy…appeared in 23 games over two seasons with the NA3HL’s Sheridan Hawks…glove left…son of Ron and Kim Kuriscak of Marine on St. Croix, Minn…biochemistry major…is also a thrower on the SJU track and field team.
20 MICHAEL SPINNER Sr. D 6-0 200
PRIOR LAKE, MINN./AMARILLO (NAHL)
2024-25: Skated in 16 games for the Johnnies…recorded four assists…earned second AHCA All-American Scholar honor…Academic All-MIAC.
2023-24: Played 18 games for the Johnnies…recorded six points (1g/5a)…Feb. 5 MIAC Offensive Player of the Week… AHCA All-American Scholar…Academic All-MIAC.
2022-23: Suited up for 14 games…totaled three points (2g/1a).
Personal: A 2019 graduate of Holy Family Catholic High School…posted 40 points (9g/31a) in 55 games for the Fire… served as the team’s captain as a senior…played three seasons in the NAHL…collected 11 points (4g/7a) in 38 games for the Kenai River Brown Bears and five assists in 12 games with the Springfield Jr. Blues in 2019-20…collected seven assists in 33 games for the St. Cloud Norsemen in 2020-21 and nine points (1g/8a) in 39 games with the Amarillo Wranglers in 2021-22…shoots left…son of Bob and Senta Spinner of Prior Lake, Minn…global business leadership major.
JUNIORS
23 SAM BERRY Jr. D 6-0 190 ST.
LOUIS PARK, MINN./FAIRBANKS
(NAHL)
2024-25: Played 18 games for the Johnnies…recorded eight points (2g/6a)…one of three Johnnies with a shorthanded goal…tied for first in team plus/minus (+6)…AHCA All-American Scholar…Academic All-MIAC.
Personal: A 2021 graduate of St. Louis Park High School…tallied 74 points (15g/59a) in 93 games over four seasons (2017-2020) for the Orioles…played 57 games in 2021-22 for the NAHL’s Fairbanks Ice Dogs, where he put up 13 points (3g/10a)…collected 10 assists the following season (2022-23) in 57 games for the Ice Dogs…finished with one goal in just three games through the 2023-24 Ice Dogs season before joining SJU in January 2024…shoots left…son of Christian and Sally Berry of St. Louis Park, Minn…economics major.
6 JACKSON BISSON Jr. F 6-0
190
EDINA, MINN./NORTH IOWA (NAHL)
2024-25: Skated in 20 games…recorded 13 points (10g/3a)…tied for the team lead in goals (10) and power-play goals (4)…tied for second on the team with four power-play points (4g/0a)…CSC Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC.
2023-24: Played 24 games…tied for third on the team with seven assists…registered 10 points (3g/7a).
Personal: A 2021 graduate of Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School…collected 73 points (28g/45a) in 75 games over three seasons (2018-21) for the Red Knights…served as the team captain as a senior in 2020-21…ended the 2020-21 season with five games for the NAHL’s St. Cloud Norsemen and tallied five points (2g/3a) in 23 games for the team before finishing the 2021-22 campaign with five points (2g/3a) in 14 games for the Chippewa Steel…split the 2022-23 season with the Steel (6g/4a in 32 games) and the North Iowa Bulls (8g/5a in 26 games)…shoots right…son of Jeff and Amy Bisson of Edina, Minn…finance major.
7 CAM BOCHE Jr. F 6-1 175 LAKEVILLE, MINN./MINOT (NAHL)
2024-25: Skated in 21 games…tallied 14 points (9g/5a)…shared the team lead in power-play (4) and game-winning goals (2)…tied for third in points (14) and goals (9)… tied for second on the team with four power-play points (4g/0a)…MIAC All-Playoff team.
2023-24: Played 24 games…tied for third on the team with seven assists…tallied nine points (2g/7a).
Personal: A 2021 graduate of Lakeville South High School…recorded 109 points (45g/64a) in 81 games over three seasons (2018-21) for the Cougars…ended the 2020-21 season with three assists in six games for the NAHL’s Minnesota Magicians and posted 22 points (11g/11a) in 37 games for the team in 2021-22…split the 2022-23 season between the NAHL’s Wisconsin Windigo (5g/10a in 29 games) and Minot Minotauros (2g/4a in 26 games)…shoots right…son of Laura and John Boche of Lakeville, Minn…older brother, Brendan, played football at Gustavus Adolphus…finance and global business leadership double-major.
5 JACKSON BORST Jr. F 6-3 185 EDINA, MINN./BOSTON (NCDC)
2024-25: Skated in 25 games…totaled 11 points (3g/8a)…one of three Johnnies to score a shorthanded goal…tied for fourth on the team with four assists…second on team with 62 shots on goal.
2023-24: Played 16 games…totaled six points (3g/3a)…tied for first on the team with a plus/minus rating of +6.
Personal: A 2021 graduate of Edina High School…totaled 52 points (25g/27a) in 77 games over three seasons (201821) for the Hornets…posted two points (1g/1a) in 20 games with the NAHL’s Lone Star Brahmas in 2021-22…split the 2022-23 season between the NCDC’s Jersey Hitmen (2g/6a in 18 games) and Boston Advantage (8g/3a in 21 games)… shoots right…son of Jeff and Stacie Borst of Edina, Minn…older brother, Max ’24, played hockey at SJU…global business leadership major.
2 PARKER GNOS Jr. D 6-2 200
EXCELSIOR, MINN./CHIPPEWA (NAHL)
2024-25: Played 23 games…tallied nine points (3g/6a)…tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals…Feb. 17 MIAC Defensive Player of the Week.
2023-24: Appeared in 21 games as a freshman…collected six points (2g/4a).
Personal: A 2021 graduate of Totino-Grace High School…totaled 38 points (6g/32a) in 46 games over two seasons (2019-21) for the Eagles…collected two assists in 23 games for Holy Family Catholic High School as a sophomore (201819)…registered 30 points (7g/23a) in 112 games over two seasons (2021-23) for the NAHL’s Chippewa Steel…served as an assistant captain as a senior at Totino-Grace and in his final season at Chippewa…shoots left…son of Reed and Jill Gnos of Excelsior, Minn…finance major.
PROUD
SPONSOR AND CONTRACTOR FOR JOHNNIE
ATHLETICS
JUNIORS
11 CHRIS KERNAN Jr. F 6-0 190
MAPLE
GROVE,
MINN./WISCONSIN (NAHL)
2024-25: Played 25 games…recorded 12 points (10g/2a)…tied for the team lead with 10 goals…AHCA All-American Scholar…Academic All-MIAC.
2023-24: Played 15 games…totaled five points (1g/4a).
Personal: A 2021 graduate of Maple Grove High School…collected 84 points (34g/50a) in 81 games over three seasons (2018-21) for the Crimson…split the 2021-22 season between the NAHL’s Bismarck Bobcats (1g/7a in 24 games) and Minnesota Magicians (6g/5a in 21 games)…totaled 23 points (11g/12a) in 57 games for the NAHL’s Wisconsin Windigo in 2022-23…shoots right…son of Mike and Kelly Kernan of Maple Grove, Minn…global business leadership major.
22 LOGAN LYKE Jr. F 6-1 190
MEDINA, MINN./ANCHORAGE (NAHL)
2024-25: Suited up for 25 games…posted 13 points (6g/7a)…tied for fifth on the team in points (13) and goals (6)…one of three Johnnies to score a shorthanded goal…AHCA All-American Scholar.
2023-24: Played 22 games…posted eight points (3g/5a)…AHCA All-American Scholar.
Personal: A 2020 graduate of Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School…tallied 11 points (2g/9a) in 29 games over two seasons for the Red Knights…posted 15 points (4g/11a) in 61 games over two seasons (2021-23) for the NAHL’s Anchorage Wolverines…recorded two assists in eight games for the Sioux Falls Power 18U AAA team in 2020-21… shoots left...son of Brian and Michelle Lyke of Medina, Minn…finance major.
19 JACOB MCPARTLAND Jr. F 5-10 175 VICTORIA, MINN./GRANITE CITY (NA3HL)
2024-25: Skated in 23 games…collected 11 points (3g/8a)…AHCA All-American Scholar…Academic All-MIAC.
2023-24: Played 22 games…totaled six points (4g/2a)…AHCA All-American Scholar.
Personal: A 2021 graduate of Holy Family Catholic High School…registered 34 points (19g/15a) in 59 games over three seasons (2018-21) for the Fire…was Holy Family’s team captain as a senior in 2020-21…posted two assists in two games for the NAHL’s Wisconsin Windigo and 46 points (18g/28a) in 51 games, including eight points (4g/4a) in eight playoff games, for the NA3HL’s Granite City Lumberjacks in 2022-23…registered 31 points (10g/21a) in 74 games across three levels of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Elite 18U program in 2021-22…shoots left…son of Pat and Jenny McPartland of Victoria, Minn…mother played Division I soccer at Wisconsin-Green Bay…father played hockey at St. Thomas…sister, Aly, plays lacrosse at Division I Niagara…global business leadership major.
25 KASEN SAUER Jr. F 6-2 195 MAPLE GROVE, MINN./WAYZATA (H.S.)
2024-25: Saw the ice in two games…recorded an assist.
2023-24: Played three games…did not record a point.
Personal: A 2023 graduate of Wayzata High School…totaled 38 points (14g/24a) in 65 games over three seasons (202023) for the Trojans…shoots left...son of Kurt and Carmen Sauer of Wayzata, Minn... father was a defenseman in the NHL for seven seasons (2002-04, 2005-10) with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Colorado Avalanche and Phoenix Coyotes... computer science major.
13 JACK WANDMACHER Jr. F 5-10 180 ST. LOUIS PARK, MINN./ST. CLOUD (NAHL)
2024-25: Appeared in 16 games…recorded 11 assists…second on the team in assists (11) and tied for second with four power-play points (0g/4a)…SJU’s 2024-25 NovaCare Comeback Player of the Year…AHCA All-American Scholar… Academic All-MIAC.
2023-24: Played all 25 games...led SJU with 14 points (7g/7a)…tied for third on the team with seven assists.
Personal: A 2021 graduate of St. Louis Park High School…posted 115 points (47g/68a) in 89 games over four seasons (2017-21) for the Orioles…collected 15 points (3g/12a) in 51 games for the NAHL’s Corpus Christi Ice Rays in 2021-22… added 13 points (6g/7a) in 32 games as an assistant captain for the Ice Rays, and tallied 15 points (5g/10a) in 36 games for the league’s St. Cloud Norsemen, in 2022-23…shoots left...son of Paul and Kris Wandmacher of St. Louis Park, Minn...global business leadership major.
Here, Your Sport Doesn’t Define You –It Amplifies You
Athletics at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s isn’t just stats and PRs. It’s self-discipline and perseverance and time management and friendships for a lifetime. It’s another tool for student success. And results show it’s a powerful one.
Are you ready to compete as a Bennie or a Johnnie? Come take a closer look –schedule a campus visit today!
SOPHOMORES/FRESHMEN
14
GEORGE MOORE III So. D 6-0
200 LITTLE FALLS, MINN./ALEXANDRIA
(NA3HL)
2024-25: Played in three games…did not record a point with a +4.
Personal: A 2022 graduate of Little Falls High School…registered 72 points (21g/51a) in 98 games for the Flyers… collected 40 points (13g/27a) in 27 games as the Flyers’ team captain his senior year…played for the NA3HL’s Granite City Lumberjacks (0g/6a in 16 games), Yellowstone Quake (0g/0a in two games) and the Minnesota Loons (4g/5a in 17 games) in 2022-23…was the Loons’ assistant captain and posted 12 points (5g/7a) in 26 games before ending the 202324 season with the Alexandria Blizzard (1g/6a in 17 games)…shoots right…son of George and Jill Moore of Little Falls, Minn…economics and finance double-major.
9 JORDAN NEWPOWER So. F 6-0 170
2024-25: Played 10 games…recorded one assist.
LINO LAKES, MINN./NORTH IOWA (NAHL)
Personal: A 2021 graduate of Centennial High School…garnered 37 points (25g/12a) in 69 games over three seasons (2018-2021) for the Cougars…spent 2021-22 with the NA3HL’s Mason City Toros and totaled 13 points (5g/8a) in 31 games…put up 30 points (14g/16a) in 26 games in 2022-23…played the 2023-24 season for the North Iowa Bulls and recorded nine points (3g/6a)…shoots left…son of John and Susanne Newpower of Lino Lakes, Minn…global business leadership major.
29 KYLE ABRAHAMSON Fr. G 6-4 200
CLOQUET, MINN./ALEXANDRIA (NA3HL)
Personal: A 2022 graduate of Esko High School…earned a 4-8-2 record in 14 games for Cloquet High School…went 12-6-1 with three shutouts in 22 games for the NA3HL’s Alexandria Blizzard in 2022-23…played for NAHL’s St. Cloud Norsemen (0-1-0 in one game) and Fairbanks Ice Dogs (2-3-2 in nine games), and MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders (1-81 in 11 games) in 2023-24…returned to the Blizzard in 2024-25 and tallied an 18-13-2 record in 33 games…glove left…son of Brent Abrahamson and Tina Martenson of Cloquet, Minn…environmental studies major.
24 CADYN CAMPBELL Fr. F 6-0
195 ROSEMOUNT, MINN./MINNESOTA MOOSE (NA3HL
)
Personal: A 2023 graduate of Rosemount High School…registered 58 points (22g/36a) in 54 games over two seasons (2021-23) for the Irish…spent 2023-24 with the NCDCs Ogden Mustangs and totaled 11 points (2g/9a) in 40 games…split the 2024-25 season between the NCDC’s Rock Springs Grizzlies (5g/9a in 31 games) and NA3HL’s Minnesota Moose (1g/3a in 12 games)…shoots right…son of Troy and the late Jayna Campbell of Rosemount, Minn…older brother, Mason, is the senior captain on the SJU hockey team…global business leadership major.
15 JAKE HODD-CHLEBECK Fr. F 5-10 180 MAHTOMEDI, MINN./MINNESOTA WILDERNESS (NA3HL)
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Mahtomedi High School…posted 87 points (44g/43a) in 92 games over three seasons (2021-24) for the Zephyrs…registered 53 points (29g/24a) in 31 games as the team’s captain his senior season…played two games for the NAHL’s Minnesota Mallards and totaled 33 points (19g/14a) in 36 games for the NA3HL’s Minnesota Wilderness in 2024-25…shoots right…son of Jolene Chlebeck and Rod Hodd…global business leadership major.
17 CARTER KRENKE Fr. F 6-6 195 BLOOMINGTON, MINN./CORPUS CHRISTI (NAHL)
Personal: A 2023 graduate of The Blake School…garnered 113 points (51g/62a) in 97 games over four seasons (201923) for the Bears…posted an assist in 10 games with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers after his junior year of high school in 2021-22…collected 46 points (18g/28a) in 25 games for Blake as a senior and scored a goal in two games for the NAHL’s Bismarck Bobcats after the season ended…played the 2023-24 season for the Corpus Christi IceRays and recorded nine points (4g/5a)…spent 2024-25 with the Bobcats (three games) and NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays (4g/5a in 41 games)…totaled 52 points (20g/32a) in 67 games for the IceRays in 2024-25…shoots right…son of Todd ’96 and Michelle (CSB ’96) Krenke of Bloomington, Minn…economics and finance double-major.
21 JORDAN LARKEE Fr. F 6-2 185 ST. PAUL, MINN./ODESSA (NAHL)
Personal: A 2022 graduate of Eastview High School…earned 36 points (16g/20a) in 69 games over three seasons (2019-22) for the Lightning…served as Eastview’s team captain as a senior in 2021-22…compiled 26 points (13g/13a) in 27 games for the NA3HL’s Oregon Tradesmen in 2022-23 and put up 56 points (12g/44a) in 50 games as the team’s captain in 2023-24…recorded 37 points (15g/22a) in 47 games for the NAHL’s Odessa Jackalopes in 2024-25…shoots right…son of Todd and Paula Larkee of Apple Valley, Minn…global business leadership major.
FRESHMEN
8 TEDDY MANLOVE Fr. F 6-2
200
MINNETONKA, MINN./NORTH IOWA (NAHL)
Personal: A 2022 graduate of Minnetonka High School…earned 21 points (10g/11a) in 29 games over two seasons (2020-22) for the Skippers…registered 95 points (50g/45a) over 67 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers’ 18U AAA team in 2022-23…played 2023-24 with NAHL’s Odessa Jackalopes and tallied 28 points (9g/19a) in 53 games… spent 2024-25 playing for the Jackalopes (0g/2a in two games), as well as the NAHL’s Minnesota Mallards (0g/4a in 13 games) and North Iowa Bulls (2g/5a in 29 games)…shoots left…son of Whitey and Cathy Manlove of Excelsior, Minn…finance major.
26 CASHEN NAEVE Fr. D 6-3 190
INDEPENDENCE, MINN./WISCONSIN (NAHL)
Personal: A 2022 graduate of Wayzata High School…collected 28 points (6g/22a) in 63 games over three seasons (2019-22) for the Trojans…totaled 61 points (16g/45a) in 176 games over three seasons (2022-25) with the NAHL’s Wisconsin Windigo…served as the team’s captain in 2024-25…also appeared in four games for the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks in 2023-24…shoots right…son of Seth Cashen and Cathy Iverson…accounting major.
28 TYLER SMITH Fr. F 6-1 190 CARVER, MINN./SPRINGFIELD (NAHL)
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Chanhassen High School…totaled 87 points (39g/48a) in 73 games over three seasons (2021-24) for the Storm…totaled 17 points (9g/8a) in 58 games for the NAHL’s Springfield Jr. Blues in 2024-25…shoots left…son of Nick Smith and Andrea Bleck…is also a member of the SJU football team…biology major.
16 SETH TERHELL Fr. F 6-1
200
CAMBRIDGE, MINN./GRANITE CITY (NA3HL)
Personal: A 2024 graduate of Cambridge-Isanti High School…posted 121 points (67g/54a) in 81 games over three seasons (2018-21) for the Bluejackets…was the Bluejackets’ two-time team captain 2022 (25g/22a) and 2023 (28g/21a)…collected 41 points (18g/23a) in 40 games for the NA3HL’s Granite City Lumberjacks in 2024-25…shoots right…son of Jayde and Kari Terhell of Cambridge, Minn…pre-engineering major.
Kuriscak thriving on the ice and off it at SJU
It was a painful way to find his purpose.
But Tom Kuriscak is grateful for the clarity a rock-climbing accident provided.
The scene was the backcountry outside of Sheridan, Wyoming, when the now-senior at Saint John’s University was playing junior hockey in the same community in which his great aunt and uncle resided.
“My great uncle had been an Army Ranger and he had a medical background,” Kuriscak recalled. “We were on a rockclimbing trip in the back country. I hit a wall and I’m not sure what happened. But I slammed my foot and couldn’t walk. He put together a makeshift cast out of aspen wood and helped me get out.
“There we were, 10 miles away from anywhere and facing a pretty serious situation. He was able to get me out safely. I was so grateful and impressed by that. It helped me realize the medical profession and helping heal others was the career I wanted to pursue.”
That sense of mission guided him to SJU where he enrolled in the fall of 2022 to play hockey for Johnnies head coach Doug Schueller.
“My goal had always been to play Division I hockey,” Kuriscak said. “But after two years of juniors, I didn’t have any offers and I was down on myself, wondering what went wrong.
“But my mom (Kim) went to Saint Ben’s and graduated in 1993. Both she and my dad (Ron), who went to the University of Minnesota, thought Saint John’s was a place I might like. I went to high school at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, so I was drawn to the smaller class sizes here. And I loved the broader, liberal arts scope.
“But even after I got here, I wasn’t entirely sure I was in the right spot,” he continued. “It wasn’t until my first week on campus when I took a walk around
the arboretum and out to the chapel. Everything was so beautiful, and that’s when it hit me that I was exactly where I belonged. It was like everything in my life had led me to this moment.”
It’s a moment Kuriscak has seized with both hands. In addition to the hockey team, where he has played goalie the past three seasons, he’s also become a thrower in track and field.
In addition, he’s been a member of the SJU Senate, has served on the SJU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has taken a mission trip as part of SJU Campus Ministry.
He’s also volunteered in the emergency room at St. Cloud Hospital, all while making his mark in the classroom as a biochemistry major.
“He’s a guy who knows what he wants to accomplish and what he needs to do to make it happen,” Schueller said. “Some guys get to college without a plan. He had one from the moment he showed up here. He knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish to make the most of his time on campus.”
But Kuriscak said none of that might have been possible were it not for the support scholarships have provided. The third-born of four brothers and sisters has received an academic achievement scholarship, a legacy scholarship and the George Durenberger and Pat Maxwell scholarships.
“That support has been massive,” he said. “Obviously, from a financial standpoint.
But it’s also been a fountain of energy I’ve drawn from. Knowing there are people out there who have contributed to make this happen tells me they believe in my future and they believe in me.
“If I’m ever in a rut or start to feel like there’s something I can’t do, I remember that and it helps me find my way through.”
team travel
SJU head coach Doug Schueller believes there should be more to the time his players spend in Collegeville than just what happens on the ice.
The Johnnie hockey experience should also be about broadening horizons.
That’s why Schueller has made a commitment that his team will take an international trip at least once during the four years a player spends on campus.
The next trip comes this summer, though the destination has yet to be determined.
In May 2023, the Johnnies took an 11-day trip to Australia, visiting Sydney and Newcastle, playing three games against Australian professional teams and seeing places like the Sydney Opera House.
In recent years, the team has also been to Japan, Germany and Northern Italy. Along the way, SJU has played some hockey. But Schueller said that’s not really what these trips are about.
“It’s more about giving our players the opportunity to experience different countries and cultures,” he said.
“It’s a chance to visit places most of our guys have never been to before. And when we do our senior exit surveys, it’s always those trips that our players cite as their most memorable experiences during their time here.”
The commitment to travel extends into the season itself. Schueller also
tries to schedule one trip to play out east during a player’s four-year career at SJU. During the 2023-24 season, that meant the Johnnies journeyed to Utica, New York, where they tied host Utica, which was ranked No. 3 in the nation in Division III, and beat No. 8 Oswego State.
GROWING COMPANIES ENHANCING COMMUNITIES
Granite Partners is a private investment and long-term holding company founded in 2002 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with a mission to grow companies and create value for all stakeholders. We advance a culture of trust, innovation, and excellence as essential to 100-year sustainability, and we aspire to world-class wellbeing for everyone in the Granite community.
keeping up with hockey
Listen to Johnnie hockey all season long on your radio home for Saint John’s Athletics WBHR (The Bear) at 660 AM and 95.7 FM, and streaming at 660wbhr.com.
Bryan Backes ʼ87, who has provided color commentary on Johnnie football broadcasts since 2000, begins his first season as the play-by-play voice of Johnnie hockey.
He was also the longtime activities director at Saint John’s Prep High School before retiring this past summer.
WBHR is a member of the Tri-County Broadcasting family of radio stations.
Saint John’s football and basketball, as well as baseball playoff games, can also be heard heard on The Bear, an ESPN Radio affiliate.
With a huge daytime signal (second largest in the state), WBHR has the largest geographical coverage of any all-sports station. The Bear signal covers almost 10 to 15 times the area of any other AM station that covers sports in the local market.
The partnership between the station and SJU athletics began almost 20 years ago.
“We take pride in having The Bear being the voice of Saint John’s athletics,” said Gary Hoppe, operations manager of Tri-County Broadcasting, based in nearby Sauk Rapids, Minn.
“We believe the alignment of Saint John’s athletics with The Bear, Minnesota’s Sports Station, is a match made in heaven,” added Herb Hoppe, president and general manager of Tri-County Broadcasting. “Saint John’s has an unrivaled tradition in small college athletics. We are thrilled to carry Johnnie football, basketball and hockey games on The Bear (now), and hopefully into the future.”
“This great partnership helps us reach family, friends, prospects and fans of Saint John’s hockey,” SJU hockey coach Doug Schueller said.
This season, 25 Saint John’s hockey regular-season games, as well as any potential playoff games, will be broadcast on The Bear.
