In their final pre-season fixture of the year, the St. Louis Jr. Blues took an early lead and did not let up as they thrashed the Saint Louis University Billikens by the score of 9-3.
The hosts set the tone by scoring two goals in the span of 30 seconds midway through the 1st period and would not concede until the 3rd period, when the game was well in hand. Three Jr. Blues players–Matt Monreal (Wauwatosa, Wisc.), Zach Lodes (Ballwin, Mo.) and Colton Markiewicz (Rochester Hills, Mich.)–all scored twice, while other goals came from Tom Yurisich (Batavia, Ill.), Dante Jones (Toronto, Ont., Canada), and Zach Wilson (Ballwin, Mo.). St. Louis scored goals via four out of the five possible ways, with Markiewicz converting a penalty shot, two short-handed tallies, and a power-play goal–all that was missing was an empty-netter. Matt Griffin (Glen Carbon, Ill.) made 16 saves in his first starting appearance in a Jr. Blues sweater, as the hosts outshot the Billikens 47-19.
The Jr. Blues begin their regular season on the road, as they travel to Indiana to take on the Evansville Jr. Thunderbolts in a three-game set beginning Friday. Their home opener is October 5 against the North Iowa Bulls: faceoff is at 7 pm.
