During the 2006-2007 season, St. Cloud State University went 7-0-2 when scoring over four goals. For the third time this year the Huskies did just that, skating to a 4-0 win over the Robert Morris Colonials.
In a game slowed by 20 penalties (10 on each team), St. Cloud State used two second period goals to clinch another victory for netminder Jase Weslosky.
Weslosky, who faced few shots until late in the second period, was stellar in net, especially on the power play for SCSU, who pushed their record to 4-4 on the year.
“(The Colonials) had two or three power plays in a row were Jase played really good for us,” St. Cloud head coach Bob Motzko said after the win. “I looked up at a few of the replays and there were a few deflections and he found them through.”
Despite out shooting the Colonials 14-3 in the first period, St. Cloud couldn’t find the back of the net. SCSU had multiple opportunities on Robert Morris goalie Jim Patterson, but Patterson played strong throughout most of the first and for parts of the second before breaking down in a 33 save performance.
The Huskies lit the scoreboard for the first time during the second period with the eventual game winner when sophomore forward Brian Volpei netted his first goal of the year with helpers from freshmen Sam Zabkowicz and Chris Hepp at the 12:51 mark on the power play.
“We had a ton of power plays, we were bound to score,” Volpei said. “Zabkowicz did a great job drawing everyone in, made a nice seven foot pass to me and I had a lot of net to shoot at.”
The Huskies would grab a two goal lead just less than two minutes later at the 14:14 mark of the second, when Brett Barta buried his first collegiate goal.
Junior assistant captain Ryan Lasch broke the scoring play loose with a two on one rush, dishing a beautiful pass under the Colonial defense for an easy tap in for Barta. After playing in 30 games last year without a point, Barta has already charted five points on the young season.
The penalties would continue during the third period, so much that SCSU would find their third goal of the contest on a delayed Robert Morris penalty.
Sophomores Garrett Roe and Volpei would find line mate John Swanson who put home a wrap-around five hole on Patterson, halfway through the third.
The goal was Swanson’s sixth of the season and for St. Cloud, the second line of Swanson, Roe and Volpei clicked on Friday night.
“I’m playing with talented guys,” Volpei said. “(Roe) and Johnny are really great players, and when we were out there on five-on-five I felt like we dominated, we each got one so it was good.”
After Colonial Robert Cramer delivered a football like shoulder to Weslosky, St. Cloud wasted just 17 seconds to find the net. After a weird bounce off Patterson squeaked past for the goal, Roe would net the Huskies final goal during the power play, thanks to a five minute major on Robert Morris. Lasch and Zabkowicz were both credited their second assists of the game on the power play tally.
Both teams will be back at it again from the National Hockey Center for the final of the two game series. Game time is set for 7:07 Central Time.
