Huskies Top Pioneers in Overtime

It took until almost the final weekend and overtime to do it, but it finally happened: the St. Cloud State University Huskies won a game after trailing after two periods.

The Huskies, now 1-8-1 when trailing after two, beat the University of Denver Pioneers, 2-1 in overtime Saturday night at Magness Arena.

“I really liked our effort,” said Husky coach Bob Motzko. “Outside of a five minute period in the second, where we started turning it over a little bit and they got a little momentum, I thought third period we were really strong defensively … and then one of our best players makes the play in overtime with a little help and hey, I thought it was a great hockey game.”

“[It’s] obviously a disappointing result,” said DU coach George Gwozdecky. “[We] probably flirted with disaster one too many times.”

The Pioneers started off the game with two early 5-on-3 advantages, but couldn’t convert; largely in part due to the play of SCSU goaltender Jase Weslosky (23 saves).

“[He was] outstanding there early in the game,” said Motzko, before adding, “both goalies were good tonight.”

Despite those chances, the first period was an even, back-and-forth affair and the lack of a score at
the end of it reflected that fact.

DU pressured the Huskies to start off the second period and the pressure almost paid off about three minutes in when John Lee missed a wide open net and cranked the puck off the post instead.

However, the Pioneers did get on the board first 6:34 into the period on a Tyler Ruegsegger power play goal. Ruegsegger took a cross-ice pass from Joe Colborne and sniped it high stick-side on Weslosky.

The Pioneers carried their 1-0 lead into the third period, but the Huskies wouldn’t quit and tied it up on a power play goal of their own about five minutes in. Drew LeBlanc one-timed a pass from Ryan Lasch past Pioneer netminder Marc Cheverie (25 saves) to knot the game at one.

SCSU continued to lay on the pressure right through the end of regulation. Their tenacious attack paid off just twenty seconds into overtime when Lasch stole the puck from Dustin Jackson just to the right of the net, spun around and slid it past Cheverie.

“We got it deep there and [Brent] Borgen and [Aaron] Marvin were both forechecking and they were able to knock the puck loose because they played the body,” said Lasch. “I ended up stripping the puck from [Jackson] and kind of in just one motion just tried to get it on net because anything can happen there in overtime.”

“Ryan Lasch was very tough on us tonight,” said Gwozdecky. “Obviously he was the one who scored their big goal … big time players make big time plays and he did throughout the third period and overtime and he was the difference tonight. He was very, very good and tough for us to contain.”

The Huskies finish out the season with a home-and-home series with Minnesota State while the Pioneers close out with a single home game against Colorado College.