The St. Cloud State Huskies used a strong power play and the ability to score in bunches to defeat the Colorado College Tigers, 4-1, and sweep the NCHC weekend series between the two.
Colorado College got off to a good start, scoring the first goal of the game at 10:11 on a power play as Bryce Van Horn picked up a rebound in the crease, took one stride toward his right and backhanded the puck in past Huskies goalie Zach Driscoll.
However, a pair of crucial mistakes in the final minute of the period gave St. Cloud the momentum, as Mikey Eyssimont picked up a loose puck down low to Alex Leclerc’s left and backhanded the puck top corner far side at 19:01.
“They played very hard in the first period; we played well,” said St. Cloud coach Bob Motzko. “That goal gave us momentum, but the second period was what turned it, because we were pretty dominant in the second. Faceoffs were 7-8 them, and after that in the second they were 25-10, so we were winning the line of scrimmage.”
“I think we certainly played a good enough period and we seem to shoot ourselves in the foot by giving up a late goal like that,” said Colorado College coach Mike Haviland. “I mean, you look at that goal, we have five guys back in the zone and they have three, and we go by things and don’t stop on it and the next thing you know it’s in the back of the net. They get the momentum out of that period where we should have been coming in and saying wow, we played a good period and you know they are going to come hard and let’s refocus again.”
At 19:51, CC’s Cole McCaskill was called for holding, and that carryover power play came back to haunt the Tigers, as Eyssimont struck at 1:45 of the second, carrying the puck up from the goal line and making a quick pivot near the top of the circle and rifling a shot that beat Leclerc top corner glove side at 1:45 of the second.
“In games like this, many games, your top players have to show up,” Motzko said. “They have to turn the tide, especially on the road second night, they have to dig in hard. Mikey was outstanding.”
CC was able to staunch the bleeding until the last third of the period. First, the Huskies got another power-play goal at 13:07 when Blake Winiecki got down low in front of Leclerc and deflected a Robby Jackson shot in. Less than two minutes later, Jimmy Schuldt made it 4-1 when he got the puck inside the blue line off a nice feed from Will Borgen behind the net, took a stride toward Leclerc and rifled a wrist shot from the top of the slot that beat Leclerc low.
“We took some undisciplined penalties and it cost us,” said Haviland. “They get that power-play goal and all of a sudden we’re on our heels. It’s an issue for us in the second period. It’s a letdown. We play well in the first and we kind of feel this is the way it’s going to be all game, and it’s been like that in every game. Teams have picked it up and we stay the same way, and then we pick it up in the third.”
Motzko is happy with the progress of his power play, but isn’t sure it’s there yet.
“I’m just going to say two nights, it was better,” he said. “I want to see it for a stretch. It was better. We’re doing some better things on it, and we’ll just keep moving forward.”
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NCHC roundup
Omaha 6, at Miami 2
Luc Snuggerud and Austin Ortega each scored twice as Omaha defeated Miami, 6-2, and swept the weekend series. Snuggerud’s goal at 7:20 of the second period while the two teams were skating four-on-four proved to be the game-winner, and also sparked Omaha’s offense, which scored four unanswered goals in the final two periods after Miami had fought back from a 2-0 deficit to tie it at two after one period. Evan Weninger made 23 saves in the win.
Western Michigan 0, at No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth 2
Hunter Miska made 30 saves to register a shutout as Minnesota-Duluth edged Western Michigan, 2-0, to split the weekend series between the two. The Bulldogs scored both goals on the power play. Alex Iafallo scored the eventual game-winner at 14:44 of the first period, and Kyle Osterberg gave the Bulldogs a cushion with a power-play goal at 12:56 of the second. Trevor Gorsuch made 33 saves in the loss.
No. 2 Denver 3, at No. 6 North Dakota 2
Tanner Jaillet made 22 saves and Blake Hillman had two assists as No. 2 Denver defeated No. 6 North Dakota, winning the weekend series after tying the Fighting Hawks and then losing in a three-on-three OT Friday, as Denver took four of six possible conference points. Henrik Borgström scored the game-winner in the second, breaking a 2-2 tie. North Dakota is winless in its last six games.
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