#2 St. Cloud State scores 5-3 victory over #8 Minnesota Duluth

Friday, November 3

St. Cloud, MInn.

7:37 p.m.

St. Cloud State

6-0-0, 1-0-0NCHC

University of Minnesota Duluth

4-3-2, 0-1-0NCHC

Minnesota Duluth

St. Cloud State

Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane

#2 St. Cloud State scores 5-3 victory over #8 Minnesota Duluth

11/3/2017 11:09:00 PM | Men's Hockey

Box Score

The #2 St. Cloud State University men's hockey team (6-0-0, 1-0-0 NCHC) opened its 2017-18 National Collegiate Hockey Conference season with a solid 5-3 victory over #8 Minnesota Duluth (4-3-2, 0-1-0 NCHC) on Friday, Nov. 3 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.

The victory extended the Huskies' season-opening win streak to six games as both teams will wrap up the weekend series on Saturday, Nov. 4 with a 4:07 p.m. match up at the HBNHC in St. Cloud, Minn. Tickets are available for this important NCHC showdown and you can purchase them at scsutickets.com or by calling 1-877-SCSUTIX.

In a classic dogfight between these two longtime rivals, UMD charged to a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded marker by Karson Kuhlman at 2:29 of the second period. The Huskies wasted little time getting back into the fray with a power play goal seconds later as Jacob Benson scored at 2:48 of the second with helpers from Robby Jackson and Jimmy Schuldt.

This was Benson's third goal of the season and Jackson's fifth assist. Schuldt continued his season-long six game point scoring streak and he continues to lead the nation in scoring with 2.00 points per game.

UMD moved to a 2-1 lead at 17:11 of the second period with a power play goal by Matt Anderson. The Huskies knotted the score at 18:52 with a goal by Ryan Poehling, who was assisted on the play by Will Borgen and Kevin Fitzgerald. This was Poehling's third goal of the season.

In the third period, Fitzgerald scored for the Huskies with his even-strength goal at 6:33. Fitzgerald scored off a rebound of his own shot on net that was set up by a sweet feed from Ryan Poehling and the second assist from Mikey Eyssimont.

SCSU built its lead to 4-2 with the game winning goal at 8:18 of the third by rookie Easton Brodzinski, who was assisted on the play by Jack Ahcan and Patrick Newell. This was Brodzinski's first goal at SCSU and his first collegiate point.

The Bulldogs closed the gap to 4-3 with a goal by Sammy Spurrell at 17:02 of the third period. In the closing minute of the game, UMD pulled its netminder and that allowed SCSU to ice the decision with an empty net goal by Schuldt at 19:23. Benson and Judd Peterson each had assists on the play, which was Schuldt's fifth goal of 2017-18.

On the night, SCSU outshot the Bulldogs 34-28. On the advantage, SCSU was 2-7 on the power play and UMD was 1-of-4. Jeff Smith was the goalie of record for SCSU with 25 saves to his credit. He improves to 4-0-0 on the season with a 2.00 GAA and a .930 save rate. Hunter Shepard made 29 saves for UMD in goal.

SCSU and UMD will wrap the series on Saturday, Nov. 4 with a 4:07 p.m. start at the HBNHC.