The #4/5 St. Cloud State University men's hockey team (20-5-1, 12-3-1 NCHC) scored its seventh series sweep of the season with a 7-3 victory over NCHC rival Western Michigan (7-14-3, 4-9-1 NCHC) on Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
The Huskies took advantage of a potent power play as they went 4-of-5 on the advantage and kept its national ranking at third on the power play this season (30.6 percent). In fact, SCSU's opening shot was a power play goal by Joey Benik at 8:02 of the first period with assists from Kalle Kossila and Mikey Eyssimont.
WMU replied with a power play goal of its own at 13:53 by Frederik Tiffels that made it 1-1. This was the first power play goal allowed by the Huskies since the game on Jan. 9 against Colorado College. Nate WidmanThe Huskies charged back at 16:30 with an even strength goal by Patrick Russell that had a solo assist from Kossila. This was Russell's 11th goal of the season. Nate Widman added his first goal of the 2015-16 campaign for the Huskies at 17:06 of the first period with assists from Benik and David Morley. The goal pushed SCSU's lead to 3-1 at the end of the first.
In the second period, WMU narrowed the Huskies' lead to 3-2 with a goal by Scott Moldenhauer at 2:46. Eyssimont then provided SCSU with the knockout punch as he coined the game winner at 5:05 of the second period on the power play. Ethan Prow and Kossila each had assists on the play for the Huskies. This was Kossila's team leading 22nd assist of the year and Prow's 20th assist of the year.
Blake Winiecki then issued his eighth goal of the year at 6:21 of the second period with assists from Niklas Nevalainen and Jimmy Murray. WMU rallied once more to make it 5-3 with a goal by Kyle Novak at 7:17 of the second period. SCSU relied again on its power play in the second period to grab a 6-3 lead with Murray's goal at 11:25 on the advantage. Winiecki and Nevalainen each had assists on the play that was Murray's ninth goal of 2015-16.
To ice the game in the third, Jimmy Schuldt knocked in his sixth goal of the season at 3:06 on the power play. Nevalainen earned the playmaker with his third helper of the night (17th of the season) and Morley posted his 19th assist of the year on the play.
In the contest, SCSU outshot the Broncos 32-28. SCSU was 4-5 on the advantage and WMU was 1-4. Charlie Lindgren made 25 saves in the game for the Huskies and gained his 19th save of the year. Lukas Hafner made 25 saves in the loss for WMU.
Next weekend, the Huskies will travel to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for the 2016 North Star Cup on Jan. 30-31. SCSU opens the tournament with a 1 p.m. game at the Xcel against Minnesota State Mankato. Bemidji State and Minnesota will meet up in the second game of the day at 4 p.m. on Jan. 30. The consolation game and title game will then be played on Jan. 31 at the Xcel Energy Center.
SCSU Fans and Alumni are invited to attend a pre-game social at The Liffey in St. Paul prior to the Huskies' games at the North Star Cup next week. The social begins at 11 a.m. on Jan. 30 and two hours before the start of the game on Jan. 31. The Liffey is located across the street from the Xcel Energy Center at 175 7th St W, St Paul, MN 55102.
Game Notes and Highlights:
SCSU currently owns a four-game unbeaten streak.
SCSU's two players from Finland, Kalle Kossila and Niklas Nevalainen each had three assists apiece in the game against WMU on Jan. 23.
The Huskies lead the nation this season with 113 goals. SCSU ranks second in the nation with a scoring average of 4.35 points per game. The current team record for best PPG in one season is 4.26 (2001-02).
SCSU and North Dakota are the first two teams in the nation this season to reach the 20-win plateau. This marks the 13th time during SCSU's Division I history that the Huskies have won 20-plus games in a season. The Huskies have now won 20-plus games in the last four consecutive seasons and seven times during the Bob Motzko era (since 2005-06).
The Huskies have outscored Western Michigan 31-8 in four games this season. Joey Benik has seven goals and six assists in those four games against WMU.
SCSU leads the nation with a scoring margin of +2.35 this season.
SCSU's 2.00 goals allowed per game average this season ranks 7th in the nation.
Post season honors candidate Ethan Prow leads the nation's blueliners this winter with 25 points.
Post season honors candidate Charlie Lindgren leads the nation's goalies with 19 wins this season.
Kalle Kossila leads the team with 32 points and 22 assists. This marks his third season as a Husky with 30-plus points. His 131 career points now ranks 11th in the team record behind Nate DiCasmiro (1998-02) and Tyler Arnason (1998-01) with 136 points apiece. His 87 career assists rank seventh in the team records.
Ethan Prow now has 86 career points, which ranks fourth in the SCSU career charts for most points by a defenseman along with Nick Jensen (2010-13) and Taj Melson (1992-96).
Joey Benik ranks first on the team with 15 goals and second on the team with 29 points.
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