Alder backstops Huskies to 2-0 win at Minnesota State

Saturday, October 22

Mankato, Minn.

3:07 p.m.

St. Cloud State

3-4-1, 2-3-1-1WCHA

Minnesota State

2-5-1, 0-5-1-0WCHA

St. Cloud State

Minnesota State

Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane

10/22/2016 6:32:00 PM | Women's Hockey

Box Score

Freshman goaltender turned away 30 shots for her first career shutout

MANKATO—A pair of first period goals were all the St. Cloud State women's hockey team needed on Saturday, as freshman goaltender Janine Alder backstopped SCSU to a 2-0 win at Minnesota State.

Alder turned away all 30 shots she saw to earn her first career shutout and help the Huskies take five of a possible six points away from their trip to Mankato.

""We played so strong and compact today," she said. "The team worked for me and saved the shutout for me."

"(Minnesota State) shoots from everywhere and move the puck well on the small rink," she added. "I was a little bit luck today too, but if you work hard you earn your own luck."

Alder's is SCSU's first shutout since Katie Fitzgerald stopped 39 shots in a 1-0 win at North Dakota on Feb. 12, 2016.

St. Cloud State gave Alder all the offense she required in a 1:11 span in the first period. With the teams playing four-on-four, junior forward Alyssa Erickson opened the scoring off of a slick backhand feed from sophomore forward Julia Tylke. She returned the favor 71 seconds later on a 4-on-3 power play, setting up Tylke's team-leading sixth goal of the season.

"It is great to play with her," Erickson said of Tylke. "She makes everyone on the ice better. I just try to get myself open and she finds me every time."

The string of penalties that led to the Huskies' two opening period tallies were indicative of the type of game Saturday's contest would become. The two teams were whistled for a combined 17 infractions, which affected SCSU's flow, according to head coach Eric Rud.

"I think that everyone was thrown off of their game a little bit," Rud said. "It was an ugly and chippy game, which usually doesn't happen in our sport."

"We're happy to survive with the win, though. Anytime you can get three points in this league you like the outcome."

Rud added that his penalty kill, which was six-for-six in the win and perfect in the series, was "outstanding".

The Huskies are now unbeaten (2-0-1) in their last three games. They return to action on Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28 against Minnesota at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. Game time is 7:07 p.m. both nights.