Insider: Alder has been a revelation in goal

One of the biggest—if not the biggest—questions facing the St. Cloud State women's hockey team coming into the season was who would take the reins in goal. With the start she has enjoyed, freshman Janine Alder has played like the answer.

Alder has shown poise beyond her 21 years to start her career. She boasts a .964 save percentage and a 1.07 goals-against average in five games, marks that both rank among the top six in the country and top two in the WCHA, and has been the goalie of record for each of SCSU's three wins.

The Zurich, Switzerland native has made a quick transition to the women's game after playing her entire career with men's teams in Europe. She has made it look easy so far, but making that switch, especially for goaltenders, is anything but for many players.

"I was used to the speed and physicality of men's hockey and have had to adjust to women's hockey, which is a much more tactical game," Alder said. "I had to adjust to taking shots a little bit softer. For a goalie, it is a totally different sport and pace of play."

Alder is not your typical freshman. She is a few years older than her and has already experienced the sport's highest level—winning a bronze medal with Switzerland at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Still, head coach Eric Rud said after she arrived in St. Cloud this summer, it took Alder a few weeks to get comfortable. Now that she is, the Huskies are reaping the rewards.

"The last couple of games have shown she has made that adjustment pretty well," Rud said.

It was Alder's "outstanding" footwork that caught Rud's eye during the recruiting process and it is part of the reason he believes she has acclimated to the women's game so quickly.

"Her fundamentals are so good," Rud said. "That is the number one reason we recruited her and believed she could be a good player at this level."

"She is really precise, very quick and is a tremendous skater."

Alder's maturity has kept the big moments from becoming overwhelming. She will be put to the test in the WCHA, but has shown she is up to the task.

"Women's hockey here is the best I have ever seen," Alder said. "Players here are so competitive and work so hard. It is so close to the men's hockey that I am used to."

UP NEXT: St. Cloud State (3-4-1, 2-3-1-1 WCHA) at No. 2 Minnesota (7-1-0, 5-1-0)—Thursday, October 27, 7:07 p.m.; Friday, October 22, 7:07 p.m.

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SCOUTING THE GOPHERS: No. 2-ranked Minnesota, the defending NCAA Div. I national champions, has won four straight and seven of eight games this season. The Gophers boast one of the nation's top scorers in sophomore forward Sarah Potomak, who paces the country with eight goals and is tied for sixth with 12 points. The Aldergrove, B.C., native has scored Minnesota's last four game-winning goals and leads the NCAA with five this season.

The Gophers have surrendered the first goal of the game in their last six contests, but have come back to win five of those, including the last four. Minnesota's last four wins have come by just one goal. The Gophers were 35-4-1 last season and made their fifth-straight national title game appearance. They defeated Boston College, 3-1, for their second consecutuve championship.

ALL-TIME SERIES: St. Cloud State is 72-3-2 all-time against Minnesota. The Huskies are in the midst of a 30-game losing streak to their in-state rival that dates back to the 2009-10 season. SCSU's last win over the Gophers came on Feb. 13, 2010—a 6-3 triumph.

LAST TIME OUT: In its first road series of the season, St. Cloud State took five of six possible points from Minnesota State in Mankato. The opener resulted in a 2-2 tie, but senior forward Kelsey Saelens scored in the eighth round of the shootout to win SCSU an extra point in the standings. In the finale, junior forward Alyssa Erickson and sophomore forward Julia Tylke scored in a 71-second span in the first period and freshman goaltender Janine Alder recorded a 30-save shutout—the first of her career—in a 2-0 Huskies win.

St. Cloud State is unbeaten (2-0-1) in its last three games.

KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER:

The Huskies were 0-5-0 against Minnesota last season and were out-scored, 36-2. Senior forward Lauren Hespenheide and sophomore forward Hannah Potrykus each scored a goal for SCSU.
This series is the second-straight on the road for St. Cloud State, which will play six of its next eight games away from home. It is also the Huskies' fifth and sixth games against a nationally ranked opponent. SCSU is 1-3-0 in such situations this season.
SWISS SENSATION: Through five games this season, Alder has been rock solid in goal. The Zurich, Switzerland native boasts a .964 save percentage and 1.07 goals-against average, marks which rank third and sixth, respectively, nationally, and first and second in the WCHA. She is 3-1-1 on the season and has been the goalie of record for each of the Huskies' wins. For her efforts, Alder was named the WCHA's Rookie of the Week for the second time in three weeks. She was also honored Oct. 7-8 after stopping 51 of 52 shots (.982 SV%) in two games against North Dakota.
SILKY TYLKE: Sophomore forward Julia Tylke leads the Huskies with six goals and eight points. The Delafield, Wis., native is tied for sixth, nationally, and tied for third among WCHA players in goal scoring. Tylke, a 2015-16 All-WCHA Rookie Team honoree, is St. Cloud State's top returning scorer, having registered nine goals and 24 points a season ago—the most for an SCSU rookie since the 2006-07 season, when Holly Roberts and Caitlin Hogan scored 35 (18 17) and 29 (12 17) points, respectively.
EXCEPTIONAL ERICKSON: Junior forward Alyssa Erickson has two goals and four points in SCSU's last three games, including the game-winning tally in last Saturday's 2-0 win at Minnesota State. The Mission, B.C., native is tied for second on the team with four points.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Senior forward Lauren Hespenheide has four points (0 4) in eight games this season, which is tied for second on the team. The Huskies' captain had a career day against Merrimack on Sept. 29, tallying three assists and has already equaled her career high in assists (four).
HOCKEY DAY MINNESOTA: The WCHA and Fox Sports North announced on Oct. 13 that St. Cloud State and Minnesota State's game on January 21 will be featured on Hockey Day Minnesota. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports North Plus from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center beginning at 3 p.m. This is the first time in Hockey Day Minnesota's 10-year history that an NCAA women's game will be broadcast as part of the festivities.