St. Cloud State bounces back with 4-1 win over Ohio State

Saturday, November 12

St. Cloud, Minn.

1:07 p.m.

St. Cloud State

4-7-1, 3-6-1-1WCHA

Ohio State

6-7-1, 2-7-1WCHA

Ohio State

St. Cloud State

Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane

11/12/2016 3:55:00 PM | Women's Hockey

Box Score

Huskies equal season high with four goals, led by two points from freshman Kayla Friesen

ST. CLOUD—The St. Cloud State women's hockey team (4-7-1, 3-6-1-1 WCHA) bounced back in a big way Saturday, equaling its best offensive output of the season to salvage a series split, 4-1, with Ohio State (6-7-1, 2-7-1).

After being shutout in their last 129:57 of play, the Huskies's offense hit pay dirt four times in the win, which equaled its season-high.

In hopes of sparking the offense, head coach Eric Rud tweaked his forward lines a bit prior to the game and it paid off in a big way. Four different SCSU players found the back of the net and nine notched at least a point to break the team's two-plus game goal drought.

"To replace our goal total from last year, it wasn't going to be one person," Rud said. "An effort like tonight's is exactly what we need."

"We emphasized playing with a little more urgency and laser focus and we had that today right from the get-go," he added. "Right away you could tell we were going to play well."

Freshman forward Kayla Friesen registered her first career multi-point performance with a goal and an assist—opening the scoring in the first period and helping set up senior defenseman Caroline Markstrom's eventual game-winner in the second.

Friesen's burgeoning confidence is evident and she is starting to "take charge" according to Rud. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native leads the Huskies with three goals and four points in the team's last six games.

"(Creating offense) is what the team wants from me and what I need to step up and do more often," Friesen said. "If I keep shooting, good things will come."

Junior forward Alyssa Erickson and sophomore forward Julia Tylke added goals in the third period to seal the SCSU win, while senior forward Payge Pena equaled Friesen with a two-point performance (0+2).

Freshman goaltender Janine Alder turned away 23 shots to earn her fourth win of the season. Alder was pitching a shutout until the 10:57 mark of the third period, when Ohio State got one back after the Huskies had already built a 3-0 cushion.

St. Cloud State hits the road next weekend for a two-game set against in-state rival Bemidji State. The Huskies and Beavers will square off at 3:07 p.m. on Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.

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