Early goal costs Huskies in 4-0 loss at No. 10 North Dakota

Sunday, December 11

Grand Forks, N.D.

2:07 p.m.

St. Cloud State

5-14-1, 4-11-1-1

North Dakota

9-6-5, 7-5-4-2

St. Cloud State

North Dakota

Photo by: Russ Hons/UND Athletics

Early goal costs Huskies in 4-0 loss at No. 10 North Dakota

12/11/2016 4:49:00 PM | Women's Hockey

Box Score

Allowing a goal against on the game’s first shift proved costly for St. Cloud State

By: Ryan Evans

GRAND FORKS, N.D.—Another early hole again proved too much for the St. Cloud State women's hockey team (5-14-1, 4-10-1-1 WCHA) to dig itself out of as the Huskies dropped their final game of 2016 and were swept at No. 10 North Dakota (9-6-5, 7-5-4-2), 4-0, on Sunday.

With the sweep, SCSU heads into the break on a six-game winless streak. Sunday's loss was the sixth time it has been shutout this season.

For the second-straight afternoon, the Huskies found themselves behind after the game's first shift. UND freshman forward Ryleigh Houston put them down, 1-0, just 32 seconds into the game and they never recovered.

After again having to play behind from the get-go, St. Cloud State was held off of the shot chart in the opening 20 minutes and did not record its first shot on goal until senior forward Lauren Hespenheide's just over six minutes into the second.

"You don't want to start behind the eight ball every night. That is pretty tough on a team," head coach Eric Rud said. "We have not been prolific, offensively, so if we get down early it gets difficult."

"But we have responded and competed well in those situations, which gives us a lot of hope for the second half."

North Dakota tacked on a goal in both the second and third periods and added an empty-netter late to salt the game away.

The Huskies were out-shot, 23-11, in the defeat—their second-lowest total of the season, besting only their nine-shot effort at Minnesota on October 28. Hespenheide was the team's most dangerous offensive player, charting four of SCSU's 10 shots.

With two forwards—sophomore Hannah Potrykus and freshman Janna Haeg—out with injuries, the Fighting Hawks' veteran-laden defensive core was able to key in more squarely on the Huskies top lines, which made generating offense a tall task.

"It was like oil and water for us, offensively," Rud said. "We had trouble making any kind of little plays. It felt like every time we entered the zone it was swallowed up and going back the other way."

"It will be nice to get some healthy bodies back in the second half of the year."

With the deficit still at just two in the middle frame, SCSU was granted three power play opportunities, but was unable to capitalize on the chances. The Huskies were 0-for-3 with the man advantage on Sunday and 0-for-7 in the series.

"Our power play has been the biggest disappointment of the first half, by far," Rud said. "We have to improve and find a way to generate offense with the man advantage."

After a three-week break, St. Cloud State will return to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center for a two-game set against Colgate University. Game time is 7:07 p.m. on Friday, January 6 and 3:07 p.m. on Saturday, January 7 against the Raiders.

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