St. Cloud State holds on for 2-1 win over Minnesota State

Friday, January 20

St. Cloud, Minn.

3:07 p.m.

St. Cloud State

7-16-2, 5-13-1WCHA

Minnesota State

6-18-2, 3-15-1WCHA

Minnesota State

St. Cloud State

Freshman Janine Alder made 25 saves to earn her seventh win of the season.

Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane

1/20/2017 6:15:00 PM | Women's Hockey

Box Score

Huskies fend off furious Minnesota State rally to snap three-game winless skid

By: Ryan Evans

ST. CLOUD—A pair of goals in the first two periods staked the St. Cloud State women's hockey team (7-16-2, 5-13-1-1 WCHA) to an early lead before the Huskies defense and freshman goaltender Janine Alder held on late for 2-1 win over Minnesota State (6-18-2, 3-15-1-0) on Friday.

The victory snapped SCSU's three-game winless skid and is only its third win to open a series this season. It also created a seven-point gap between the now tied for sixth place Huskies and eighth place Mavericks in the WCHA standings.

"It was nice to get a couple goals and get a lead," head coach Eric Rud said. "We do not score a ton, so when we get a few we have to make it count."

"Through two periods, we played pretty well and did a lot of things the right way."

After opening up a two-goal lead, 2-0, after 40 minutes, the Huskies weathered a furious Minnesota State rally in the final period. The Mavericks scored 1:12 into the final frame to cut SCSU's lead to 2-1 and continued to pepper Alder's goal after that.

Minnesota State dominated possession in the third and pinned the Huskies in their defensive zone, out-shooting them, 11-2, and out-attempting them, 25-5. But Alder and the SCSU defense stood tall, blocking 11 shots and stopping 10 pucks, respectively, to preserve the win.

"It was a hard third period. I was always looking at the clock hoping we would make it," Alder said. "I was screaming at the players sometimes to try and give them energy."

"Our defense was good (in the third)," she added. "They kept the puck away from the net."

Senior defenseman Caroline Markstrom opened the scoring just under seven minutes into the first period. The goal was her third of the season and snapped the Huskies season-long 193:24 scoring drought that dated back to their 7-4 win over then-No. 7 Colgate on January 6.

Junior forward Alyssa Erickson added her seventh of the year, and the eventual game-winner, 8:21 into the second period.

"Our offensive effort was a lot better tonight," Erickson said. "We got it down low, worked their (defense) and tired them out."

St. Cloud State will go for the sweep of the Mavericks on Hockey Day Minnesota, Saturday, January 20, at 3:07 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports North Plus—the first time in Hockey Day Minnesota's 10-year history a NCAA women's game will be featured as part of the festivities. Youth under 18 and SCSU students with a valid university ID will be admitted for free. Adult tickets for the game are available at scsutickets.com and will be sold at the door for just $1.

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