St. Cloud State
Colgate
Players Mentioned
Insider: St. Cloud State seeking improved consistency in second half
1/4/2017 1:39:00 PM | Women's Hockey
The Huskies have reasons to be optimisitic heading into the season’s stretch run
As the St. Cloud State women's hockey team (5-14-1, 4-11-1-1 WCHA) ventures into the second half of the 2016-17 season, head coach Eric Rud said his team is focused on adding an "overall consistency" to its game.
The Huskies have struggled to put forth consistent 60-minute efforts, best exemplified by their one win in nine games to open a series versus four wins in nine tries to close them out.
"Throughout the first half of the year, we have played poorly the first night and very well the second night," Rud said. "We have to find an overall consistency and we are working on figuring out if there are any triggers we can chance to try and spark that."
Consistency may still be a work in progress, but Rud noted that SCSU's resilience has shined through in the face of its setbacks.
"We've continued to compete through good and bad bounces," he said. "Overall, we have responded and competed well in those situations during the first half of the season, which gives us hope for the second half."
"Our ability to play with anyone in the league is evident," Rud added. "We've played close games and going into the second half we should be confident that we can compete against anyone."
For the Huskies to start putting together regular, 60-minute efforts on back-to-back nights, taking advantage of its opportunities will be vital. No area of focus is more imperative to that end than the power play. St. Cloud State ranks eighth in the WCHA with a 6.6 conversion rate on the man advantage with just four goals on 61 chances.
"The power play was the biggest disappointment in the first half of the year by far, in terms of generating offense," Rud said. "We have to find a way to be more effective."
This season's rookie class has made huge contributions in their first 20 games and the team's overall consistency will likely improve as those players continue to find their legs at the NCAA level.
"Our young players, who got their first tastes of college hockey, have come along and had very good first halves," Rud said. "That has been a huge positive."
Offensively, freshman forward Kayla Friesen leads all first year players with seven points (4+3), and in goal, Janine Alder has made 14-straight starts and is the first rookie net minder in program history to boast multiple shutouts in her freshman season.
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UP NEXT: St. Cloud State (5-14-1, 4-11-1-1 WCHA) vs. No. 7 Colgate (15-2-2, 6-2-1 ECAC) — Friday, January 6, 7:07 p.m.; Saturday, January 7, 3:07 p.m.
SCOUTING THE RAIDERS: Colgate comes to St. Cloud unbeaten in its last four games (3-0-1). Through nine ECAC games, the Raiders sit in a tie for fifth place in the conference with a 6-2-1 record and 13 points. They boast some of the best special teams play in the country with a power play that clicks at a 21.0 percent clip, which ranks No. 3, nationally. Their penalty kill ranks second in the country at 93.5 percent. Offensively, Colgate is led by sophomore forward Jessie Eldridge, who paces it with nine goals and 29 points—the latter of which is tied for fifth in the country. Sophomore goaltender Julia Vandyk ranks among the top-10 national leaders in goals-against average (1.57), save percentage (.937) and shutouts (3).
ALL-TIME SERIES:Â The two-game set is the first in Huskies history against the Raiders. St. Cloud State is 1-3-0 in four previous non-conference games this season.
The series is SCSU's sixth, and third-straight, against a nationally ranked opponent this season, but first against a ranked non-conference opponent. The Huskies are 1-9-0 in their previous 10 meetings against ranked teams.
LAST TIME OUT:Â Before the break, St. Cloud State was swept, 3-2 and 4-0, at No. 10 North Dakota. The sweep was the second straight suffered by the Huskies in WCHA play and extended their season long winless skid to six games. Sophomore forward Julia Tylke and junior forward Alyssa Erickson each scored for SCSU in the series opener at UND as a third period rally came up just short of tying the game after the Fighting Hawks opened up a 3-1 lead.
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER:
- HUSKIES ABROAD: A pair of Huskies—sophomore forward Suvi Ollikainen and incoming freshman forward Laura Kluge—were chosen to represent their countries at this week's 2017 Nations Cup in Austria and Germany. Ollikainen is suiting up for her native Finland, while Kluge is playing for Germany. The tournament begins on Wednesday, January 4 and runs until Saturday, January 7.
- FANTASTIC FRESHMAN: Freshman forward Kayla Friesen ranks among the top-10 rookie scorers in the WCHA with four goals and seven points this season. Her point total is tied for ninth and her four goals are tied for fifth among league freshmen. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native is second and third among SCSU point-getters and goal-scorers, respectively.
- SILKY TYLKE: Tylke led SCSU, offensively, in Grand Forks with two points (1+1), which extended her team leads to nine goals and 14 points. She is also now tied for the team lead with five assists. Tylke's nine goals are tied for seventh in the WCHA. 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.
- REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: In just the first half of the season, 11 different Huskies have already either equaled or surpassed their previous career high goal, assist or point totals.
- OFFENSE IS THE BEST DEFENSE: The Huskies blue line has stepped up, offensively, recently with two goals and 12 points, collectively, in its last nine games. A defender has had a hand in nine of the team's last 17 goals. Leading the way are Markstrom, who has two goals and four points in her last nine contests, and junior Brittany Anderson, who has three assists in eight games since returning from injury on November 18 at Bemidji State.
- Markstrom is enjoying a career year in her final season. The Kovland, Sweden native has two goals, two assists and four points, all of which are single-season career highs. Her two markers lead all team blue liners.
- FINDING SECONDARY SCORING: St. Cloud State has found varied sources of offense in its last nine games. Its last 17 goals have been scored by eight different players and three Huskies—senior forward Lauren Hespenheide, senior defenseman Caroline Markstrom, freshman forward Janna Haeg and sophomore forward Ivy Dynek—have chipped in their first goals of the season during that span.
- SWISS SENSATION: Freshman goaltender Janine Alder has made 14 straight starts for the Huskies and is in the midst of one of the most prolific seasons for a rookie net minder in program history. The Zurich, Switzerland native ranks second among all NCAA rookies with a 2.47 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. She has two shutouts on the season and is the first net minder in SCSU history to boast multiple shutouts in her freshman season.
- 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.
- CLASS of 2021: St. Cloud State announced Monday that eight players have signed National Letters of Intent to play for this Huskies this fall. The signing class includes forwards Emma Bigham (Minnetonka, Minn.), Laura Kluge (Berlin, Germany), Aubrey Pritchett (Orange, Calif.) and Megan Roe (Woodhaven, Mich.); defensemen Hannah Bates (Trenton, Mich.), Tatum Coats (Lakewood, Calif.) and Kenzie Wylie (Ham Lake, Minn.); and goaltender Emma Polusny (Mound, Minn.).
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