Alder backstops St. Cloud State to 0-0 draw with No. 7 Colgate

Saturday, January 7

St. Cloud, Minn.

3:07 p.m.

St. Cloud State

6-14-2, 4-11-1WCHA

Colgate

15-3-3, 6-2-1ECAC

OT 1

Colgate

St. Cloud State

Rookie net minder Janine Alder stopped 40 shots to earn her third shutout of the season.

Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane

Alder backstops St. Cloud State to 0-0 draw with No. 7 Colgate

1/7/2017 6:24:00 PM | Women's Hockey

Box Score

Freshman goaltender makes career-high 40 saves to seal unbeaten weekend

By: Ryan Evans

ST. CLOUD—Freshman goaltender Janine Alder turned away a career-high 40 shots to backstop the St. Cloud State women's hockey team (6-14-2, 4-11-1 WCHA) to a scoreless draw, 0-0, and an unbeaten weekend against No. 7 Colgate (15-3-3, 6-2-1 ECAC) on Saturday.

The tie is only the second 0-0 game in Huskies history. The other came on Oct. 4, 2013, also in a non-conference tilt at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, against Quinnipiac.

"After last night, you expected a more defensive game," head coach Eric Rud said. "They are a top-10 team in the country and a prideful group, so you knew things were going to tighten up tonight."

In a tight game, goaltending often proves to be the difference and Alder did more than her fair share to preserve the tie and record her third shutout of the season. With 13 saves in the first period, it was evident the Zurich, Switzerland native was locked in from the get-go.

"When you're starting, you have to control your nerves from the beginning," Alder said. "I wanted to make my start to this game, and the second half, a good one."

"I am not that tall, but today I was able to look over the (Colgate players) and move well side-to-side (to see the puck)," she added. "I felt comfortable in the net today."

After SCSU's 7-4 win in the series opener, the Raiders threw everything but the kitchen sink at it in Saturday's opening period, dominating 5-on-5 play and out-shooting the Huskies, 11-2, and out-attempting them, 20-10, at even strength. But St. Cloud State weathered the storm, backed by Alder's 13 saves, en route to the tie.

The Huskies rebounded in the middle frame and charted a pair of the game's best chances to break the deadlock. Senior forward Kelsey Saelens was robbed on the doorstep by Colgate freshman goaltender Liz Auby and sophomore forward Hannah Potrykus rang a wrist shot off the crossbar.

"We settled in the second and third periods and played well in overtime," Rud said. "We were really strong and gave ourselves a chance to win a hockey game today."

After the way SCSU's first half ended, to bounce back for an unbeaten start against the seventh ranked team in the country is a huge boost to the team's momentum as it gears up for the stretch run of its season.

"The way we ended the first half was a bit of a downer," Rud said. "So to be able to comeback right away and play a strong series should give us a lot of confidence coming out of this weekend."

St. Cloud State heads on the road next weekend to face No. 1 Wisconsin in Madison, Wis. Game time is 7 p.m. on Friday, January 13 at LaBahn Arena and 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 14 at the Kohl Center.

###