St. Cloud State
1-2-0, 0-0-0WCHA
Colgate
1-0-0, 0-0-0ECAC
St. Cloud State held in check at No. 10 Colgate, 3-0
10/6/2017 4:11:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Alder, penalty kill shine, but Huskies manage only seven shots on goal
HAMILTON, N.Y.—Standout efforts from sophomore goaltender Janine Alder and the penalty killers weren't enough to offset the St. Cloud State women's hockey team's (1-2-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) offensive woes as it was shutout, 3-0, at No. 10 Colgate (1-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) on Friday.
Alder turned away 35 shots and the Huskies' penalty kill went a perfect six-for-six on the afternoon, but SCSU's attack was only able to generate seven shots on goal—its lowest total on the road since finishing with six at Minnesota on Oct. 10, 2015.
The setback marked the second time the Huskies have been shutout in their first three games of the season.
"We did not compete very hard, offensively," head coach Eric Rud said. "We had no bite. We didn't fight to compete, offensively, well enough and that is something we absolutely have to change."
"There was a lack of execution," he added. "We had some plays that we could have made, but passes were just inches off and that is lack of focus, which we can shore up."
St. Cloud State was whistled for four penalties in the first period and though it fought off each Colgate opportunity, it disrupted its flow and allowed the Raiders to find their offensive rhythm—which culminated in the game's opening goal off of a 2-on-1 rush with 3:22 to play in the opening frame.
"That puts you in a hole and disrupts your lines, so we kind of shot ourselves in the foot to start," Rud said of the early penalties. "But we have to play better after that."
Colgate maintained its momentum throughout the contest, out-shooting SCSU, 38-7—though the Huskies did well to keep most of those shots to the perimeter and limit second chance opportunities. The Raiders doubled their lead just 44 seconds into the second period and capped its scoring with 14:43 to play in the third.
The Huskies' penalty killers' flawless outing was undoubtedly the highlight of their afternoon. SCSU conceded six power plays to its hosts, but its outstanding pressure on the kill made things uncomfortable for Colgate.
"We were aggressive and had good jump," Rud said of his penalty kill. "We did not allow them zone entry or let them get set up and when they did get in, we jumped them and were all over them."
St. Cloud State will look to rebound as it wraps up its non-conference series at Colgate on Saturday, October 7 at 1:00 p.m. Hockey fans can stream the series finale live for free at patriotleague.tv.
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