St. Cloud State
2-7-0)(1-4-0WCHA
Minnesota Duluth
4-7-0)(2-5-0WCHA
St. Cloud State set back by Minnesota Duluth in overtime, 3-2
11/3/2017 10:41:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Huskies fail to capitalize on opportunities and fall just short to UMD as a result
DULUTH—Missed opportunities haunted the St. Cloud State women's hockey team (2-7-0, 1-4-0 WCHA) on Friday as it let up late and suffered a discouraging 3-2 overtime setback at Minnesota Duluth (4-7-0, 2-5-0).
After a back and forth, hard-fought opening 50-plus minutes and with the score tied at two, the Huskies relaxed their pressure and allowed UMD to seize control. The Bulldogs monopolized possession over the game's final 10 minutes, out-attempting SCSU, 10-4, and out-shooting it, 6-0. UMD carried that momentum into overtime and it paid off 2:40 into the extra frame.
"You have to keep making plays and we stopped and got into hang on mode," head coach Eric Rud said. "Ultimately that mentality caught up to us."
The two in-state rivals see-sawed through the opening two periods, with each side ceding a one goal lead. The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the first ahead of a response from redshirt sophomore Dana Rasmussen on a breakaway 1:43 later. In the second, SCSU senior forward Alyssa Erickson's first goal of the season gave her team a 2-1 lead, but UMD answered 2:26 after that before the tide permanently turned in the Bulldogs' favor in the third.
Both Rasmussen and Erickson's goals were born from applying pressure on the Bulldogs' blue line and creating turnovers. On both plays, the Huskies forecheckers forced UMD to cough the puck up which sprung Rasmussen in all alone as well as the 3-on-1 that led to Erickson's tally.
"We did a good job to cause a lot of turnovers and pressure their defensemen," Rud said. "Ultimately we needed one more play to be made out of some of those turnovers."
The Huskies created their fair share of opportunities in the contest, charting 44 attempts, but not enough of those found the target. In too many dangerous situations SCSU was unable to put pucks on the net, pushing 14 chances wide of the mark—including 11 while the game was tied in the potentially decisive second and third periods.
"If we play the same game tomorrow we will probably get a better outcome. We created enough scoring chances," Rud said. "But when you miss a shot and it goes wide, you lose both opportunities. Those were missed opportunities for us."
St. Cloud State wraps up its two-game set against Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, November 4. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at AMSOIL Arena.
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