St. Cloud State
Minnesota Duluth
Players Mentioned
Insider: St. Cloud State ready for its Hockey Day close-up
1/18/2018 11:21:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Huskies and UMD to wage the first NCAA outdoor game in the event’s 12-year history
ST. CLOUD—The St. Cloud State women's hockey program will assume center stage during this weekend's Hockey Day Minnesota festivities as it takes its in-state rivalry with Minnesota Duluth outdoors to the shores of Lake George on Saturday, January 20.
Saturday's clash between the Huskies and Bulldogs will be the first NCAA women's game waged outside in the 12-year history of the State of Hockey's statewide celebration of the sport. For a two-hour window, SCSU will command both state and nationwide attention—providing invaluable exposure and a stunning visual for the city of St. Cloud, the university and its women's hockey program.
Head coach Eric Rud was approached two weeks before the official announcement that brought Hockey Day to St. Cloud asking if his team wanted to be a part of it. His answer lacked even a moment's hesitation.
"To put women's hockey on the forefront adds to the credibility of our game," Rud said. "Thousands and thousands of people all over the country will get a chance to see our brand of hockey and how skilled it is, how fast it is and how hard these kids compete."
"It's a chance to reach a whole new audience of people and bring more people into our mix," he added. "We are very proud to be a part of it and it is definitely a shot in the arm for our program and our league."
Hockey is a game rooted in the elements. Countless young players throughout Minnesota find their feet and grow their love and passion for the game on ponds and outdoor rinks—surely including the 10 SCSU women's players who played their high school hockey in the state. They will return to to those beginnings on Hockey Day Minnesota in what will be a memorable and once in a lifetime opportunity for all involved.
Rud reminisced on his first year of hockey, cutting his teeth on the outdoor ice of Inver Grove Heights because an indoor facility did not exist at that time. He called that time spent outside "special" to him because it is where he "learned to be a hockey player."
Freshman forward Emma Bigham is one of the only current Huskies with outdoor playing experience, having represented Minnetonka at last year's Hockey Day Minnesota festivities in Stillwater.
"We want to go out there and win, but the experience is super cool no matter what," Bigham said. "When you're out there you need to take in the moment and absorb everything that is going on around you."
This weekend's festivities in St. Cloud include an alumni game at the outdoor rink on Friday, January 19 at 7:30 p.m., featuring 26 former SCSU women's hockey players. Fans will also have the opportunity to "Skate with the Huskies" on the outdoor surface on Saturday, January 20 at 8:30 p.m.
St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth will meet first on Friday, January 19 at 3:07 p.m., for a WCHA league game before Saturday's non-conference outdoor game at 1 p.m. Tickets for Friday's game are available at scsutickets.com or at the arena box office on game day. SCSU students with a valid university ID, fans under 18 and men's hockey season ticket holders receive free admission to Friday's game.
For information on Hockey Day Minnesota, please visit scsuhuskies.com.
UP NEXT: St. Cloud State (5-15-2, 3-11-2 WCHA) vs. Minnesota Duluth (10-12-1, 6-9-1-1)
Friday, January 19 | 3:07 p.m. | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (St. Cloud, Minn.)
Saturday, January 20 | 1:00 p.m. | Eastman Park (St. Cloud, Minn.)
| SCSU WOMEN'S HOCKEY CENTRAL: Jan. 19-20, 2018 |
| LIVE STATS: sidearmstats.com/stcloudstate/whockey/ |
| RADIO: None |
| TELEVISION: Fox Sports North (Saturday) |
| VIDEO STREAMING ($): scsuhuskies.com/live (Friday) | Fox Sports Go (Saturday) |
| GAME NOTES (PDF): SCSU vs. UMD |
ABOUT THE SERIES: SCSU vs. MINNESOTA DULUTH:
- HOCKEY DAY MINNESOTA 2018: For the second-straight year, the SCSU women will be featured on Hockey Day Minnesota as the city of St. Cloud hosts the 2018 event. The Huskies and Bulldogs will play outdoors at Eastman Park on the shores of Lake George. The contest will be televised live by Fox Sports North. This year marks the first time an NCAA Div. I women's hockey game will be played outside as part of the State of Hockey's state-wide celebration of the sport.
- SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: UMD split its only series of the second half, falling to and defeating Bemidji State, 5-3 and 3-2, respectively. The Bulldogs are fifth place in the WCHA and nine points ahead of the sixth place Huskies and is 1-4-1 in its last three league series dating back to the beginning of December. UMD is led offensively by freshman forward and reigning WCHA Rookie of the Week Ashton Bell with 11 goals and 18 points. Bell's fellow rookie forward, Naomi Rogge, is not far behind with 10 goals and 17 points. Senior goaltender Jessica Convery has started 21 of the team's 23 games and has a 2.38 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
- ALL-TIME SERIES: SCSU trails its all-time in-state rivalry series with Minnesota Duluth, 11-66-5. Including bring swept earlier this season at AMSOIL Arena and their two-game WCHA quarterfinal series last season, the Huskies have dropped nine straight games to UMD. Their last win in the series came at home, 3-2, on Feb. 19, 2016. Tylke, then a freshman, notched a pair of assists in that game and combined with defender Brittney Anderson to set up the game-winner.
- LAST MEETING (Nov. 3-4, 2017): St. Cloud State suffered a pair of narrow setbacks, 3-2 (OT) and 4-2, on the road at Minnesota Duluth. Redshirt sophomore forward Dana Rasmussen and senior forward Alyssa Erickson both scored in the series opener, but the Huskies let up late and allowed UMD to seize the momentum with the game-tying goal before the Bulldogs capitalized in overtime. SCSU fell behind by three, 3-0, in the weekend finale, before a resurgent third period and goals from sophomore defender Abby Thiessen and junior forward Julia Tylke drew the Huskies within one in a rally that came up short.
- Tylke is SCSU's active scoring leader against the Bulldogs with four goals and six points in 12 career games. Anderson is not far behind with four assists and points in 16 career games against UMD. Erickson leads the Huskies with two points (1-1) against the Bulldogs this season.
KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER:
- LAST TIME OUT: In its last outing, St. Cloud State's offense erupted for seven goals in a 7-2 exhibition win over the Minnesota Whitecaps. Sophomore forward Hallie Theodosopoulos led the way in the win with a team high two goals and four points. In total, four different players found the back of the net and 11 recorded a point, including four mult-point efforts.
- AWAKENING ATTACK: For the Huskies, the seven goal surge against the Whitecaps was a continuation of the offensive momentum they have been able to generate so far in the season's second half. Including last Saturday's exhibition, the team has averaged four goals per game since the break.
- PK PROWESS: SCSU's penalty kill has been successful on 18 of its opponents' last 19 man advantage opportunities. The Huskies boast an 88.5 percent success rate on the kill, which is second the WCHA and ranks No. 7 in the country.
- POLUSNY PROSPERING: Since her start against Bemidji State on November 22, Polusny paces the conference with a 0.99 goals-against average, a .969 save percentage and three shutouts in six starts. Her save percentage over that span also ranks No. 2, nationally. Polusny's 23-save shutout against Minnesota State on January 5 was her third of the season, which tied the SCSU single season record.
- CREASE CREATURES: St. Cloud State's goaltending duo of sophomore Janine Alder and Polusny has been dynamic over the last two-plus months. Since November 10, Polusny and Alder rank No. 1 and No. 3 in the WCHA and No. 2 and No. 9 in the NCAA with save percentages of .969 and .936, respectively. For the season, Polusny and Alder boast save percentages of .938 and .931, which rank No. 2 and No. 3 in the WCHA and No. 4 and No. 7 in the country.
- FAB FROSH: With her pair of multi-point outings against Minnesota State to open the season's second half, freshman forward Laura Kluge now leads the team with 11 assists and 16 points through the first 19 games of her rookie season and her five goals rank second. The Berlin, Germany native's 11 assists and 16 points also rank No. 4 and No. 7, respectively, among WCHA rookies.
- SILKY TYLKE: Tylke's goal at Minnesota on Jauary 9 was not only her team-leading sixth of the season, but snapped an uncharacteristic 12-game goal-scoring drought for the Delafield, Wis., native. At 53 career points (27-26), Tylke is SCSU's active career scoring leader.
PRESEASON NOTES:
- WCHA COACHES POLL: After securing its best back-to-back conference finishes in seven years last season, the WCHA coaches picked St. Cloud State to place sixth in the league this year. SCSU finished sixth in 2016-17 with 26 league points and a 7-18-3-2 conference record. The Huskies have equaled or bettered their preseason pegging in each of their first three seasons under head coach Eric Rud.
- TWO DECADES OF HUSKIES HOCKEY: The 2017-18 season marks the 20th in St. Cloud State women's hockey history. In that time, the Huskies have produced one NCAA Div. I All-American (Felicia Nelson, 2010), one Patty Kazmaier top-10 finalist (Felicia Nelson, 2010), 16 All-WCHA selections and 27 WCHA Scholar Athletes. SCSU has won 200 games in its history and has appeared in a pair of WCHA Final Face-Offs (2006, 2008).
- WELCOME TO SCSU: The Huskies roster includes a total of 12 new faces this season, including nine freshmen—which is tied with Bemidji State for the most in the WCHA and third nationally. SCSU is one of the youngest teams in the country, overall, with 18 freshmen and sophomores—the second-most underclassmen in the nation.
- RETURNING FIREPOWER: St. Cloud State returns 75 percent of its goals and 71 percent of its total offensive production from last season, including its top four goal-scorers and point-getters—Tylke, Friesen, Erickson and Potrykus—and six of its top eight scorers, overall. Despite all of their returning offense, the Huskies have been shutout in nine of 17 games this season.
