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St. Cloud State
Colorado College - NCHC Frozen Faceoff
#1 Huskies to open NCHC Frozen Faceoff on March 22 in St. Paul
3/19/2019 3:33:00 PM | Men's Hockey
The #1 St. Cloud State University men's hockey team (29-4-3, 19-2-3 NCHC) will open play in the 2019 NCHC Frozen Face-off Tournament on March 22-23 vs. Colorado College (17-18-4, 9-12-3 NCHC) in the semi-finals at 4:08 p.m. on Friday, March 22. The game will be played at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul, Minn. The second game of the day will feature Minnesota Duluth and Denver at 7:38 p.m. The two winning teams will then advance to the Frozen Faceoff title game at 7:38 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 at the Xcel Energy Center. The two losing teams on Friday advance to play in the consolation game on March 23 at 3:38 p.m.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES:
TICKETS: www.nchchockey.com/tickets
TELEVISION: CBS Sports Network (Friday games and championship game on Saturday)
RADIO: The River 96.7 annd KVSC FM 88.1
NOTES: SCSU Weekly Notes
CONNECT WITH THE HUSKIES: Fans can follow their Huskies this week by listening to the live broadcast on The River 96.7 FM (www.river967.com) out of St. Cloud with Jim Erickson & Dave Reichel providing the call. Fans can also listen on KVSC FM 88.1 (www.kvsc.org).
WATCH THE HUSKIES: Fans can watch the game on Mar. 22 on CBS Sports Network. The championship game on Mar. 23 will also air live on CBS Sports Network, while the third place game will be available for viewing online at NCHC.tv/scsu
NEED TICKETS: For complete details on tickets for the upcoming NCHC Frozen Faceoff at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul, please visit www.nchchockey.com/tickets
FAN FEST IN ST. PAUL: Visit Saint Paul invites you to celebrate college hockey at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Fan Fest presented by Bud Light. Enjoy ice-cold beverages, tasty food, interactive hockey games and music outdoors across from Gate 2 of Xcel Energy Center. Friday, March 22 - 2 - 7:30 p.m. & Saturday, March 23 - 2 - 7:30 p.m. NCHC Frozen Faceoff Fan Fest is free and open to the public.
MEET AT THE LIFFEY: SCSU fans can meet for some pre-game fun at The Liffey in downtown St. Paul (across from the Xcel Energy Center in the Holiday Inn). The pre-game social begins 2.5 hours before the start of the Huskies' games each day of the tournament. Food and beverage will be available for purchase at The Liffey and all SCSU alumni and fans are invited to stop on by to get ready for the games.
Jimmy Schuldt
SULLIVAN AWARD: Congrats to SCSU's Jimmy Schuldt was named a semifinalist for the 2019 Sullivan Award.
ALL-NCHC AWARDS: St. Cloud State's Jimmy Schuldt, Patrick Newell, Blake Lizotte and Ryan Poehling were all named to the 2019 All-NCHC First Team, while David Hrenak and Jack Ahcan were named to the 2019 All-NCHC Second Team. SCSU's Nick Perbix and Nolan Walker were both named to the 2019 NCHC All-Rookie Team. The four first team award winners were the most by the Huskies in a season during the team's Division I era.
IN THE POLLS: The Huskies received a #1 ranking in the USA TODAY/USA Hockey weekly poll. In the USCHO.com poll this week, the Huskies earned a #1 ranking. SCSU has been ranked #1 in the national polls for 15 weeks this season.
NCHC CHAMPS: The Huskies claimed the 2018-19 NCHC championship with a 5-0 win at Omaha on Feb. 23. This marks the third time the Huskies have won the Penrose Cup, which is the most of any team in the NCHC. SCSU also won the NCHC regular season title in 2014, 2018 and 2019.
ALL-TIME LEADER: SCSU senior Jimmy Schuldt is now the team's all-time lead for points by a defenseman with 116. Schuldt now has 38g/78a for 116 points. He moves past Kelly Hultgren, who had 28g/79a from 1991-95. Schuldt is the team's all-time leader for goals by a defenseman with 38 and power play goals by a defenseman with 19 during his career...Schuldt was the top-scoring blue liner in NCHC play with 23 points in 24 games, while his 17 assists and six goals also led defensemen in 2018-19. In the nation, Schuldt ranks 9th among DI blueliners with 0.92 ppg (10g/23a).
LAST WEEKEND: SCSU punched its ticket to St. Paul with a straight set series win over Miami. On Mar. 15, the Huskies posted a 5-2 win at the HBNHC and on Mar. 16, SCSU gained a 6-3 victory over MU at home. Easton Brodzinski led the Huskies in the series with 3g/2a, while Robby Jackson had 2g/2a and Blake Lizotte had 1g/2a. David Hrenak gained the win both nights in the nets for SCSU with a combined total of 41 saves vs. the RedHawks.
NATIONAL LEADERS: The following is a rundown of where the Huskies rank in the current NCAA stat categories: Power Play - 7th (24.3%), Offense - 2nd (4.11 gpg), Defense - 11th (2.17 gapg), Scoring Margin - 1st (1.94 margin), Winning Percentage - 1st (.847), Penalty Kill - 5th (87.1%).
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Huskies finsihed the year unbeaten at home with a 17-0-1 record this season. SCSU is also 18-1-1 in games played in the state of Minnesota so far this year. This marked the first time in the team's DI era that SCSU has gone undefeated at home during its season. Of note, SCSU's best record at home in a single season was a 14-1-3 mark in 1993-94. SCSU was 16-3-1 at home in 2001-02 and 16-3-1 at home in 1996-97. In addition, SCSU was 16-3-2 at home in 2017-18 and 13-3-0 at home in 2013-13. On the road this season, SCSU owns an 12-4-2 record.
BEST EVER IN THE NCHC: SCSU's 19 wins in the NCHC this year is the most of any team in the history of the NCHC, and our 62 league points is also tops in the NCHC recordbook. SCSU currently owns a 12-game unbeaten streak going into the NCHC semi's and the Huskies own a 9-game winning streak at present. SCSU's last loss was a 5-1 setback on Jan. 26 at North Dakota. SCSU currently owns a 29-4-3, 19-2-3 NCHC record this winter...the 29 wins this winter ranks third for most wins in a season by the Huskies. SCSU set a team standard with 31 wins in 2015-16 and 2000-01. SCSU also had a 29 win season in 2001-02.
FEWEST LOSSES: With just four losses heading into the Frozen Faceoff, SCSU has already set a new team record for fewest losses in a season (at the DI level). The Huskies previous season best was nine losses in 2000-01 (31-9-1), 2015-16 (31-9-1) and 2017-18 (25-9-6). SCSU currently owns a 29-4-3 record and the most losses the team would take at this point of the season would be three more, which would move the Huskies' record to just seven losses in 2018-19.
RANKINGS: In the all-important Pairwise rankings, St. Cloud State received the top spot with a 58 (.6154 RPI). In the KRACH DI rankings, SCSU was rated #1 with a rating of 829.9. Of note, SCSU has gained 13 NCAA bids since 1989 and the Huskies have advanced to NCAA tournament play five times since 2013 (2018, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013).
DEFENSIVE PROWESS: SCSU has allowed just 78 goals (2.17 goals allowed per game) this season in 36 games played. The current team record for fewest goals allowed in a season is 90, which was set in 2015-16 over 41 games (2.20 goals allowed per game). On the other hand, SCSU has scored 148 goals this season (4.11 goals per game). The Huskies set a team record in 2001-02 with 179 goals scored (4.26 goals per game).
FROZEN FACEOFF: For complete details on tickets, please visit www.nchchockey.com/tickets
WORLD JUNIOR SPOTLIGHT: Forward Ryan Poehling helped Team USA gain a second place finish at the 2019 IIHF World Juniors. Poehling was voted the MVP in the tournament, makde the tourney All-Star Team and was voted the Best Forward in the tournament. He had five goals and three assists in tournament play (3rd best). Poehling competed for Team USA at the World Juniors in 2018, where Team USA won a Bronze Medal. Poehling joined Mark Parrish (1996 & 1997) as the other Husky who has played in two World Junior tourneys for Team USA. A total of 10 SCSU players have skated for Team USA at the IIHF World Juniors since 1991.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: Patrick Newell's 19 goals this season are the most in a season by a Husky since Joey Benik had 23 in 2015-16. Newell's 43 points is the most in his career and the most by a Husky since Kalle Kossila had 54 points and Joey Benik had 48 in 2015-16...Patrick Newell leads the team on the plus/minus at +32 ....Robby Jackson's 119 career points ranks him 18th on the all-time SCSU scoring charts (DI only) with Chris Scheid (1987-91). Current NHLer Nic Dowd ranks 17th on the scoring list at SCSU with 121 career points...Ryan Lasch is the team's all-time scoring leader with 183 points from 2006-10...Jackson leads the team this winter with 110 shots, while Newell paces SCSU with 19 goals.
ON FIRE: The line of Robby Jackson-Blake Lizotte and Patrick Newell has been making quite an impact of late. The trio has been paired on the same line for the last 12 consecutive games and the numbers speak for themselves with the line scoring 56 points since Feb. 1, 2019. In those 12 games, the trio has combined for seven points in four games and nine points on Mar. 1 at WMU. The line has scored 20 goals and 34 assists during this stretch for the Huskies, which own an 11-0-1 record since Feb. 1, 2019.
AND A FEW MORE TOURNAMENT NOTES: The Huskies will bring an 12-game unbeaten streak into St. Paul and a nine-game winning streak into the games on Mar. 22-23..SCSU has hosted first round play in the NCHC tourney in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019. SCSU is 8-5 in NCHC first round games and the Huskies are 6-3 in the first round games played at the HBNHC. SCSU has advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019...SCSU is 4-2 in games played in the Frozen Faceoff. SCSU won the Frozen Faceoff in 2016 and placed second at the Frozen Faceoff in 2015 and 2018...SCSU has never played CC in an NCHC playoff game.
AT THE X: Since the buidling opened in 2000-01, the Huskies have posted a 12-16 record in games played at the Xcel Energy Center. This includes games played in the WCHA Final Five, NCHC Frozen Faceoff, NCAA West Regionals, the North Star Cup and the MN Hockey Showcase. Last year, SCSU defeated North Dakota 3-2 in OT in the NCHC FF semi's before losing by a 4-1 score to Denver in the championship game at the Xcel Energy Center. In other NCHC Frozen Faceoff title games, SCSU lost a 3-2 match against Miami on March 21, 2015 at the Target Center and defeated UMD by a 3-1 score on March 19, 2016 at the Target Center.
OPPONENT NOTES: CC leads the series against SCSU 50-48-7...head coach Mike Haviland is in his fifth year as head coach at CC. Haviland was an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks from 2008-12...SCSU assistant coach Mike Gibbons was an assistant coach at Colorado College from 1988 to 1990...CC earned its ticket to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff with a 2-1 series win at WMU. On Mar. 15, the Tigers scored a 2-1 win followed by a 5-2 loss on Mar. 16. CC clinched the series with a 3-2 win on Mar. 18...earlier this year, SCSU gained a 5-3 a d 2-1 victory at CC on Nov. 2-3, 2018 and a 2-2 tie and a 5-4 OT win on Feb. 8--9, 2019 in St. Cloud...last year at the HBNHC, SCSU posted a 6-1 and 5-1 sweep at the HBNHC on Nov. 17-18, 2017....the last time the Huskies have lost a game at CC was a 4-3 setback on Feb. 22, 2013...SCSU is 4-0-1 in the last five games vs. CC and 8-1-1 in the last 10 games vs. the Tigers...Hobey Baker candidate Jimmy Schuldt has scored 5g/10a in action against the Tigers during his college career that spans 14 games played against CC...Trey Bradley leads CC with 14 goals and 32 points this year...Junior netminder Alex LeClerc is 17-17-4 with a 2.55 GAA this season...SCSU is 24-15-2 in games played at the World Arena since it opened in 1998 and 18-21-5 vs. CC in games played in St. Cloud...this marks the first meeting between CC and SCSU in NCHC tournament play...SCSU and CC have only met in conference tourney play during the WCHA era, with SCSU owning a 2-6 record vs. the Tigers in the WCHA Final Five tourney...SCSU was 2-3 vs. CC in WCHA first round action and the Huskies were 0-3 vs. CC at the WCHA Final Five (all third place games)...the last time SCSU and CC met in the conference postseason tournament, the Huskies won the first round series by a 2-1 tally in 2006 at the World Arena.
