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St. Cloud State
American International College
#1 St. Cloud State to face American International at NCAA West Regional
3/26/2019 4:23:00 PM | Men's Hockey
The #1 St. Cloud State University men's hockey team (30-5-3, 19-2-3 NCHC) will open play in the 2019 NCAA Division I West Regional tournament on Friday, March 29 with a 6:30 p.m. game against #18 American International (22-16-1) at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D. The first game of the day on March 29 in Fargo will feature #6/7 University of Denver (22-11-5) vs. #9 The Ohio State University (20-10-5) at 3:00 p.m. The winners of the first round games will advance to the regional title game, which will take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 30 in Fargo, N.D. at the Scheels Arena. The winner of the regional will then advance to the 2019 NCAA Frozen Four, which will take place on April 11-13 in Buffalo, N.Y.
SCSU NCAA HOCKEY TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
SCSU TEAM NOTEBOOK:Â Complete SCSU weekly NOTES (PDF)
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. 29 on ESPN3. The championship game on March 30 is slated to air on ESPNU. Visit www.WatchESPN.com for more details.
WATCH IN ST. CLOUD: The Ultimate Sports Bar and Grill in Waite Park will host a SCSU Hockey watch party on Friday, March 22. The Ultimate Sports Bar and Grill offers a wide range of excellent food and drink selections on its menu for purchase. Call the Ultimate at (320) 251-5580 for details.
HOBEY TOP 10: SCSU's Jimmy Schuldt and Patrick Newell are both top 10 finalist for the 2019 Hobey Baker Award. This marks the first time in team history that the Huskies have two top 10 finalists in the same season. Fans can vote for Newell and Schuldt at www.hobeybaker.com/vote
NCHC AWARD WINNERS: SCSU's Jimmy Schuldt was named the 2019 NCHC Player of the Year and the Defensive Defenseman of the Year. Patrick Newell was selected as the league's Forward of the Year and Sportsmanship Award winner and Brett Larson received the NCHC's Herb Brooks Coach of the Year award. Schuldt joins Ethan Prow (2015-16) as SCSU's other Player of the Year award winner, while Prow was the Defensive Defender in 2016 and Will Borgen earned that award in 2018. Current assistant coach Nick Oliver was the league's Sportsmanship award winner in 2014-15 and former coach Bob Motzko received the COY award in 2014 and 2018.
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.
N 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 for the last 10 conscutive weeks and 16 overall 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.
Jack Ahcan
ALL-TIME LEADER: SCSU senior Jimmy Schuldt is now the team's all-time lead for points by a defenseman with 117. Schuldt now has 38g/77a for 117 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 11th among DI blueliners with 0.89 ppg (10g/24a), along with teammate Jack Ahcan (6g/28a).
LAST WEEKEND: SCSU opened the NCHC Frozen Faceoff with a 5-2 win over CC on Mar. 22 at the Xcel Energy Center. SCSU goals in that game were charted by Patrick Newell, Nolan Walker, Robby Jackson, Jack Ahcan and Nick Poehling, while David Hrenak made 31 saves in net...the Huskies finished the weekend in St. Paul with a close 3-2 double OT loss to UMD in the title game. SCSU goals in that game were tallied by Jackson and Newell.  Â
NATIONAL LEADERS: The following is a rundown of where the Huskies rank in the current NCAA stat categories:Â Power Play - 7th (24.0%), Offense - 2nd (4.08 gpg), Defense - 11th (2.18 gapg), Scoring Margin - 1st (1.89 margin), Winning Percentage - 1st (.829), Penalty Kill - 6th (86.5%).
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Huskies finsihed the year unbeaten at home with a 17-0-1 record this season. SCSU is also 19-2-1 in games played in the state of Minnesota (and 1-1-0 in games played in North Dakota) 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 13-5-2 record. Â
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 30-5-3, 19-2-3 NCHC record this winter...the 30 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. Â
FEWEST LOSSES: With just five losses heading into the NCAA tourney, 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 30-5-3 record and the most losses the team would take at this point of the season would be one more, which would move the Huskies' record to just six losses in 2018-19.
DEFENSIVE PROWESS: SCSU has allowed just 83 goals (2.18 goals allowed per game) this season in 38 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 155 goals this season (4.08 goals per game). The Huskies set a team record in 2001-02 with 179 goals scored (4.26 goals per game).
NCAA PLAYOFF NOTES: This marks SCSU 14th NCAA tournament bid and it will be the Huskies' second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament and sixth NCAA bid since advancing to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2013. This will be first time that SCSU has played against American International...SCSU is 5-14 in NCAA playoff action and the Huskies are 5-6 in NCAA playoff action since 2010...SCSU won the Midwest Regional in 2013 and has advance to the West Regional title game in 2010, 2014 and 2015.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: Patrick Newell's 21 goals this season are the most in a season by a Husky since Joey Benik had 23 in 2015-16. Newell's 47 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 +35 ....Robby Jackson's 121 career points ranks him 17th on the all-time SCSU scoring charts (DI only) with current NHLer Nic Dowd at SCSU with 121 career points...Ryan Lasch is the team's all-time scoring leader with 183 points from 2006-10...Newell leads the team this winter with 117 shots and Jackson has 116 shots.
TOURNAMENT TIDBITS: This marks the second consecutive season that SCSU will be the overall number one seed heading into the NCAA tournament. AIC is the #16 overall seed. At the Regional, SCSU is the top seed and AIC is the fourth seed, while DU is seeded #2 and Ohio State is #3...Blake Lizotte scored a goal at last year's regional game vs. Air Force...Jacob Benson also has an NCAA tourney goal to his credit (scored at the regional in 2016).
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 14 consecutive games and the numbers speak for themselves with the line scoring 62 points since Feb. 1, 2019. In those 14 games, the trio has combined for seven points in four games and nine points on Mar. 1 at WMU. The line has scored 24 goals and 38 assists during this stretch for the Huskies, which own an 12-1-1 record since Feb. 1, 2019.
IN FARGO: The Huskies are 1-1-0 in games played at the Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D. In 2015, SCSU posted a 3-2 OT victory over Michigan Tech in the first round game of the NCAA West Regional at Scheels Arena as the OT GWG was posted by Judd Peterson that season. In the title game of the regional that season, SCSU lost a 4-1 match against North Dakota as SCSU's lone goal was scored by Jimmy Murray.
TIME TESTED: 2019 Hobey Baker candidate Jimmy Schuldt has played in 155 consecutive games at SCSU. He has never missed a game since his first game at SCSU as a freshman. SCSU's all-time consecutive games leader is Ryan Lasch with 161 games from 2006-10.
FACT CHECKING: Robby Jackson, Jimmy Schuldt, Patrick Newell, Jacob Benson and Jon Lizotte have all played in two NCAA regionals (2016 and 2018). A total of 17 current Huskies have played in NCAA tournament competition during their collegiat careers...SCSU is 17-3-1 since Jan. 1...SCSU hit a 13-game unbeaten streak from Feb. 1 to Mar. 16. Of note, SCSU's longest unbeaten streak is 15 games from Nov. 4, 2006 to Jan. 6, 2007. SCSU had 12 consecutive wins from Nov. 17, 2006 to Jan. 6, 2007...SCSU needs two more wins this season to set a new record for most victories in a season...SCSU's penalty kill is currently at 86.5%. The current team record of 87.3% was set in 2007-08...Patrick Newell has 15 multi-point games this season...Robby Jackson and Blake Lizotte both own team-high four game point scoring streaks headed into the NCAA regional.
ALL ABOUT AIC: This marks the first meeting between SCSU and AIC...Blake Christensen leads AIC with 46 points (16g/30a) and Tobias Fladeby has 18 goals to lead the Yellow Jackets...Zackarias Skog leads AIC in the nets with a 19-13-0 record, 2.75 GAA and a .896 save rate...AIC won the Atlantic Hockey Conference tournament with with a 3-2 OT win over Niagara in Buffalo on March 23...in action against common opponent Robert Morris this winter, AIC was 2-1. This included a 3-2 OT win over Robert Morris on Mar. 22. SCSU notched a 5-2 win vs. Robert Morris this season...Eric Lang is in his third season at AIC with a 45-56-13 record...AIC is located in the city of Springfield, Mass. and it was founded in 1885 (enrollment of 1,723)...like SCSU, AIC plays DI hockey and is an NCAA DII affliate with its other athletic teams...Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun attended AIC.
DENVER NOTES: The Pioneers are currently ranked #6/7 in the nation...SCSU assistant coach Mike Gibbons was an assistant coach for the Pioneers from 1990-94... SCSU is 3-1-1 in the last five games and 3-6-1 in the last 10 games played against Denver... The Huskies are 45-51-6 in the all-time series against Denver, which dates back to an 8-4 victory by the Pioneers over SCSU on Nov. 29, 1988...David Carle is the new coach at Denver in 2018-19. He replaces Jim Montgomery, who is now with the Dallas Stars...last weekend, DU gained a 6-1 win over CC in the 3rd place game of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and lost a 3-0 match against UMD in the semi's at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul...SCSU and DU have never met in the NCAA tournament...earlier this season, SCSU posted a pair of 4-3 wins at home vs. DU on Nov. 9-10, 2018...Robby Jackson (2g/7a), Jimmy Schuldt (2g/7a) and Ryan Poehling (3g/6a) all have nine points vs. DU during their collegiate careers...SCSU and DU did not play in Denver this season...Liam Finlay leads DU with 35 points (15g/20a) this season, while Emilio Petersen has 6g/23a and Jarid Lukosevicius has 18g/10a...in the nets, Devin Cooley (11-6-2) and Filip Larsson (11-5-3) have shared goalie duties in 2018-19 for DU.
OSU NOTES:Â SCSU and OSU have only played once before and that was a 3-1 victory for the Huskies in the title game of the New Hampshire Ice Breaker tournament on Oct. 10, 2014 in Durham, N.H...Ohio State brings a 20-10-5 record into the tournament and lost in the semifinal of the Big 10 tournament by a 5-1 margin to Penn State on March 17...SCSU and OSU have not played any common opponents in 2018-19...Mason Jobst leads OSU with 17 goals and 36 points, while Tanner Laczynski has 30 points (10g/20a)...in the nets, Tommy Nappier (12-3-3) and Sean Romeo (8-7-2) have shared duties for the Buckeyes...Steve Rohlik is in his 6th season at OSU with a 113-83-28 record...current SCSU head coach Brett Larson served as an associate head coach at OSU from 2013-15...Ohio State was founded in 1862 and has an enrollment of over 43,000 students...OSU is ranked #9 in the last NCAA DI polls.
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