Huskies Return to Action with Series Against Bemidji State

Friday, December 31

Bemidji, Minn.

6:00 P.M. CT

St. Cloud State

Bemidji State

12/30/2021 4:55:00 PM | Men's Hockey

Home-and-Home series will be first matchup against Beavers since 2019

GAME NOTES

THE MATCHUP

St. Cloud State Men's Hockey returns from a three-week hiatus for a home-and-home matchup with in-state rival Bemidji State on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) and New Year's Day (Jan. 1). The series will start at the Sanford Center in Bemidji on Friday before moving to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center on Saturday to close the series with both games scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. CT. Friday's game will be available on FloHockey.com for a fee, while Saturday's game will be televised on Fox 9 + (stream available on NCHC.tv) with Jim Rich, Pat Micheletti and Rachel Herzog on the call. On the radio, both games will be available on KNSI (1450 AM / 99.3 FM) with Jim Erickson on and Dave Reichel on the call. The Huskies enter the weekend ranked No. 7 in both the USCHO Poll and No. 6 in the USA Today / USA Hockey Coaches Poll, while the Beavers enter the series receiving votes in the USCHO Poll.

SERIES HISTORY

The Huskies and Beavers renew is in-state rivalry this weekend, meeting for the 102^nd and 103rd times, dating back to the 1947-48 season. St. Cloud State holds a 49-45-7 lead in the series, including a 6-1-3 mark in the last 10 matchups and a 22-4-4 record since 2008, the first time both teams met as D-I opponents. In the last time the two teams met, the Huskies and Beavers tied twice in Bemidji, 4-4 and on Jan. 11-12, 2019. It marks the last time the Huskies played to ties in both games of a two-game series.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST SERIES

In its last time out, St. Cloud State earned a split with No. 7 North Dakota at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, winning 8-1 on Dec. 3 before falling 5-3 on Dec. 4. The Huskies' 8-1 win on Friday was its largest margin of victory over North Dakota since joining Division-I, surpassing is 9-2 win on Jan. 20, 1995, and was the first time North Dakota has lost by seven goals since Feb. 1998. Senior forward Easton Brodzinski led the way in the game for the Huskies, recording four points and his first career hat trick in the victory, SCSU's first hat trick since Jan. 23, 2021 when senior forward Nolan Walker scored four goals against Miami. On Saturday, senior forward Kevin Fitzgerald, junior forward Kyler Kupka and senior defenseman Nick Perbix scored in the Huskies 5-3 setback. The Huskies scored quick in both games against the Fighting Hawks, as Kupka scored 18 seconds into the game on Friday and Fitzgerald scored 17 seconds in on Saturday, just narrowly missing the school record for quickest goal of 12 seconds, which was set by Fred Kripscheer on March 13, 1993 against Michigan Tech.

SPECIAL TEAMS FUELS HUSKIES

One of the many factors to St. Cloud State's success through the first half of the season has been their play on special teams, both on the power play and on the penalty kill. The Huskies currently lead the nation in power-play percentage with a 33.3 percent (23-of-69) success rate and power play goals with 23. St. Cloud State will have the single-season school records in its sights in the second half of the season, as the current records stand at 31.1 percent (73-of-235) on the power play in 2001-02 and 52 power play goals in 1990-91.
Individually, 10 Huskies have scored on the power play this season, led by junior forward Zach Okabe's five power play goals, a mark which ranks third in the NCHC and seventh in the nation. All five of Okabe's goals this season have come with the one-man advantage. Senior forward Kevin Fitzgerald and senior forward Easton Brodzinski have each scored four power play goals this season, checking in at 12^th nationally, while junior forward Jami Krannila has scored three goals this season with a man-advantage. On the season, St. Cloud State is 9-2-0 when scoring on the power play.
The Huskies have been superb on the penalty kill as well, ranking fourth in the NCHC and 20^th nationally at 84.7 percent (50-of-59). St. Cloud State leads the nation with five short-handed goals on this season, while senior forward Micah Miller is the one of seven players in the nation to score two goals being a man-down, as he netted his second "shorty" of the season on Nov. 6 at Colorado College.

BRODZINSKI (FINALLY) GETS HIS HAT TRICK

In his 155th career game, senior forward Easton Brodzinski, known goal-scorer, recorded his first career hat trick in an 8-1 rout of North Dakota on Dec. 3. He also added an assist in the onslaught to record a career-high four points in the game. It also marked the eighth career multi-goal game of his career and his third this season.
Brodzinski scored his 62^nd, 63^rd and 64^th career goals to move into a tie for eighth-place all-time in program history with his brother, Johny Brodzinski (2012-15). The Blaine, Minn., native now has 111 career points, good for 27th-best in program history (D-I only).
Brodzinski's hat trick was the 64th hatty in St. Cloud State history (D-I only), and was the first hat trick for the Huskies since senior forward Nolan Walker (Anchorage, Ala.) scored four goals against Miami on Jan. 23, 2021.

BRODZY'S MARK IN THE RECORD BOOK

Senior forward Easton Brodzinski is etching his name all over the St. Cloud State record book in his final season as a Husky.
Brodzinski recorded his first career hat trick on Dec. 3 against North Dakota to move into a tie for eighth-place all-time in program history with his brother, Johny Brodzinski (2012-15) with 64 career goals.
In the Huskies season-opener, Brodzinski became the 37^th member of St. Cloud State's 100-point club (35^th with D-I stats only) with a pair of goals in a 12-2 win over St. Thomas on Oct. 2. The Blaine, Minn., native now has 111 career points, good for 27th-best in program history (D-I only).
They fifth-year senior also ranks fourth in game-winning goals with 12, sixth in power play goals with 25 and ninth in games played with 155.

PEART MAKES TEAM USA WORLD JUNIORS ROSTER

St. Cloud State freshman defenseman Jack Peart was named to the 2022 U.S. National Junior Team for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. Peart was a late addition to the camp roster, being added to the preliminary roster on Dec. 12 before officially making the national junior team roster on Dec. 14.
Peart is the 11th player in program history to make the U.S. national junior team roster, and the first since Ryan Poehling in 2019. The Husky defenseman was one seven skaters from the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) to make the roster, the most in the conference's history.
Peart added an assist in Team USA's 3-2 win over Finland on Dec. 26, the only game played by the Americans before the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

PEART SETTLES IN FOR FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN

St. Cloud State freshman defenseman Jack Peart more than proved he belonged in his first semester of collegiate hockey.
Peart has totaled 10 points (two goals / eight assists) and posted a +6 mark in 12 games in his true freshman campaign with the Huskies. In his collegiate debut against St. Thomas (Oct. 2), Peart recorded two assists in the Huskies' 12-2 rout. He was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Rookie of the Week on Oct. 18 after scoring his first career goal and adding an assist in a split against No. 4 Minnesota (Oct. 15-16). Peart scored his second goal of the season against Omaha (Nov. 13), and had four assists in the series against North Dakota (Dec. 3-4), including a career-high three in an 8-1 rout on Dec. 3.
The Husky freshman has since scored points in four of the last five games after missing four games between Oct. 23 and Nov. 12 due to an injury.
Peart was named the 2021 Minnesota Mr. Hockey and Reed Larson Award winner, awards given annually to the most outstanding high school boys hockey player and top defenseman, respectively, in the state of Minnesota. He split time between Grand Rapids High School and the Fargo Force of the USHL during the 2020-21 season, where he recorded one goal and 14 assists with the Force while helping the team win the Western Conference playoff title. With Grand Rapids, he led the team in assists (24), points (35) and game-winning goals (three) in his senior season while totaling 32 goals, 88 points and seven game-winning goals in three varsity seasons.
In July 2021, the Minnesota Wild selected Peart in the second round (54th overall) in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

PERBIX'S FOUR APPLES

Senior defenseman Nick Perbix recorded a career-high four assists in the Huskies 8-1 win over North Dakota on Dec. 3. It marked the first time a Husky recorded four assists since senior forward Micah Miller did so against Miami on Jan. 23, 2021and the first time a defenseman has recorded four assists since Jack Ahcan had four against Alaska Fairbanks on Oct. 13, 2018.
Perbix was one apple away from the school record mark of five, which was set by Brandon Sampair against Minnesota on March 18, 2000.
On the season, Perbix currently ranks second on the team in assists with 10 and fourth in points with 11.
Perbix was named NCHC Defenseman of the Week on Dec. 6 following his performance against the Fighting Hawks, the sixth weekly honor for the Huskies this season.
Perbix recorded six points (1g/5a) in a split against No. 7 North Dakota, including an 8-1 rout on Friday, UND's worst margin of defeat since 1998.

FITZY'S CAREER YEAR

Graduate forward Kevin Fitzgerald is making the most of his final collegiate season of hockey, as he currently leads the team in assists (13) and points (21), while ranking second in goals (eight) and power play goals (four). The alternate captain has also posted an impressive mark of +11 on the season.
Just 16 games into the season, Fitzgerald has recorded career-highs in points (21) and power play goals (four), surpassing his previous best marks of 19 points in 2017-18 and two in 2020-21.
The Husky senior is not too far off career highs in other categories as well, as he is nearing his career-best marks of 10 goals in 2018-19 and 14 assists in 2017-18.

HRENAK LEADS THE WAY

Graduate goalie David Hrenak has been clicking on all cylinders to start the season, as he was named the NCHC Goaltender of the Month for the month of October. In 14 starts, Hrenak has posted a record of 9-5-0 with a goals against average of 2.01 and a save percentage of .922, marks which nationally ranks 11^thand 18^th, respectively.
With 17 saves this weekend against Bemidji State, Hrenak will become the second Husky in program history to record 3,000 career saves. He will join St. Cloud State's all-time saves leader Brian Leitza, who made 3,500 saves from 1994-98.
The Los Angeles Kings draft pick became the Huskies all-time leader in career wins with his victory over St. Thomas to open the season, the 67th of his career. Among program records, Hrenak ranks first in all-time wins (75), first in shutouts (12), second in saves (2,983), fourth in goals against average (2.38) and eighth in save percentage (.910).
Hrenak was named the NCHC Goalie of the Week on Oct. 11, as he helped lead the Huskies to a road split against No. 1/2 Minnesota State. Hrenak made saves on 50 of 52 shots (96.2 percent) against the Mavericks and led the Huskies to a 3-1 victory on Oct. 9, making 22 saves. The Husky netminder also made 28 saves on Oct. 8 in a 1-0 loss.

STARTING OFF STRONG

St. Cloud State has made it a point to start off strong this season, as the Huskies have outscored their opponents, 21-3, in the first period. Good things happening the to Huskies when they lead early, as they are 9-2-0 when leading after the first period and 9-0-0 when leading after two periods.