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St. Cloud State
16-9-0
Colorado College
4-17-2
Huskies advance with 2-1 win over Colorado College
3/12/2021 8:39:00 PM | Men's Hockey
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - It was supposed to be an easy win. At least, on paper it was. But nothing is easy in the always rugged National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), especially wins, and especially in the playoffs.
Everything on paper gave the St. Cloud State University men's hockey team a clear advantage entering its NCHC Quarterfinal matchup with Colorado College. The Huskies were at full strength, while the Tigers could barely yield a full team, as they sent just 17 skaters on the ice with only one healthy goalie. St. Cloud State also had the better team, the better record and the better scorers entering the contest, with the newly minted NCHC Rookie of the Year and two All-Conference caliber players sitting on the bench.
Yet, it took everything the Huskies could muster to win their quarterfinal contest against Colorado College. After falling behind 1-0 in the second period, St. Cloud persevere and overcame the adversity, rallying for a 2-1 NCHC quarterfinal win over the upset minded Tigers.
If puck possession was tracked in college hockey, the Huskies would have dominated, as they controlled the puck for seemingly all of the first period, but with nothing to show for it. The game was knotted 0-0 after the first period, as Colorado College goalie Mike Vernon stopped every single shot he faced. The goalie seemed to be standing on his head, but St. Cloud State continued to circle like a pack of sharks, waiting to strike first and put an end to the Tigers thoughts of an upset.
In the end, it didn't exactly work out that way, as Colorado College struck first just two minutes into the second period. Mckay Flanagan snuck one past David Hrenak (Povazksa Bystrica, Slovakia / Green Bay) from the red line, giving the Tigers an unexpected 1-0 lead at 2:08 in the second period.
Still, the Huskies had plenty of time to even the score and seemingly did so roughly five minutes later. Zach Okabe (Okatoks, Alberta / Grande Prairie) batted a bouncing puck past Vernon, lighting the lamp for St. Cloud State and evening the score 1-1. Okabe's goal was called off, though, as it was decided upon review that Veeti Miettinen (Espoo, Finland / Kiekko-Espoo U20) passed the puck with a high stick earlier in the play, negating Okabe's goal.
So the Huskies continued their pursuit of the equalizer, but for nearly 18 full minutes, Vernon held strong, stopping every single shot he faced. St. Cloud State, though, persevere and finally caught a break at 17:06, as Colorado College's Zach Berzolla was called for a five minute major and misconduct kneeing Miettinen, sending the senior captain to the locker room and the Huskies to a power play.
St. Cloud State battered Vernon with shots, but the sophomore goalie held firm. That is until Okabe struck again, for real this time. The sophomore buried a pass from Kyler Kupka (Camrose, Alberta / Camrose) in the back of the net, evening the score 1-1 with 1:01 remaining in the second period.
The 1-1 score held for the remainder of the second and almost all of the third period, as neither the Tigers nor Huskies could figure out their opponents netminder. St. Cloud State fans stopped breathing momentarily early in the third period, as a power play shot by Colorado College ringed off the post, but bounced toward the boards rather than into the net, preserving the 1-1 tie.
The Huskies killed the penalty and continued to shoot the puck, sending shot after shot Vernon's way. The Tigers defense, though, formed a formidable wall around their stud goalie, blocking nearly as many shots as Vernon saved. There was no stopping St. Cloud State late in the period though, as the Huskies tenacious offensive attack paid off at 16:05. Senior forward Kevin Fitzgerald (Hinsdale, Ill. / Aberdeen) sent a wicked shot in Vernon's direction, nearly scoring the go ahead goal from the left circle. Vernon made the initial save, but the puck dribbled behind him and into the waiting stick of Nick Perbix (Elk River, Minn. / Omaha).
Perbix just got a piece of the puck, but it was just enough to send the puck dribbling to the back of the net, putting St. Cloud State ahead 2-1. Then came the waiting. Nearly four full minutes of it. It didn't feel much like waiting, though, as the Huskies defense, including Hrenak, held strong, allowing them to clinch the 2-1 quarterfinal win.
St. Cloud State won nearly every battle Friday afternoon, as the team outshot Colorado College 44-7. The Tigers seven shots on goal are the fewest for an opponent in 2020-21, and it marks the first time all season the Huskies have held an opponent to zero shots in a single period, as Colorado College did not put a single shot on net in the third period.
Okabe and Perbix scored St. Cloud State's two goals, while Fitzgerald recorded a multi-point day with two assists. Kupka and Seamus Donohue (North Oaks, Minn. / Michigan Tech) additionally recorded assists Friday afternoon.
With the win, the Huskies overall record improves to 16-9-0 and they advance to the semifinal round of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. St. Cloud State will wait to see its opponent, as it will face potentially Minnesota-Duluth or Western Michigan in Monday's semifinal.
