Men's hockey greasy play leads to 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth

Monday, March 15

Grand Forks, N.D.

3:05 p.m.

St. Cloud State

17-9-0

University of Minnesota Duluth

14-10-2

Minn. Duluth

St. Cloud St.

NCAA Men's Hockey 2021: NCHC Frozen Faceoff

Jami Krannila celebrates his goal in the first period against Minnesota-Duluth.

Photo by: Russell Hons

Men's hockey greasy play leads to 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth

3/15/2021 6:25:00 PM | Men's Hockey

Box Score

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - It is a rivalry that has felt like playoff hockey all season long. At least, that's what St. Cloud State University head men's hockey coach Brett Larson and junior captain Spencer Meier (Sartell, Minn. / Fargo) said in their press conferences before Monday's National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) semifinal match up with No. 9 the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

So it was fitting, then, that the Huskies and Bulldogs squared off for the seventh time this season with a chance to advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship on the line. Game seven lived up to its name, as St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth delivered one of the best games of the 2020-21 season. Fortunately, it went the right way for Huskies fans. Thanks to a quirky, almost hidden goal and strong goaltending, the Huskies downed Minnesota-Duluth 3-2 in the semifinal, allowing St. Cloud State to advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship game for the third time in three chances.

It was clear from the get go this meeting between the Huskies and Bulldogs would live up to all the others this season, as the two teams blasted off and settled into a quick and fast paced game seconds into the opening period. Not two minutes in, though, St. Cloud State was slowed slightly, as Luke Jaycox (Warroad, Minn. / Lincoln) was called for a penalty at 2:08 in the first period. David Hrenak (Povazska Bystrica, Slovakia / Green Bay) the Huskies penalty kill held firm, resulting in a 0-0 tie five minutes into the game.

St. Cloud State managed to strike first five minutes later, as Jami Krannila (Nokia, Finland / Sioux Falls) took a Ryan Fanti rebound and sent it to the back of the net, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead at 7:02 in the first period.

Five minutes later, though, it was a 1-1 ballgame, as Kobe Roth beat Hrenak on the backdoor to even the score for the Bulldogs. That didn't deter St. Cloud State, though, as the Huskies continued to push the puck deep in the Minnesota-Duluth defensive zone. Their tenacity paid off with 17:52 remaining in the first, as Kevin Fitzgerald (Hinsdale, Ill. / Aberdeen) scored a greasy goal, his ninth of the season, to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead at the end of the period.

The second period was nearly as high scoring as the first, though it took a little longer for either the Bulldogs or Huskies to strike. It was, unfortunately, Minnesota-Duluth that struck first in the second, as the Bulldogs evened the score with an even strength goal by Koby Bender. Four minutes later, it looked like Minnesota-Duluth might strike again, as St. Cloud State was called for too many men with under five minutes remaining in the second.

The penalty may have been a blessing in disguise for the Huskies, as it was a shorthanded goal that put St. Cloud State ahead seemingly for good. However, the Chase Brand (Nevis, Minn. / Madison) wrap around was missed by all but Nick Perbix (Elk River, Minn. / Omaha), whose careful eye watched the puck cross the goalline before hitting Fanti's stick. Thanks to Perbix's pestering, the play was reviewed after the whistle, and the refs left the penalty box declaring Brand's shot was a goal, and the Huskies went ahead 3-2 with 2:52 remaining in the second.

Then came the waiting game. Approximately three minutes in the second and the entirety of the third period. St. Cloud State fans watched with bated breath as the clock slowly wound its way down and Minnesota-Duluth peppered Hrenak with shot after shot. The senior netminder stayed firm, though, resulting in a 3-2 Huskies lead with 2:02 remaining in regulation.

In the end, Hrenak's solid play and Brand's goal were enough, as the Huskies held off the Bulldogs' late push to clinch their third trip in three chances to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship with a 3-2 win over their conference rivals.

Krannila, Fitzgerald and Brand scored the goals for St. Cloud State with assists credited to Zach Okabe (Okotoks, Alberta / Grande Prairie), Seamus Donohue (North Oaks, Minn. / Michigan Tech), Krannila, Meier, Will Hammer (St. Cloud, Minn. / Minnesota) and Jaycox. Krannila was the lone St. Cloud State player with a multi-point game, while Okabe extended his point streak to five consecutive games.

Hrenak was gold in net for the Huskies, as he made 24 saves on 26 shots against one of the most prolific offensive teams in the always rugged NCHC.

With the win, St. Cloud State advances to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship for the third time in the last three chances thanks to the 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth. Additionally, the Huskies record improves to 17-9-0, as they closed the regular season with a 15-9-2 mark in NCHC play. St. Cloud State will face either North Dakota or Denver in the championship game, which is set to start at 7:37 p.m. at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota.