St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey Falters in OT to St. Thomas

Saturday, October 7

St. Cloud, Minn.

6:00 P.M. CT

St. Cloud State

0-1-0

St. Thomas

1-0-0

OT 1

St. Thomas (MN)

St. Cloud St.

10/8/2023 12:11:00 AM | Men's Hockey

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Huskies score four power play goals in season-opening setback

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 8/7 St. Cloud State Men's Hockey (0-1-0, 0-0-0 NCHC) scored four power play goals but ended up falling to (RV) St. Thomas (1-0-0, 0-0-0 CCHA) in overtime, 5-4, on Saturday night at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. The Huskies committed seven penalties but killed off five of their trips to the penalty box, and scored with 8:32 left remaining in the game to tie the score at 4-4, but ultimately led in a fifth goal in overtime to drop its season-opener.

TURNING POINT

After leading 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, the Huskies fell behind 4-3 after giving up power play goals in the last minute of the second period and 5:08 into the third period. Luke Manning and Matthew Gleason scored for the Tommies, while each of them assisted on the other's goal. Senior forward Veeti Miettinen (Espoo, Finland) knotted the score at 4-4 at the 11:28 mark of the third period, but the Huskies couldn't find the last goal to seal the victory.

The Tommies' Ryder Donovan would score 1:11 into the overtime period, grabbing the 5-4 overtime win for UST.

TOP HUSKIES

Miettinen scored a goal and had two assists for a three-point night.
Fifth-year forward Dylan Anhorn (Calgary, Alberta) scored a goal and had an assist in the game.
Fifth-year forward Zach Okabe (Okotoks, Alberta) and freshman forward Barrett Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) each scored a goal in the game.

NOTES

With the loss, St. Cloud State moves to 20-25-0 all-time against St. Thomas.
The Huskies went 4-of-6 on the power play, its most power play goals since scoring four against Bemidji State on Jan. 1, 2022.
Miettinen's three-point night was his ninth career three-point game and his 11^th career game with multiple assists.
Okabe registered his 15^th career power play goal, 43^rd career goal and 96^th career point with his second period score.
Anhorn recorded his 19^th career goal, 44^th career assist and 61^st and 62^nd career points.
Hall scored his first career goal and point with the Huskies first goal of the season, while freshman forward Verner Miettinen (Espoo, Finland) recorded his first career point with an assist on his brother's goal.
Junior forward Nick Portz (St. Cloud, Minn.) recorded his first point as a Husky with the secondary assist on Okabe's goal.
Junior forward Mason Salquist (Grand Forks, N.D.) went 20-6 in the faceoff dot a set a new career-best for faceoff wins.

UP NEXT

The Huskies and Tommies will finish its home-and-home series tomorrow in St. Paul, with game time slated for 4:00 p.m. CT on FloHockey.

Season and single game tickets for the 2023-24 season are now available for purchase by visiting www.scsutickets.com or by calling 1-877-SCSUTIX / 320-308-2137. For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Hockey, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.