No. 10 St. Cloud State Men's Hockey Set for Top-10 Showdown with No. 2 Boston College

THE MATCHUP

No. 10 St. Cloud State Men's Hockey continues its six-game homestand this weekend with a top-10 series against No. 2 Boston College on Nov. 1-2 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Friday's start time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT, while Saturday's start is slated for 6:00 p.m. CT. Both game's will be televised on Fox 9 + (tape delay both nights) and live on NCHC.tv with Jim Erickson, Geno Parrish and Olivia Stephes on the call. On the radio, Nick Maxson and Dave Reichel will have the call on KNSI (1450 AM / 99.3 FM). The Huskies enter the weekend on a three-game win streak after earning a sweep over Augustana last weekend behind two one-goal victories. SCSU's 6-1-0 start to the season matches its best seven-game start to a season under head coach Brett Larson, equaling the starts from the 2018-19 and 2022-23 seasons. Boston College enters the weekend with a 3-1-0 mark overall and is coming off a 4-2 win over No. 14 Western Michigan, erasing a two-goal deficit for the comeback win.

GOING POLLING

After beginning the season at No. 16, St. Cloud State continues its ascension in the polls, entering the top-10 for the first time this season and the first time since Oct. 9, 2023. The Huskies are currently ranked No. 10 in both the USCHO poll and the USA Today / The Rink Live Top-20 polls. Boston College checks in at No. 2 in both polls.

SERIES HISTORY

This weekend's series will be the sixth and seventh meetings all-time between the two programs with the Eagles second-ever trip to St. Cloud. SCSU leads the all-time series, 4-1-0, winning each of the last four matchups. The two teams last met at the 2021 NCAA Northeast Regional Championship game, where the Huskies earned a 4-1 win to clinch its second-ever trip to the NCAA Frozen Four. After falling behind 1-0 in the game, the Huskies scored three goals in the second period to take control and punch their trip to the final four. BC last came to the Brooks Center on Oct. 20-21, 2017, where the Huskies swept the Eagles 5-1 and 3-1.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST SERIES

The Huskies are coming off a homecoming weekend sweep over Augustana, winning 4-3 and 2-1 in former captain Garrett Raboin's return to the Brooks Center. Senior forward Nick Portz scored two goals in Friday's game which also featured the first goals of the season for junior defenseman Josh Zinger and sophomore forward Daimon Gardner. Saturday's game proved to be as tight as the first, with senior defenseman Josh Luedtke and Zinger both finding the back of the net to propel the Huskies to the 2-1 victory.

POSCH EARNS TOP NCHC GOALTENDER HONOR FOR OCTOBER

Sophomore goaltender Isak Posch was named NCHC Goaltender of the Month for October after starting all seven games for the Huskies in the opening month of the season, posting a 6-1-0 record with an NCHC-leading .946 save percentage. Posch is the fourth Husky to earn the sixth NCHC Goaltender of the Month honor, following Charlie Lindgren (Oct. 2015), David Hrenak (Feb. 2019, Feb. 2020, Oct. 2021) and Dominic Basse (Oct. 2022). Posch has also been named the NCHC Goaltender of the Week twice this season (Oct. 7, 21).

WINNING THE TIGHT ONES

SCSU is 5-0 on the season in one-goal games, already drastically improving on its mark of 6-6 in one-goal games from a season ago. The Huskies scored the first goal in four of the five one-goal wins and earned its first come-from-behind win of the season against Augustana on Oct. 25, coming back from a 2-1 deficit in the second period to earn a 4-3 win.

PENALTY KILLERS

St. Cloud State has produced an impressive NCHC-leading 94.4 percent mark on the penalty kill this season, stopping 17 of 18 power chances for its opponents this season. Bemidji State scored the lone power play goal on the season against SCSU on Oct. 12. SCSU has killed nine consecutive penalties heading into the weekend.

NOTES FROM LAST SERIES:

GAME 1 - 4-3 win vs. Augustana (10-25-24)
- With the win, SCSU earned the first win in the first meeting between the two programs.
- Senior forward Nick Portz recorded his first career multi-goal game and just his third career multi-point game with his two goals. Prior to the game, Portz had never scored more than two goals in any of his three collegiate seaons.
- Sophomore forward Barrett Hall matched his career-high with two assists for the third time in his career, moving into the team lead with seven points (2g/5a).
- Junior forward Josh Zinger scored his first goal as a Husky and seventh of his career, while adding an assist for his sixth career multi-point game.
- Sophomore forward Daimon Gardner scored his first goal as a Husky and his second career goal while recording his first career game-winning goal.
- Sophomore goaltender Isak Posch made 29 saves in the victory, marking the 12th time in his career he has made 25 or more saves.
- Junior defenseman Mason Reiners and junior forward Grant Ahcan each recorded their first assists of the season.
GAME 2 - 2-1 win vs. Augustana (10-26-24)
- With the win, SCSU moved to 2-0-0 all-time against Augustana.
- SCSU turned away both Vikings power plays and improved to 94.4 percent on the season on the penalty kill.
- The Huskies have killed nine consecutive penalties dating back Oct. 12 against Bemidji State.
- St. Cloud State was a remarkable 36-18 in the faceoff dot, led by senior forward Mason Salquist at 15-6 and sophomore forward Tyson Gross at 12-5.
- Junior defenseman Josh Zinger scored his second goal of the season and his second career game-winning goal.
- Junior defenseman Josh Luedtke's first goal of the season was also his 10th career goal.
- Sophomore goaltender Isak Posch had 26 saves, marking the fifth time this season and 13th time in his career he has made 25 or more saves.
- Posch lowered his GAA on the season to 1.58 while raising his save percentage to .946.
- Senior defenseman Karl Falk recorded his first point of the season with the primary assist on Zinger's goal.

FACEOFF KINGS

St. Cloud State's centers have fared well in the faceoff dot early on in the season, helping the Huskies gain possession of the puck and control play during its 6-1-0 start to the season. As a team, SCSU has produced a 55.6 percent mark in the dot (230-184), with each of its top-three faceoff specialist's marks above 56 percent.
Sophomore forward Verner Miettinen has been lights out in the faceoff dot through seven games this season, producing an incredible 64.2 percent mark in the circle (70-39). Miettinen's 70 wins are the 14th-most in the NCAA this season. Miettinen set a career-best with 20 wins in the circle against Bemidji State (20-6, Oct. 12), shattering his previous career high mark of 12 set twice, last on March 8, 2024, against Minnesota Duluth.
Senior forward Mason Salquist has won 10 or more faceoffs in a team-leading four games this season and is currently 56.6 percent (69-52) in the circle. He had a season-best 15 faceoff wins against Augustana On Oct. 26.
Sophomore forward Tyson Gross is 56.0 percent in the circle this season (61-48) and produced back-to-back games with 10+ faceoff wins against Augustana.

MORE ON POSCH'S HOT START IN NET

Sophomore goaltender Isak Posch has quickly established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the NCHC and earned the top mark of NCHC Goaltender of the Month in October. Posch has started all seven games for the Huskies in the opening month of the season, posting a 6-1-0 record with an NCHC-leading .946 save percentage.
In seven games in October, Posch earned a mark of 6-1-0 with a 1.58 goals-against-average, .946 S% and two shutouts. The Husky sophomore leads the conference save percentage (.946) and total saves (193) and shutouts (two), equaling the mark of all other NCHC netminders combined. He is one of only four goaltenders in the nation to have two shutouts this season, while ranking in the top-10 nationally in saves (third, 193), save percentage (fifth, .946) and goals-against-average (1.58). He has also anchored the Huskies' NCHC-leading penalty kill unit, turning away 17 of 18 power play chances for their opponents.
Posch has made 23 or more saves in all seven games this season, including a season-best 34 saves in a 1-0 shutout of St. Thomas (Oct. 6) to open the season. He earned his second shutout of the season in a 24-save, 4-0 win over No. 10/9 Michigan (Oct. 19), earning NCHC weekly honors after both performances. He has recorded 29 or more saves three times this season and allowed two or fewer saves in five of seven games.
The sophomore netminder was also named to the 2023-24 NCHC All-Rookie Team after producing a mark of 5-6-2 with a 2.93 GAA and .901 S% with one shutout in his freshman campaign.

ZINGER EARNS NCHC DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK HONORS

Junior defenseman Josh Zinger was named NCHC Defenseman of the Week after scoring two goals and producing three points with one game-winning goal and a +2 mark on the ice in SCSU's sweep over Augustana (Oct. 25-26).
The first-year Husky was an offensive force on Friday, recording the primary assist on SCSU's first goal and then hammering home a rebound attempt right before the end of the first period to tie the score at 2-2. On Saturday, Zinger scored the game-winning goal in the second period on a one-time rocket from just inside the blue line, giving the Huskies a 2-1 lead.

UNDERCLASSMEN LEAD THE WAY

St. Cloud State's underclassmen have started the season strong and produced immediatley, helping the Huskies jump out an 6-1 start.
Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 10 of 18 goals scored (55.6 percent) and 33 of 50 points (66.0 percent) this season. SCSU's top-four leading scorers - Austin Burnevik (3-4-7), Barrett Hall (2-5-7), Verner Miettinen (0-5-5) and Tyson Gross (1-3-4) - are first- or second-year players.
Burnevik's seven points on the season rank third among all freshmen nationally.
Additionally, sophomore goaltender Isak Posch has been in net for each of the Huskies first seven games, producing a 6-1-0 mark with a 1.58 GAA, .946 S% and two shutouts. Posch ranks in the NCAA's top-10 nationally in numerous categories, including his NCAA-leading six wins and two shutouts.

No. 10 St. Cloud State Men's Hockey Set for Top-10 Showdown with No. 2 Boston College

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Grant Ahcan

Dominic Basse

Austin Burnevik

Karl Falk

Daimon Gardner

Tyson Gross

Barrett Hall

Josh Luedtke

Verner Miettinen

Nick Portz

Isak Posch

Mason Reiners

Mason Salquist

Josh Zinger

Saint Cloud State University Athletics

No. 10 St. Cloud State Men's Hockey Set for Top-10 Showdown with No. 2 Boston College

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Grant Ahcan

Dominic Basse

Austin Burnevik

Karl Falk

Daimon Gardner

Tyson Gross

Barrett Hall

Josh Luedtke

Verner Miettinen

Nick Portz

Isak Posch

Mason Reiners

Mason Salquist

Josh Zinger

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