St. Cloud State Men's Hockey Heads West for Crucial NCHC Series at No. 9 Denver

Friday, January 23

Magness Arena | Denver, Colo.

8:00 P.M. CT

St. Cloud State

Denver

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Photo by: Bill Prout

St. Cloud State Men's Hockey Heads West for Crucial NCHC Series at No. 9 Denver

1/22/2026 2:05:00 PM | Men's Hockey

Huskies and Pioneers to play Friday-Saturday at Magness Arena

THE MATCHUP

St. Cloud State Men's Hockey heads out west for a crucial top-20 NPI ranked conference series with No. 9 Denver at Magness Arena this weekend. The series begins on Friday at 7:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. CT and concludes on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. MT / 7:00 p.m. CT with Brad Thompson on the call on NCHC.tv. On the radio, the voice of the Huskies Jim Erickson will have the call over the airwaves on KNSI (1450 AM / 99.3 FM).
The Huskies are coming off a split with No. 6 Minnesota Duluth, ending the Bulldogs perfect 11-0-0 mark on Fridays with a commanding 6-0 win on Friday before giving up a third period lead and falling 5-3 on Saturday in the series finale. Denver is also coming off a split on the road at then-No. 5 North Dakota, falling 5-0 on Friday before coming back and winning the series finale, 3-2, on Saturday. Since the two teams last met in December, SCSU is 4-2-0 while the Pioneers are 1-4-1.

NATIONAL POLLS / POST-SEASON OUTLOOK

After its third win over a top-six ranked opponent last weekend, SCSU is sitting just outside the top-20 as the team with the second-most receiving votes in both the USCHO and USA Hockey polls. Denver enters the weekend ranked No. 9 in both polls and reach as high as No. 3 on Nov. 17 following an 8-3-1 start to the season.
With the end of the season quickly approaching, all eyes have shifted to the NCAA Percentage Index (NPI), which replaces the Pairwise and is the official system for selecting and seeding teams for the NCAA Tournament. In the current NPI, SCSU moved up two spots from a week ago to No. 17 (12-12-0, 0-3 OT) and is in striking distance of an at-large postseason bid with a strong second half. DU is sitting comfortably in postseason contention as is currently ranked No. 9 in the NPI (13-10-2, 1-3 OT).

SERIES HISTORY

Ever since St. Cloud State moved to Division-I ahead of the 1987-88 season, the Huskies and Pioneers have had a long-standing rivalry, meeting 123 times since November 1988. The all-time series is a close one between the two programs, as Denver holds a slight advantage at 62-54-7. In Denver, the Pios hold a 35-26-3 edge although the Huskies have earned conference points in each of its last three trips to the Rocky Mountain state. DU is 6-3-1 against the Huskies in the last 10 meetings.
In their last series, the Pioneers earned a 5-1 win on Dec. 12 before SCSU came from behind to win 4-3 on Jan. 13. Junior forward Tyson Gross scored back-to-back goals in the second period to tie the score before junior forward Barrett Hall netted the game-winning goal with just over five minutes remaining. In the win, the Huskies handed the Pioneers its first loss in regulation in conference play this season and overcame a two-goal deficit and won in regulation for the first time since Dec. 3, 2022, when the Huskies trailed North Dakota 3-0 before winning 6-3.

LEAGUE PLAY LEADERS

SCSU's big three - junior forwards Tyson Gross and Barrett Hall and sophomore forward Austin Burnevik have only elevated their production in conference play, ranking among the league's leaders in several offensive categories. Gross is making his bid for an All-NCHC First Team selection and currently leads the NCHC in goals (11), points (18) and faceoff wins (352) while ranking second in faceoff percentage (.599). Burnevik ranks third in assists (10) and eighth in points (13) while Hall ranks third in game-winning goals (two), fifth in goals (seven) and seventh in points (14).
Additionally, senior defenseman Max Smolinski ranks sixth in assists (nine) and sophomore forward Gavyn Thoreson ranks 10th in goals (six). SCSU is the only team in the conference to have a pair of skaters rank in the top-seven for both goals and points in conference play.

NETS CLOSED

Ever since being pulled from a start in the last time SCSU and Denver met on Dec. 12, freshman goaltender Yan Shostak has flipped a switch and played lights out between the net for the Huskies. In SCSU's last three games, Shostak has started each game, posting a 2-1-0 mark with a 1.67 goals-against-average and .945 save percentage while earning NCHC Goaltender of the Week honors following his performance last weekend against Minnesota Duluth. Shostak made a career-high 42 saves in Friday's 6-0 shutout of the Bulldogs, the most saves by a Husky goaltender in a shutout since Jeff Smith had 42 in a 4-0 win over Minnesota State on Oct. 7, 2017.

TERRIFIC TRIO

Junior forward Tyson Gross (31 points / 1.29 ppg), sophomore forward Austin Burnevik (27 points / 1.13 ppg) and junior forward Barrett Hall (23 points / 0.96 ppg) have led the way offensively for the Huskies through 24 games, all averaging more than or nearly a point per game.
SCSU has not had three players average 1.00+ ppg over a full season since 2018-19 when Patrick Newell (1.17 ppg), Blake Lizotte (1.08 ppg) and Robby Jackson (1.05 ppg) all reached the mark. Gross' current mark of 1.29 ppg is the best mark by a Husky since Kale Kossila posted 1.32 points per game in 2015-16 (54 points in 41 games).
In 38 seasons of Division-I hockey, SCSU has had three or more players average 1.00+ ppg in 14 seasons and just four times since 2003-04.

GROSS ALL AROUND

Junior forward Tyson Gross has been dominate in the faceoff circle this season and is quickly shooting up the nation's leaders with his offensive production. He has won an NCAA-best 350 draws this season and ranks second with a 62.7 percent (350-208) success rate among those with 100+ attempts. He also won an NCAA-high 20 draws in both games of the Alaska Anchorage series (Oct. 24-25).
The Husky junior has won 10+ faceoffs in 23 of 24 games this season and 15+ faceoff wins in 12 games.
Gross has scored a point in 20 of 24 games this season, collecting 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points, ranking eighth nationally in points and 14^th in assists. He is the only play in the nation to have multiple streaks of 8+ games with a point, owning a nine-game streak to start the season and eight-game streak from Nov. 21 to Jan. 3. His streak to begin the season extended to 10 games dating back to March 15, 2025, as he became just the seventh Husky since 2002-03 to record a point streak of 10+ games.
The Husky junior captain is currently producing 1.29 points per game, the best mark in program history since Kale Kossila scored 1.32 points per game (54p/41g) in 2015-16. Gross' current mark would rank ninth all-time in program history if the season were to end today.
When he scored his 20^th point with an assist against North Dakota on Dec. 6, Gross became the 23rd player in program history to begin their SCSU career with three consecutive 20-point seasons.

SHOSTAK AND SMOLINSKI EARN NCHC WEEKLY HONORS

Freshman goaltender Yan Shostak and senior defenseman Max Smolinski both earned NCHC weekly honors, with Shostak named the Goaltender of the Week and Smolinski named the Defenseman of the Week after SCSU's series split with No. 6 Minnesota Duluth.
Shostak stopped a league-best 66 shots, posting a 2.01 GAA and .943 save percentage against UMD. He made a career-high 42 saves in a 6-0 shutout of the Bulldogs on Friday, ending UMD's perfect 11-0-0 mark on Fridays while earning his second shutout of the season. The 6-0 win was SCSU's first shutout win over UMD since a 2-0 win at Duluth on March 5, 2022, and its largest margin of victory against the Bulldogs since an 8-2 win in Duluth on Feb. 11, 2011. Shostak's 42 saves in the shutout were the most saves by a Husky goaltender in a shutout since Jeff Smith had 42 in a 4-0 win over Minnesota State on Oct. 7, 2017. The Minsk, Belarus native is the first Husky freshman netminder to record multiple shutouts in a season since David Hrenak had three in 2017-18. Shostak then stopped 24 of 28 shots in a 5-3 setback on Saturday, allowing one power play goal. After the back-to-back impressive showings, Shostak lowered his GAA from 3.11 to 2.93 while raising his save percentage from .885 to .897. On the season, he is 5-8-0 with a 2.93 GAA and .897 S% with two shutouts.
Smolinski scored three points (1-2—3) with a +1 mark on the ice and three shots on goal in the series split. He had two assists with a +3 mark on the ice in Friday's 6-0 win and a goal in Saturday's game, his fourth goal of the season. He also helped SCSU finish 5-for-6 on the penalty kill against the nation's-leading power play goal while averaging 21:14 time on the ice in the two games. On the season, Smolinski has scored four goals and 11 assists for 15 points, with the last two matching his career-highs for a single season. He leads all SCSU blue liners in goals, assists and points.

SHORT-HANDED SPECIALIST

Over his career, senior forward Grant Ahcan has been a threat for the Huskies when the team is most vulnerable, on the penalty kill. Ahcan scored a shorthanded goal, his fourth career shorty, in the Huskies 3-2 Cactus Cup championship win over UMass Lowell on Jan. 3 in Palm Springs.
The shorthanded score moved Ahcan into an 11-way tie for the 13th-most career shorthanded goals in program history, joining the ranks of Dave Paradise, Robby Jackson, Matt Cullen and others.
Among the 23 Husky skaters to score four or more career shorthanded goals, Ahcan's four goals are the highest among percentage of total goals at 28.57 percent (14 total goals). Only two other Huskies have scored have 20 percent or more of their total goals coming shorthanded, as Ahcan is joined by Mike Noterman (1987-91, five SHG, 22 goals) at 22.73 percent and Jason Stewart (1994-98, five SHG, 20 goals) at 20.00 percent.

DANGEROUS ON THE POWER PLAY

The Huskies have been dangerous at times on the man advantage this season, scoring 27 of its 79 goals on the man advantage with at least one power play tally in 18 of 24 games this season and six games with multiple power play goals.
The Huskies began the season at a scorching rate, converting 39.5 percent (17-of-43) in its first nine games and has produced a power play score in six of of its last seven games with a 25.0 percent (6-of-24) success rate.
SCSU's 27.8 percent success rate (27-of-97) ranks third in the NCHC and sixth nationally while its 27 power play goals rank third in the NCAA, trailing only Michigan and Minnesota Duluth's 28 on the man advantage.
The Huskies' four power play goals against Vermont on Oct. 18 were its most since scoring four against St. Thomas on Oct. 7, 2023 while sophomore forward Austin Burnevik netted two of the four power play tallies to become the first Husky to score two power play goals in the same game since Grant Cruikshank scored two at Omaha on Feb. 24, 2023.
Burnevik's seven power play goals rank fifth in the NCAA while junior forwards Tyson Gross and Barrett Hall both rank 10^th with six.

NO STOPPING BURNEY

After becoming the first freshman in program history to lead the team in both goals and points in 2024-25, sophomore forward Austin Burnevik is picking up right where he left off a season ago. The rising sophomore ranks among the nation's best among goal scorers, ranking in the top-15 in goals, power play goals and game-winning goals.
Burnevik has recorded a point in 18 of 24 games this season, and has scored at least one goal in 11 games.
Burnevik scored a goal in five consecutive games between Oct. 18 and Nov. 1, the longest streak since Veeti Miettinen scored in six straight games between Oct. 20 – Nov. 11, 2023.
Burnevik opened the season with a nine-game point streak, the second-longest streak in the nation this season. He also scored in the last two games of last season to move his point streak to 11 games, the longest point streak by a Husky since Jonny Brodzinski had an 13-game point streak from Dec. 12, 2012 - Feb. 2, 2012. Since 2002-03, only six Husky skaters have recorded seven point streaks of 10+ games. Burnevik is joined by Garrett Roe (14, 2007-08), Jonny Brodzinski (13, 2012-13), Drew LeBlanc (13, 2012-13), Ryan Lasch (11, 2007-08; 10, 2007-08) and Tyson Gross (10, 2025-26).
In SCSU's 39-year D-I history, Burnevik is just the 11th skater to begin his collegiate career with back-to-back seasons with 25+ points, and the first since Mikey Eyssimont (2015-18).

STATEMENT WINS

St. Cloud State is 3-8-0 against ranked teams this season, but its three wins have been statement wins that have come against top-six ranked opponents and will look real good on its resume once postseason play comes around.
First, SCSU beat the defending National Champions and then-No. 3 Western Michigan, 5-1, on Nov. 1 to snap a five-game losing streak to the Broncos. The win was SCSU's first over a top-three ranked opponent since Jan. 7, 2023 when the Huskies beat No. 3/1 Minnesota, 3-0, in St. Cloud.
SCSU then erased a two-goal deficit to beat No. 6/5 Denver, 4-3, on Dec. 13. The Huskies win was the Pioneers first loss in regulation in conference play this season. The Huskies overcame a two-goal deficit and won for the first time since winning 3-2 in overtime over Minnesota Duluth on March 7, 2025. The last time SCSU overcame a two-goal deficit and won in regulation was Dec. 3, 2022, when the Huskies trailed North Dakota 3-0 before winning 6-3.
Finally, SCSU beat then-No. 6 Minnesota Duluth with a 6-0 shutout on Jan. 16. The 6-0 win is SCSU's first shutout win over UMD since a 2-0 win at Duluth on March 5, 2022, and its largest margin of victory against the Bulldogs since an 8-2 win in Duluth on Feb. 11, 2011.

STEADY IMPROVEMENT FOR HALLSY

Junior forward Barrett Hall has made steady strides in each of his three seasons in the black and red. Hall began his collegiate career with 16 points (8g/8a) in his 2023-24 freshman season before 22 points (7g/8a) in his sophomore campaign.
The Apple Valley native has elevated his production to nearly a point per game this season, producing 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 24 games. Hall has already set career-highs in points (23), goals (10), power play goals (six) and game-winning goals (two), and is two assists away from his career-high for assists (15, 2024-25).
Hall has been known to make the highlight play for the Huskies, with his shorthanded goal against North Dakota on Dec. 5 reaching Sportscenter's Top-10 plays.

QUICK START HUSKIES

Good things seem to happen to the Huskies when they score first. SCSU is 11-2-0 when scoring first opposed to 1-10-0 when its doesn't.
The Huskies have been good at keeping leads as well, posting a 10-0-0 mark when leading after one period and 9-2-0 record when leading after two periods.
Sophomore forward Austin Burnevik has scored three first goals for the Huskies, while junior forward Tyson Gross, junior forward Barrett Hall freshman forward Nolan Roed have each scored two first goals.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST SERIES

SCSU earned a split against then-No. 6 Minnesota Duluth last weekend at home at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. The Huskies won 6-0 on Friday before falling 5-3 on Saturday. The Huskies' win on Friday ended UMD's perfect 11-0-0 mark on Fridays this season.
In Friday's 6-0 win, freshman goaltender Yan Shostak was a brick wall, stopping all 42 Bulldog shots on goal to earn his second shutout of the season and the most saves in a shutout for a Husky netminder since Jeff Smith made 42 against Minnesota State on Oct. 7, 2017. Junior forward Tyson Gross (Calgary, Alberta) continued his strong season offensively, scoring two goals and three points with a +3 mark of the ice.
On Saturday, SCSU led 3-2 after two periods but then gave up three third period goals to fall 5-3. Junior forward Verner Miettinen had a three-point night in the defeat, scoring the game-tying goal while having the primary assist on the go-ahead goal in the second period.

NOTES FROM LAST SERIES:

GAME 1 - 6-0 win vs. Minnesota Duluth (1-16-26)
- The 6-0 win is SCSU's first shutout win over UMD since a 2-0 win at Duluth on March 5, 2022, and its largest margin of victory against the Bulldogs since an 8-2 win in Duluth on Feb. 11, 2011.
- The shutout win for SCSU is also its largest margin of victory in a shutout largest against conference opponent since Nov. 4, 2023, vs. Miami.
- In the win, SCSU improves to 4-8-0 on Fridays, 11-2-0 when scoring first, 10-0-0 when leading after the first period, 10-1-0 when leading after two periods, 4-6-0 when its opponent outshoots them, 4-1-0 in January, 12-6-0 when scoring on the power play and 3-7-0 against ranked opponents.
- On special teams, SCSU was a perfect 3-for3 on the penalty kill, just the sixth time this season the Huskies have produced stopped every power play attempt for its opponent. On the power play, SCSU went 1-of-5, scoring for the sixth consecutive game on the man advantage (6-for-20 in that span).
- Freshman goaltender Yan Shostak made a career-high 42 saves in the shutout, the most saves by a Husky goaltender in a shutout since Jeff Smith had 42 in a 4-0 win over Minnesota State on Oct. 7, 2017.
- The Minsk, Belarus native is the first Husky freshman netminder to record multiple shutouts in a season since David Hrenak had three in 2017-18.
- Junior forward Tyson Gross recorded his 12th and 13th goals, and his 18th assist to reach 30 points for the first time in his career. The Husky junior recorded his fourth career two-goal game and fifth three-point game.
- Gross went 17-10 in the faceoff dot, marking the 12th time this season and 16th time in his career he has won 15+ faceoffs in a game.
- Sophomore forward Austin Burnevik recorded his team-leading 14th goal of the season, setting a new career-high for goals in a season after netting 13 as a freshman. The Husky sophomore added an assist to record his eighth two-point game of the season and 14th of his career. He has scored a point in three consecutive games and in five of the last six games, scoring nine points (3g/6a) in that span.
- Sophomore defenseman Finn Loftus netted his second power play goal, fourth goal overall and eighth assist for 12 points. He matched a career-best with two points, the third time he's reached that mark this season.
- Freshman forward Noah Urness scored his sixth goal of the season and his team-leading fourth game-winning goal of the season with his first period tally. His four game-winning scores are the most by a Husky freshman since Easton Brodzinski had five in 2017-18.
- Junior forward Daimon Gardner netted his first goal of the season and first since a March 1, 2025, goal at Denver.
- Senior defenseman Max Smolinski had two assists to bring his season total to 11, matching his career-best mark from his freshman and sophomore campaigns in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
- Freshman defenseman Joe Belisle recorded his first career assist on Urness' goal.
GAME 2 - 5-3 loss vs. Minnesota Duluth (1-17-26)
- With the loss, SCSU moves to 85-71-11 all-time vs. Minnesota Duluth and 48-31-7 against the Bulldogs in St. Cloud.
- On the season, SCSU moves to 1-10-0 when opponents score first, 1-9-0 when its opponent leads after the first period, 9-2-0 when leading after two periods, 4-2-0 in January and 3-8-0 against ranked opponents.
- SCSU won the faceoff battle, 37-31, marking the 18th time in 24 games the Huskies have won more faceoffs in a game.
- Junior forward Verner Miettinen had a season-high three points with his second goal and fifth and sixth assists. It marks his second career three-point game, matching his three assists against Omaha on Jan. 26, 2024.
- Senior forward Grant Ahcan had his first two-assist game of the season and second of his career while reaching two points in a game for the sixth time in his career.
- Sophomore forward Gavyn Thoreson netted his sixth goal of the season, matching his mark from his freshman campaign last season.
- Senior defenseman Max Smolinski scored his fourth goal of the season and matched his career-high for points in a season with 15, equaling his mark from his junior campaign at RPI (5g/10a).
- Sophomore forward Austin Burnevik extended his point streak to four games with his 13th assist of the season. He has now recorded a point in 17 of 24 games this season.
- Freshman defenseman Joe Belisle scored a point in back-to-back games for the first time in his career with his second assist of the season.