by Noah Grant/Sports Director/@noahgrant_23

MANKATO, Minn. – The St. Cloud State women’s hockey team opened up conference play with a dominant win against #15 Minnesota State. Maria Mikaelyan recorded her first collegiate hat trick while Anna Sviridova and Hannele Tarkiainen both scored their first NCAA goals in the victory.

The scoring would start in the first period as the Huskies would go to the power play just under three and a half minutes in. SCSU only needed five seconds of the power play to convert. The faceoff was won by Sofianna Sundelin back to Alice Sauriol. Sauriol made a quick 25 foot pass to Mikaelyan who unleashed a one-timer from the right circle for her first goal of the season.

It would be special teams that struck again for the Huskies in the frame. This time it was Regan Bulger finding Sviridova at the left circle for another one-timer goal at 9:33. Laura Zimmermann also earned an assist on the freshman’s first collegiate tally.

Mikaelyan recorded her second goal of the period just 2:29 later. Sauriol went looping behind the Maverick net on the forecheck and found Mikaelyan out front for the quick finish. Sauriol finished the night with two assists for her third multi-point game of the season and 18th of her career.

SCSU made it 4-0 just over five minutes into the second period. After a turnover in neutral ice, Tarkiainen came over the boards on a line change and walked into the Minnesota State end. Her quick release would find the back of the net. Raili Mustonen earned the lone assist.

The final tally once again came on the power play, and once again off the stick of Mikaelyan to finish off the hat trick. Siiri Yrjölä took a long point shot that Mikaelyan was able to deflect home.

The Mavericks got two goals back to close out the frame, as Ayla Puppe bounced a shot off a Huskies defender on the power play just 76 seconds after the SCSU fifth goal. Bella Shipley also found the back of the net with 2:01 left in the period.

The Huskies improve to 3-0 on the new season, with all three wins coming over ranked opponents.

Photo credit: SCSU Athletics