by Noah Grant / sports@kvsc.org / @SCSUHockey91 (Photo SCSU Athletics)

11/1/19 Princeton 5 – St. Cloud State 3

The Princeton Tigers played spoiler in front of a crowd of 3,531 at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center on Friday night by a score of 5-3.

In their first game of the 2019-2020 season, it was the Tigers that struck first. The goal came just one minute and 45 seconds into the opening period. Corey Andonovski was able to capitalize off of a quick counterattack, with Matthew Thom and Jackson Cressey garnering assists on the play.

The Huskies were able to answer in quick fashion with two powerplay opportunities following the Tigers goal. On their second man advantage, the Huskies leading scorer in Sam Hentges was left all alone on the weak side for a cross-crease tap in. The goal was created from a feed by Easton Brodzinski, as well as puck movement by defenseman and senior captain Jack Ahcan. The tally by Hentges was his team-leading 4th goal of the season.

The first period continued to consist of back-and-forth action, as Princeton responded for their second lead of the night off of a netmouth scramble. The Tigers’ Liam Grande was able to cash in and pounce on the loose change, with assists from Mark Paolini and Nick Seitz. The goal was created off of a lost faceoff by St. Cloud State in the Huskies defensive zone, and the tally was scored just over 12 minutes into the opening period.

It was a strong road period for the Tigers, as they doubled up on faceoffs 14-7. Shots were almost even at 12-11 with the edge going to the Huskies. St. Cloud State was 1-3 on the man advantage.

In the second period, the Tigers earned their first powerplay of the game and wasted no time on it. Cressey tallied a powerplay goal off of a rebound shot from Andonovski and Christian O’Neill.

The Tigers weren’t done, as they found a fourth goal with just over seven minutes left in the second period off of a wrist shot that went far post-and-in from Luke Keenan. The wrister was assisted by Jeremy Germain.

The Huskies would respond just 49 seconds later, as defenseman Spencer Meier cashed in on a pass from Hentges and Chase Brand.

Moments later, St. Cloud State earned their second powerplay goal of the night, as Meier and Hentges found Ahcan with just under five minutes in the middle frame to bring the Huskies within one goal.

Shots were 13-8 in favor of the Huskies in the second period.

The Huskies controlled most of the period, but it was a turnover that led to another netmouth scramble in front of the St. Cloud net. Princeton’s Spencer Kersten potted the loose puck to make it 5-3 with 5:46 left in the period. Liam Gorman assisted on the insurance goal.

Shots were 9-4 in favor of the Huskies in the final frame.

Tigers goaltender Ryan Ferland made 31 saves on 34 shots. Huskies netminder David Hrenick (LAK) allowed five goals on 22 shots but did not get much help defensively.

The Huskies were 2 for 5 on the powerplay. Princeton finished 1 for 3 on the man advantage.

11/2/19 – Princeton 5 – St. Cloud State 5 (OT)

It was nothing short of firewagon hockey at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center on Saturday night, as the St. Cloud State Huskies tied the Princeton Tigers by a score of 5-5.

It was the Huskies who struck first on Saturday night amidst a game that saw seven penalties before the opening goal. Huskies leading scorer Sam Hentges scored his fifth of the season at the 15:31 mark of the opening period on the powerplay. It was the only goal in the initial frame, and assists came from Easton Brodzinski and Nick Poehling. Shots were even in the first period at five-apiece.

In the middle period, the Huskies were on their fourth powerplay of the evening, but it was the Tigers that tallied a shorthanded attempt off of a broken play to knot the game at one. Jackson Cressey was able to find the back off the net off of a Huskies turnover, with an assist each to Liam Gorman and Matthew Thom. The goal occurred just under three and a half minutes into the second period.

With just over eight minutes into the period, the Tigers were able to capitalize on another odd man rush, as this time it was Christian O’Neill finding Corey Andonovski on a 2-on-1 drop pass to break the deadlock. Cressey also earned an assist on the goal.

St. Cloud State was able to respond with a short side wrist shot under the blocker side by Chase Brand with just over four minutes to play in the second to tie the game at two. Brodzinski earned his second assist of the night on the play. The goal was Brand’s first in a Huskies uniform.

The Huskies tallied another goal on the powerplay just moments later, with a shot-pass off the stick of Hentges that found Brodzinski on the weak side. Senior captain and defenseman Jack Ahcan also had an assist on the play.

The Tigers answered just 20 seconds later on a delayed penalty, as Luke Keenan potted a rebound off the stick of Finn Evans to tie the game once again. Cressey had another assist on the play. Clark Kuster was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for contact to the head.

Princeton wasted no time on the major penalty, as Andonovski was alone in the slot and took a feed from Spencer Kersten and Christian O’Neill to give the Tigers the lead. The wrist shot beat David Hrenak on the low blocker side with less than two minutes left in the first period.

Shots favored Princeton 12-11.

In the third period, it was a curl-and-drag play by centerman Nolan Walker that found Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick Nick Perbix in the slot for another equalizer. Ahcan tallied the secondary assist on the goal, which came at the 8:30 mark of the third period.

St. Cloud State tallied a rebound just over three minutes later, as Jake Wahlin tucked a backhand shot under the bar and above the glove side to give the Huskies a 5-4 lead. Tyler Anderson and Thomas Rocco each earned their first point on the play.

The Tigers answered with their second powerplay goal of the night less than two minutes later, as Andonovski wristed a shot past the glove side of Hrenak to even the game once again, with assists to Cressey and Derek Topatigh.

St. Cloud State was the better team in overtime, but neither squad was able to break the deadlock.

Princeton goaltender Aiden Porter had 25 saves on 30 shots. Huskies netminder Hrenak made 19 stops on 24 shots.

It was a penalty-filled affair, as the Tigers were 2 for 6 on the powerplay, while the Huskies were 3 for 8. Each team had one coincidental minor.

The men’s hockey team is on the road in Northern Michigan next weekend before hosting Colorado College at home on Nov. 15 and 16 for the Huskies first NCHC matchup.