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

10/19/19 St. Cloud State 0 #2 Minnesota 3

St. Cloud State put 21 shots on University of Minnesota goaltender Sydney Scobee, but none of them found the back of the net as the Golden Gophers beat the Huskies women’s hockey team 3-0 on Saturday afternoon at Ridder Arena.

The afternoon matinee in Minneapolis got started with a bang as Minnesota’s Alex Woken potted her sixth goal of the year just 45 seconds into the contest off of a bad bounce in a net mouth scramble. Grace Zumwinkle and Oliva Knowles tallied assists on the play.

The Huskies controlled most of the play in the first period, holding a 9-8 shot advantage after period one. However, Zumwinkle found her second point of the game and sixth goal of the year on a 3-on-2 drop pass that she wired into the net. Taylor Heise and Woken were credited with the helpers.

The Golden Gophers controlled most of the play in the early stages of the second period. Huskies goaltender Emma Polusny made a remarkable blocker save while sprawled to her right side to preserve the game at 2-0. The Huskies had a chance on the powerplay, but could not find the back of the twine as Minnesota padded their lead off of Knowles’ deflection from an Emily Brown wrister. Zumwinkle grabbed her third point of the night on the play. Shots were 9-4 in favor of Minnesota in the middle frame.

No one scored in the third period with the Golden Gophers holding an 11-8 shot advantage in the third. Taylor Lind redirected a puck into the net but it was a result of a high stick on the play and was negated.

The Huskies had large stretches in the second half of all three periods where the controlled the play but couldn’t find any puck luck in the contest. They failed to convert on their two powerplays. Goaltender Polusny was rock solid, however, and gave her team a chance to climb back into the game with 25 saves on 28 shots, many of which were Grade-A chances.

Minnesota failed to convert on their only powerplay.

10/20/19 St. Cloud State 2 #2 Minnesota 4

The St. Cloud State women’s hockey team nearly pulled off a gutsy upset of number two nationally ranked Minnesota, but the Golden Gophers held on for a 4-2 victory at Ridder Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Golden Gophers Emily Brown struck just over seven minutes into the first off of a flukey rebound and screen, with Olivia Knowles assisting on the play. Shots were 9-3 for Minnesota in the first. The goal came in 4-on-4 action.

Neither team would find the back of the net in second as Minnesota poured on the pressure with 14 shots to the Huskies five. Senior captain Janine Alder stood tall in net, including a pivotal penalty kill to end the period.

The Golden Gophers came out firing in the third, but it was the Huskies senior Dana Rasmussen who drove a solo rush into the zone and wired a wrist shot over the glove of Minnesota goalie, Sydney Scobee to end her shutout bid. The goal came just under two minutes into the third period.

However, it was Minnesota who found lightning halfway through the third frame with two goals in less than two minutes from Brown and Catie Skaja. Taylor Heise, Emily Oden (2), and Madeline Wethington tallied assists.

The Huskies Abby Thiessen scored a powerplay goal at the tail end of the period with assists from Hallie Theodosopoulous and Jenna Haeg. Thiessen has both St. Cloud State powerplay goals on the year.

Heise added an empty net goal from Alex Woken and Grace Zumwinkle for Minnesota. Shots were 17-7 for the Golden Gophers in the third period.

Goaltender Alder had a strong showing. She collected 36 saves on 39 shots, with the 40^th shot being an empty net goal. St. Cloud State was 1 for 4 on the powerplay in a chippy contest. The Huskies scored two goals on 15 shots and killed off all four penalties they took.

The Huskies will be back in action on Friday Oct. 25 at 3:07 p.m. and Saturday Oct.26 at 2:07 p.m. respectively, at  theHerb Brooks National Hockey Center. The matchup is a WCHA showdown against the Minnesota-State Mankato Mavericks. The men’s hockey team also is at home those days later in the evenings against the Northwestern Huskies.