ST. CLOUD -- Things were going so well for St. Cloud State and Bobby Goepfert on Friday night that the All-American made saves even after losing his goalie stick.
The No. 3-ranked Huskies and Goepfert rebounded remarkably well from a rare off-moment last weekend and beat Minnesota Duluth 5-0 in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association men's game before 6,043 spectators at the National Hockey Center.
It was UMD's most one-sided loss of the season. The second-to-the worst was a 4-0 loss to St. Cloud State and Goepfert on Nov. 24 at the DECC.
Last Friday, the Huskies (15-4-4 overall and 9-4-4 WCHA) held a three-goal lead in the third period at home against Minnesota State-Mankato and lost 6-4.
"That was heartbreaking, but I think that made us a better team. We played great tonight. We weren't back on our heels. We kept going,'' Goepfert said. "I don't want to say dominating, but we threw everything at them.''
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St. Cloud State has now lost just once in the past 18 games, going 13-1-4, and is 10-2 the last 12 games against UMD, including six straight wins.
The Bulldogs (8-15-3 and 5-12-2) started with a good first shift, took a penalty and then went downhill, in the assessment of coach Scott Sandelin. UMD had no shots on goal in the first period and didn't get one until a Michael Gergen attempt at 1:30 of the second period.
St. Cloud State led 2-0 after one period and 3-0 after two, then got goals from scoring leaders Andreas Nodl and Andrew Gordon in the third. UMD senior Josh Johnson started in goal and was replaced 16 seconds into the second period by Alex Stalock.
"We left Josh hanging out to dry and we left Al hanging out to dry,'' Sandelin said. "We had three or four guys ready to play, and that's not enough. We'll see if getting our butts kicked is enough to light a fire.''
UMD had won four of its last five games, yet the first period couldn't have gone much worse for the Bulldogs, who were outshot 14-0 and outscored 2-0. While fewest shots on goal in a period isn't a category in UMD's record book, the zero attempts certainly at least tied a school record.
Former Bulldog winger Dan Kronick started the Huskies off with a rebound goal with 8:00 left in the first period, knocked under the left arm of a sprawling Johnson. It was Kronick's 10th goal of the season and 21st in 58 career games with the Huskies. In the last five regular-season games against UMD, he has 11 points (seven goals and four assists).
"We wanted to get off to a good start and play good solid defense,'' said St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko. "This was a strong game. When we're passing the puck, things come easier for us.''
Mason Raymond, on a left wing break, and St. Cloud State defender Justin Fletcher crashed into Goepfert with 5:25 left in the first period on a shorthanded shift. Goepfert was shaken, but stayed in the game.
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A giveaway from behind the UMD goal led to a 2-0 St. Cloud State lead as winger Michael Olson gained his second goal of the season with 61 seconds left in the first period.
The scene didn't get any better for UMD in the opening seconds of the second period. Center Nate Dey cranked up from the left circle and scored at 16 seconds. That led to the departure of Johnson.
With nine minutes left in the period, Goepfert had the goalie stick knocked out of his hand, but still kept UMD at bay. At the other end, Stalock stopped Nodl on a power play with 6:22 left.
Penalty killing was the only thing in UMD's favor as the Bulldogs stopped seven of eight man-advantage shifts from the league's top power-play team.
"They were getting 1-2-3-4 chances in front of our net. We have to get tougher at both ends of the ice. But that's something we can't get through our heads,'' Stalock said.
In the third period, Nodl scored 4-on-4 and Gordon connected on a power play as St. Cloud State outshot the Bulldogs 34-22 for the game. UMD led in shots 22-20 for the second and third periods combined.
"After the start we had, it wasn't that bad of a game, but we can't give up easy goals like we did,'' Gergen said.
Minnesota Duluth....0-0-0--0
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St. Cloud State....2-1-2--5
First period - 1. St. Cloud State, Dan Kronick 10 (Nate Dey, Michael Olson), 12:00; 2. St. Cloud State, Michael Olson 2 (Ryan Lasch), 18:59. Penalties - MacGregor Sharp, UMD (hooking), 1:15; Mason Raymond, UMD (holding), 9:17; Logan Gorsalitz, UMD (high-sticking), 14:06.
Second period - 3. St. Cloud State, Dey 8 (Andrew Gordon, Olson), :16. Penalties - Mike Curry, UMD (tripping), 7:02; Grant Clafton, St. Cloud State (interference), 9:33; Josh Meyers, UMD (holding), 12:19.
Third period - 4. St. Cloud State, Andreas Nodl 11 (Gordon, Garrett Raboin), 8:35 (4x4); 5. St. Cloud State, Gordon 15 (Justin Fletcher, Nodl), 12:32 (pp). Penalties - Travis Gawryletz, UMD (holding), 7:20; Stephenson, St. Cloud State (tripping), 8:23; Casey Borer, St. Cloud State (interference), 9:30; Jeff McFarland, UMD (slashing), 11:45; Matt Niskanen, UMD (double-minor roughing), 15:18.
Shots on goal - UMD 0-8-14-22, St. Cloud State 14-11-9-34. Goalies - Josh Johnson (3-3), UMD (15 shots-12 saves); Alex Stalock, UMD (19 shots-17 saves); Bobby Goepfert (11-4-4), St. Cloud State (22 shots-22 saves). Power plays - UMD 0-of-3, St. Cloud State 1-of-8. Referee - Marco Hunt. Assistants - Tony Lancette, Craig Martin. A - 6,043.
