Minnesota State Upends St. Cloud State in Shootout

12/4/2009 10:34:20 PM

Box Score Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State University women’s hockey team played host to the Huskies from St. Cloud State University Friday night at the All Seasons Arena, in Mankato, Minnesota. The Mavericks entered Friday’s contest with a 4-5-3 record overall and 2-5-3-1 in WCHA play while the Huskies were boosting a 7-9-0 record overall and 4-8-0 in WCHA action. Minnesota State won the thriller, 4-4 in an overtime shootout giving MSU the extra point.

The Mavericks got on the board first as sophomore defensemen Jackie Otto (Lake Zurich, Ill.) lit up the lamp at 9:14 in the first period, her first goal of the season. Sophomore forward Emmi Leinonen (Valkeakeski, Finland) assisted on the first period goal.

St. Cloud State captain and left wing Felicia Nelson answered when she found the back of the net 12:59 in the first period. Nelson beat Maverick goaltender Alli Altmann (Eagan, Minn.) as fellow senior Caitlin Hogan set her up with the assist.

Hogan got a goal of her own at 7:38 into the second period as the Huskies took advantage of a power play. Hogan found the loose puck in front of the Maverick net and capitalized to give the Huskies a 2-1 advantage early in the second.

The lead was short lived however as Maverick left wing Leinonen finished off a Maverick attack for her seventh goal of the season at 10:02 in the second period.

The fast paced action continued as the Huskies finished off their second consecutive power play as senior right wing Holly Roberts beat the Mavericks’ Altmann; Roberts was set up by Hogan and Nelson on the play.

The Mavericks answered14:42 in the second as Holly Snyder (Kenosha, Wis.) beat St. Cloud State’s Ashlie Nixon. A tremendous pass set up Snyder from sophomore center Moira O’Connor (Chicago, Ill.).

The seesaw battle continued early in the third as Roberts recorded her second goal of the night giving SCSU a 4-3 advantage. The Huskies once again took advantage of a loose puck in front of the net as she beat Altmann glove side.

Ashley Young (South Saint Paul, Minn) recorded the equalizer as Lauren Smith (Burnsville, Minn.) and Ida Clark (Vallentuna, Sweden) both assisted her on her on the third period goal. Young came out with the puck amidst the chaos in front of St. Cloud State’s goal as she beat Nixon.

A winner wasn’t decided in the first 60 minutes of regulation or overtime so the teams headed to a shootout. Minnesota State’s captain Kala Buganski (Andover, Minn) scored the only goal of the shootout as she beat St. Cloud State’s backup goaltender Tayler VanDenakker. She replaced Nixon with 30 seconds remaining in the third after Nixon collided with a Maverick skater. Altmann denied all three SCSU attempts in the shootout.

The Maverick finished the game with 30 shots on goal compared to St. Cloud State’s 31. MSU finished 0-3 on power play attempts as the Huskies ended the night 2-9 with the extra skater.

The two teams follow up tonight’s game with another tilt tomorrow night in St. Cloud, Minn. At 7:07 p.m.

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