What's On Tap:  The Minnesota State women's hockey team returns home to All Seasons Arena this weekend for a series with in-state and Western Collegiate Hockey Association rival St. Cloud State beginning Friday at 7:07 p.m., and concluding Saturday at 3:07 p.m.
 
Minnesota State (9-19-0, 4-18-0 WCHA) looks to snap a seven-game skid after falling to Ohio State, 3-2 and 4-2, in Columbus two weeks ago. St. Cloud State (4-23-3, 3-19-2 WCHA) has also dropped seven in a row entering this weekend and remains tied with the Mavericks for seventh in the league as both teams possess 12 points. MSU currently owns the tie breaker with its additional league victory.
 
Last Time on the Ice:  The Mavericks and Buckeyes were scoreless in the series opener on Jan. 24 until 16:56 of the second period when Buckeye freshman Claudia Kepler broke the deadlock on the power-play. OSU senior Ally Tarr added another power-play marker 2:48 into the third period, before the Mavericks mounted a comeback. Senior Nicole Germaine (Mississauga, Ont.) netted her eighth goal of the season at 5:11, then junior Shelby Moteyunas (Cicero, N.Y.) scored on a blast from the blue line at 17:28 sending MSU to its first overtime affair of the season. However, senior Julia McKinnon buried a rebound 38 seconds into the extra stanza giving Ohio State a 3-2 victory.
 
MSU and OSU traded first-period goals in the series finale with the Mavericks' coming courtesy of senior Melissa Klippenstein (Neubergthal, Man.). Buckeye sophomore Kendall Curtis and junior Danielle Gagne opened the second period with a pair of goals in the first five minutes, before senior Kari Lundberg (Woodbury, Minn.) struck short-handed at 12:50 to cut the MSU deficit to 3-2. Unfortunately, MSU was unable to find its third goal, and Kepler tallied a short-handed goal of her own in the final frame granting OSU a 4-2 win and series sweep.
 
Scouting the Huskies:  St. Cloud State sits 4-23-3 overall and 3-19-2 in the WCHA after suffering a pair of home losses (4-1, 6-1) at the hands of Ohio State last weekend. Offensively, SCSU averages 1.33 goals and 25.7 shots per game, while the Huskies are allowing 2.97 goals and 37.0 shots per game to their opponents. The St. Cloud State power-play owns a 9.1% (11/121) conversion rate, and the penalty-kill holds a 79.8% (87/109) success rate.
 
Head coach Jeff Giesen is in his eighth season leading the Huskies and has amassed a 54-150-24 career record with SCSU. Senior Molli Mott (F, 5-5, Colorado Springs, Colo.) has led the way for the Huskies offensively with 11-8=19 to hold team-highs in goals and points. Senior Julia Gilbert (F, 5-11, Hermantown, Minn.) is right behind with 7-11=18 to pace the squad in assists. Junior Abby Ness (F, 5-6, Roseau, Minn.) is the only other Husky with double-digit points totaling 6-6=12 thus far. Between the pipes, junior Julia Friend (G, 5-8, Minnetonka, Minn.) carries a 2.62 goals against average and .931 saves percentage in 19 starts, while sophomore Katie Fitzgerald (G, 5-10, Des Plaines, Ill.) holds a 3.24 goals against average and .907 saves percentage in 11 starts.
 
Inside the MSU-SCSU Series: Minnesota State stands 28-29-6 all-time against the Huskies after splitting with SCSU at the National Hockey Center back in December. Seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams have been decided by two goals or less.
 
Minnesota State All-Time: The MSU women's hockey program - started in 1998-99 - is currently in its 16th season of competition and has compiled a 154-355-46 (.319) record in 555 total games played.  The Mavericks are in their 15th year as members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and hold an 86-270-38 (.267) mark in 394 league contests.

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