PITTSBURGH, PA. (St. Cloud State Athletics) – There are games where the bounces don’t go a team’s way. Where the puck luck and odds just don’t seem to be in a team’s favor. Where a team can do absolutely everything right, and yet somehow, end up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
The St. Cloud State University men’s hockey team was a victim of one of those games Saturday night. Despite a valiant effort given by both the team and coaching staff, the Huskies brilliant season came to an end in the final Division I men’s hockey game of the 2020-21 season. After all the craziness and months of quarantine, St. Cloud State battled in its final game of the year but fell to the University of Massachusetts in the NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Championship by a final score of 5-0.
The lopsided score does not properly reflect how close the game truly was, as the Huskies had several opportunities to take a lead early in the first period. In fact, St. Cloud State was hotter than hot in the opening eight minutes of the first period, as the team battered the Minutemen goalie with shot after shot. Just two minutes in, Veeti Miettinen (Espoo, Finland / Kiekko-Espoo U20) had a chance to give the Huskies an early lead as he blasted a shot past UMass goalie, and former teammate, Filip Lindberg. Though the shot beat Lindberg, it clanked off the crossbar and behind the net rather than in it, resulting in the 0-0 draw just minutes in.
Still, St. Cloud State continued to pepper on the shots, seemingly inches or centimeters away from scoring the first goal of the game. Just as the momentum seemed to be turning the Huskies’ way, a fluke collision at the blue line resulted in the first goal for the Minutemen, allowing the home team to take a 1-0 lead at 7:26 in the period.
St. Cloud State showed the same resiliency it has all season, though. Rather than get down after the early goal, the Huskies continued to battle UMass looking to even the score with a power play goal a few minutes later. The Minutemen held strong, though, and eventually extended their lead to 2-0 with under two minutes remaining in the first. It was again a fluke play that resulted in the Minutemen’s second goal of the day, allowing them to hold a 2-0 lead entering the first intermission.
And yet, St. Cloud State battled again, as the team came out in the second period looking to get right back in it. The Huskies battled when UMass scored twice in the second and again in the third, as the game never seemed quite out of reach. In the end, though, St. Cloud State ran out of time, as the Huskies fell by a final score of 5-0.
Junior forward Nolan Walker (Anchorage, Alaska / Sioux Falls) was named to the NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament team for his performances against Minnesota State and the Minutemen. Walker finished the tournament with two points, a goal and an assist, and scored the game-winner in the Huskies 5-4 win over the Mavericks on Thursday, allowing them to advance to the tournament for the first time in program history. Additionally, it was announced that Miettinen was runner up for the national Rookie of the Year honor, and Kevin Fitzgerald (Hinsdale, Ill. / Aberdeen) was named a Senior CLASS Second Team All-American prior to Saturday’s contest.
St. Cloud State out shot UMass 25-22 Saturday night, including a 12-4 blitz in the second period. St. Senior David Hrenak (Povaska Bystrica, Slovakia / Green Bay) made 17 saves and ends the season tied for the program lead in career wins by a goalie.
The Huskies can take pride in their outstanding 2020-21 where they exceeded all expectations except maybe their own. Entering the 2020-21 season, St. Cloud State was left out of both the USCHO.com and USA Today / USA Hockey top-20 polls, an error the team quickly rectified in the NCHC pod. The Huskies posted a 6-3 record in the pod, beating nationally ranked North Dakota and Denver alike, to move into the top-3 in the conference standings. St. Cloud State then spent the second half of the season proving just how dominant the team could be, fueled by unmatched depth, grit and skill, and finished second in the always rugged NCHC standings. After that, the Huskies simply advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship game, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, won the Northeast Regional and made the NCAA championship game for the first time in program history.
A celebration of St. Cloud State’s trip to the Frozen Four will be hosted on Wednesday, April 14 at 6 p.m. outside the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. The public is welcome to attend, as there will be a variety of giveaways, including Frozen Four t-shirts and posters. Additionally, fans can collect their cutouts and relive the best parts of the Huskies 2020-21 season.
Game Recap: Men’s Ice Hockey | 4/10/2021 10:37:00 PM