ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 8 St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey (6-0-0, 0-0-0 NCHC) continued its hot start to the season with a 4-3 win over No. 2 Minnesota State Mankato (3-3-0, 0-0-0 CCHA) on Saturday evening at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn. Senior forward Grant Cruikshank (Delafield, Wis.) was impressive once again for the Huskies, scoring two goals, including the game-winning goal with less than five minutes to go to give the Huskies the lead for good.
The win improved the Huskies to 6-0-0, its best start since 2017-18 and third-best start in the Division-I era (1987-88), while Minnesota State was swept for the first time since 2018.
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Turning Point
Minnesota State grabbed momentum with an equalizer goal at the 6:39 mark of the third period as Sam Morton scored off a nice move to the front of the goal. The game was tightly contested for the next 10 minutes before Cruikshank was able to score the go-ahead goal. Senior forward Kyler Kupka (Camrose, Alberta) stole the puck from a Maverick skater behind the net and was able to find a cutting Cruikshank, who got the puck in front of the net and buried it to the back for the goal with 3:26 left on the clock.
Top Huskies
- Cruikshank scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season and has now scored a goal in five straight games.
- Senior forward Micah Miller (Grand Rapids, Minn.) recorded his first multi-point game of the season with a goal and assist.
- Junior goalie Dominic Basse (Alexandria, Va.) made 33 saves and kept the Huskies in the game with multiple key stops.
FROZEN FOUR: Click or tap here for way-too-early 2023 men’s Frozen Four predictions
Notes
- St. Cloud State’s 6-0-0 start to the season is its third-best start to a season in Division-I program history (since 1987-88), trailing only its starts in 2001-02 (9-0-0) and 2017-18 (7-0-0).
- The Huskies penalty kill unit was superb once again, killing off five penalties to improve to 95.2 percent (21-of-22) on the season.
- Cruikshank scored his fifth and six goals of the season and is now tied for the nation’s lead with six goals.
- The transfer Husky’s goal was shorthanded, his first of the season and fourth of his career. It was also his first game-winning goal as a Husky and fourth of his career.
- Miller scored his 25th career goal with second period tally and recorded his ninth career multi-point game.
- Senior forward Chase Brand (Park Rapids, Minn.) scored his first goal of the season and 12th of his career in the second period.
- Senior defenseman Ondrej Trejbal (Hamry nad Sazavau, Czech Republic) and junior forward Joe Molenaar (Minnetonka, Minn.) recorded assists in the game, their first points of the season.
- Basse stopped a season-high 33 shots in the game.
Up Next
From one in-state rival to another, St. Cloud State will play a home-and-home nonconference series with Bemidji State next weekend. The Huskies will travel to Bemidji on Friday, Oct. 28 before returning home to the Brooks Center for a game on Saturday, Oct. 29.
