Category: St. Cloud State Huskies

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St. Cloud State versus Colorado College for the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship from Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 18, 2023.

Posted on Posted in Colorado College Tigers, NCHC, On Location, St. Cloud State Huskies

This is the latest installment in our On Location series where we live tweet a college game (or games) that we attend in person and then later post an article here on the site. This is a special instance in that it’s in essence a combination of our On Location and Relevant Rewind series because the game took place March 18, 2023, and we’re just pulling it out of the vault and posting it now.

Teams (seed): Denver Pioneers (1), St. Cloud State Huskies (4), North Dakota Fighting Hawks (6), Colorado College Tigers (7)

Where: Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota

When: March 18, 2023

The opening round of the 2023 NCHC tournament saw two lower seeds win on the road. North Dakota defeated Omaha in three games to make it to Saint Paul while Colorado College shocked the second seed Western Michigan Broncos in a two-game sweep in Kalamazoo. It was the first road playoff sweep in Colorado College program history. It also meant it was the first time a seven seed made it to the Frozen Faceoff.

For the second season in a row, Denver was shut out in the early semifinal game in the Frozen Faceoff. This time it was to its in-state rival, Colorado College, by a score of 1-0. The evening game on Friday was between North Dakota and St. Cloud State. The higher seeded Huskies won an overtime thriller to advance to the title game.

The two NCHC trophies were on display. The Penrose Cup on the left is awarded to the top team during the regular season. Denver won it for the second season in a row after the team shared it with North Dakota the previous season. The NCHC Tournament Trophy is on the right and was on hand to be presented to the winner on the ice after the championship game.

The Penrose and NCHC Tournament Trophies on display.
The Penrose and NCHC Tournament Trophies on display.

There’s a wing of the Xcel Energy Center that is dedicated to the Patty Kazmaier and Hobey Baker Memorial Awards that was updated since the last Frozen Faceoff. This time it included a tribute to the 2022 award winners, Minnesota’s Taylor Heise and Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay.

Display case at the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to the Patty Kazmaier Award that showcased Taylor Heise
Display case at the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to the Patty Kazmaier Award that showcased Taylor Heise.
Sweaters from past Hobey Baker Award winners from Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center.
Sweaters from Minnesota-born Hobey Baker Award winners on display at the Xcel Energy Center.
Display case at the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to the Hobey Baker Award that showcased Dryden McKay.
Display case at the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to the Hobey Baker Award that showcased Dryden McKay.

The banners on the wall were also updated to reflect Denver’s 2022 NCAA national championship win the season beforehand. Denver defeated Minnesota State in the NCAA title game the previous season and claimed its ninth hockey title.

Five national champions from the NCHC in seven years.
Five national champions from the NCHC in seven years.

The 2023 NCHC championship game took place the evening of Saturday, March 18, 2023. The Colorado College Tigers were looking for the program’s first NCHC tournament title and were facing the St. Cloud State Huskies – winners of the 2016 tournament back when it was played at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

St. Cloud State and Colorado College in action during the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game.
St. Cloud State and Colorado College in action during the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game.

St. Cloud State’s defense and goaltending controlled the game. The Huskies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. After a scoreless second period, St. Cloud State notched two more goals in the third period to put the Tigers away. Jaxon Castor earned the championship game shutout with 17 saves as well as a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Jami Krannila was presented with the Most Outstanding Player award for the tournament. The Huskies won its second NCHC Tournament Trophy and first at the Xcel Energy Center.

St. Cloud State celebrates the 2023 Frozen Faceoff championship with a win over Colorado College.
St. Cloud State celebrates the 2023 Frozen Faceoff championship with a win over Colorado College.

Posted on Posted in Big Ten, Michigan Wolverines, NCHC, St. Cloud State Huskies
CHH Relevant Rewind Header

More than a decade before the NCHC and Big Ten Hockey were introduced, St. Cloud State and Michigan were a part of the WCHA and (original) CCHA, respectively. Prior to the 2001 NCAA tournament, the two teams had never faced one another on the ice. That changed during the national tournament that season where the teams met on the big stage.

Going into the tournament, the Huskies landed an automatic bid as the WCHA Tournament champions. This earned St. Cloud State the second seed in the West Regional and a first round bye. The Wolverines were an at-large bid after finishing third in the CCHA regular season and runner-up in the conference tournament to the rival Spartans. As a third seed in the West Regional, the Wolverines defeated Mercyhurst 4-3 in the opening round to advance to a date with the Huskies.

While Michigan was a lower seed, the team held the home ice advantage in the regional played in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Wolverines jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period before St. Cloud State got on the board in the second. Mike Cammalleri scored toward the end of the second period to extend the Wolverine lead to 3-1. A power play goal by St. Cloud State less than two minutes into the third period brought the Huskies to within one but the ultimate game winner was scored by Geoff Koch several minutes later. The Huskies added another power play goal late in the third period, but it wasn’t enough. Michigan won the game 4-3 and advanced to play Boston College in the Frozen Four. The Eagles defeated the Wolverines in the semifinal en route to its second national title.

Overall, this was Michigan’s 24th appearance in the NCAA tournament and third for St. Cloud State. Both teams will play a series this weekend at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. It will be the third and fourth games played between the programs and first time the teams will play one another in the regular season and outside the state of Michigan.

Photo Credit: St. Cloud State University, “The Chronicle [March 26, 2001]” (2001). Chronicle. 3477.

Posted on Posted in Miami RedHawks, NCHC, St. Cloud State Huskies
CHH Relevant Rewind Header

The Miami RedHawks and St. Cloud State Huskies have played hockey against each other in five different decades. The first meeting took place in Oxford, Ohio, on Friday, November 13, 1987. This game occurred during the first year of Division I hockey for the Huskies. Miami had been a Division I hockey member since the school fielded a team in 1978. Both teams had two wins coming into the contest. The Miami Redskins – who changed their name to the RedHawks in 1996 – had defeated Michigan and Michigan State. The Huskies two wins came from a sweep of Air Force. Both teams looked to snap losing streaks.

Ultimately, the home ice and veteran presence were too much for St. Cloud State as Miami cruised to an 8-1 victory in the first game of the series. The following night’s tilt was closer, yet the series ended in a sweep as Miami won 5-3. The Huskies scored three unanswered goals at one point in that second game to go up 3-2 yet Miami scored three unanswered goals themselves as the team battled back to win.

Chris Archer of Miami slides into the St. Cloud State net during the first meeting between these teams November 13, 1987.

At the time of this first series in 1987, Miami was a part of the CCHA and St. Cloud State was an independent team. As we know all too well, the conference alignment within college hockey is never set in stone. Flash forward to today and these two teams have shared the same conference since 2013. Prior to joining the NCHC, the programs met 13 times with Miami leading the non-conference series 8-3-2. Since the NCHC was created, the two teams have met 38 times as conference foes. The script has flipped with the Huskies sporting a 26-10-2 record over the RedHawks in that timeframe. The two teams will play each other this weekend back in Oxford, Ohio, to determine who will win games 52 and 53 in the overall series.

Photo Credits: Featured photo: The Miami Student, Vol. 115, No. 21 (Nov. 17, 1987). Secondary photo: Miami Recensio 1988 Yearbook.

Posted on Posted in ECAC, NCHC, Quinnipiac Bobcats, St. Cloud State Huskies
Embed from Getty Images

The 2013 Frozen Four in Pittsburgh was unique in that the four teams were all searching for their first Division I men’s hockey championship. Of these teams, only Yale had previously reached the national semifinals back in 1952; long before the Frozen Four moniker was even an idea. Two of the teams from the 2013 Frozen Four will be facing off against one another in the national tournament this Friday.

Quinnipiac and St. Cloud State were slated for the nightcap on Thursday, April 11, 2013. These were two teams who took similar routes to get to this destination yet ended up with opposite seeds in the 2013 national tournament. Quinnipiac was the number one seed in the East Region after winning the ECAC regular season title and going 27-7-5 prior to the national tournament. The Bobcats lost the ECAC semifinal game against Brown yet still ended up a one seed in the regional. St. Cloud State represented the WCHA in the team’s last year in the conference and went 23-15-1 prior to the national tournament. The Huskies won the WCHA regular season title yet lost to Wisconsin in the WCHA semifinals. Warranted or not, the Huskies ended up as the fourth seed in the Midwest Region. Quinnipiac defeated Canisius and Union to win the region. St. Cloud State defeated Notre Dame and Miami.

Yale won a close contest with Massachusetts Lowell in the early game April 11, 2013. The second game that night tilted in the Bobcats favor early. Jordan Samuels-Thomas scored a power play goal less than two minutes into the game for Quinnipiac. The Bobcats didn’t let up, scoring less than four minutes later. Then scored again to make it 3-0 before the end of the first period. The Huskies got one back in the second after a goal from Joey Benik but Quinnipiac answered back before the next intermission. A scoreless third period propelled Quinnipiac into the title game.

Quinnipiac faced division-rival Yale in a battle between Connecticut schools and a repeat of the ECAC Third Place Game. The Bobcats defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 in that earlier game but it would be a different outcome when it mattered the most. Yale won the program’s first NCAA national title after a 4-0 shut out and the Bulldogs were crowned 2013 national champions.

Quinnipiac and St. Cloud State will meet this Friday in the opening round of the 2022 NCAA men’s national tournament. The two teams are in the Midwest Regional and will play at PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Bobcats are the second seed while the Huskies are the third seed. Both teams are at-large bids. Will Quinnipiac defeat the Huskies on the national stage yet again or will St. Cloud State avenge the loss from 2013? The victor will face the winner of Michigan and American International for a chance to head to the 2022 Frozen Four.

Posted on Posted in CCHA, NCHC, On Location, St. Cloud State Huskies, St. Thomas Tommies

This is the first article in our new On Location series where we will live tweet a college game that we attend in person and then later post an article here on the site.

Teams: St. Cloud State Huskies at St. Thomas Tommies

Where: Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota

When: October 3, 2021 at 5:07 p.m.

Puck drop at the first St. Thomas home game on October 3, 2021
Opening puck drop at the first St. Thomas home game on October 3, 2021.

This was the second game of a home-and-home series to begin the 2021-22 season for these two teams. St. Cloud State hosted the first game on Saturday night and showed the new Division I team why they are ranked #2/3 in the preseason polls. The Huskies impressively won 12-2. The same two teams met on Sunday evening on October 3, 2021, in St. Paul. It’s credited as the first Division I home game for St. Thomas despite it being at the Xcel Energy Center instead of the team’s St. Thomas Ice Arena. 4,261 fans were in attendance.

St. Cloud State jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a power play goal from Zach Okabe in the first period. Jami Krannila and Spencer Meier assisted on the play. Shots on goal in the first period were 12-4 in favor of the Huskies.

St. Cloud State celebrates a first period goal to put the Huskies up 1-0
St. Cloud State celebrates a first period goal to put the Huskies up 1-0.

The Xcel Energy Center is home to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. This weekend of hockey played every March includes the final four teams left in the conference tournament with the winner of the title game hoisting the Frozen Faceoff trophy and earning an automatic bid to the national tournament. The NCHC conference tournament took place in Grand Forks, North Dakota in 2021 but the Frozen Faceoff will return to St. Paul in 2022. This game against St. Thomas is the first time St. Cloud State has played at the Xcel Energy Center since March 23, 2019, when the Huskies lost 3-2 in 2OT to UMD in the 2019 NCHC Frozen Faceoff title game.

NCHC team logos showing that the Xcel Energy Center is home of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff
The Xcel Energy Center is home to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.

In the second period, the Huskies scored again to make it 2-0 heading into the third period. This time the goal was from Micah Miller with the assist from Kevin Fitzgerald. The Tommies had several chances but came up short. Shots in the second frame were 7-6 in favor of St. Cloud State.

St. Thomas gets a shot off in the second period of the October 3, 2021 game
St. Thomas gets a shot off in the second period of the October 3, 2021 game against St. Cloud State.

There’s an area in the Xcel Energy Center that is devoted to the Hobey Baker and Patty Kazmaier Memorial Awards. It includes a list of past winners, replica Hobey Baker Award, and jerseys of a handful of past recipients. There are also summaries of the awards and what they mean to the hockey community.

  • Hobey Baker Award area at the Xcel Energy Center
    Wing of the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to Hobey Baker Award.
  • Jerseys of past Hobey Baker Award winners on display at the Xcel Energy Center
    Jerseys of past Hobey Baker Award winners showcased at the Xcel Energy Center.
  • Wing of the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
    Wing of the Xcel Energy Center dedicated to Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

There was no scoring in the third period. St. Thomas pulled the goalie but no goals were scored for either team before time expired. St. Cloud State outshot the Tommies 29-14. David Hrenak recorded his first shutout of the season as the Huskies opened the season with two wins. The Tommies put up a good fight but are still looking for the program’s first Division I win.

St. Cloud State still pushing the puck in the final minutes of the St. Cloud State and St. Thomas game on October 3, 2021
Final minutes of the St. Cloud State and St. Thomas game on October 3, 2021.

Posted on Posted in Minnesota State Mavericks, NCHC, St. Cloud State Huskies, WCHA
CHH Relevant Rewind Header

A little over 50 years ago in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the Huskies hosted the hockey team from Mankato. The southern Minnesota team we currently know as the Minnesota State Mavericks were known as the Mankato State University Indians when this game occurred. St. Cloud State games at that time were played outdoors on campus. This January 1971 game took place towards the end of the outdoor game era in St. Cloud as they moved indoors to the Municipal Athletic Complex in the early 1970s. The two teams split the series in St. Cloud during the second-to-last weekend in January that year. The accompanying photo was taken at one point during these two games. In it, Paul Oberstar skates with the puck for the Huskies as the two teams look on in front of a snowy embankment. These two programs faced each other four times in a row at this point in the 1970-71 schedule with Mankato winning three. This game took place two years prior to the designation of Divisions within the NCAA. However, both of these teams at the time were effectively Division II-equivalent programs. St. Cloud State made the leap to Division I in 1987 and Minnesota State followed suit in 1996. St. Cloud State and Minnesota State were WCHA foes for 14 seasons before conference realignment in 2013. Up until now, they have never faced one another within the NCAA Division I National Tournament. That streak will end Thursday as they face off against each other in the first semifinal game of the 2021 Frozen Four. The Huskies and Mavericks are both looking for their first Division I men’s hockey championship.

Image courtesy of the St. Cloud State University Archives.

Posted on Posted in Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, NCHC, St. Cloud State Huskies
CHH Recent Rewind Header

Two years ago on March 23, 2019, Minnesota Duluth outlasted St. Cloud State in two overtimes to become 2019 Frozen Faceoff Champions. The game set the record for the longest game in Frozen Faceoff history falling just short of the overall NCHC record for longest game played within the conference. Billy Exell tied the game 2-2 for UMD on a short handed goal with under five minutes remaining in the third period. After a scoreless extra session, Nick Swaney capped off a 2-on-1 breakaway in the second overtime period to give the Bulldogs their second Frozen Faceoff championship in three years. At the time of the game, the Huskies were ranked #1 in the country and favored to beat the #4 ranked Bulldogs. Minnesota Duluth carried over their postseason win streak to the NCAA tournament and ultimately captured the program’s first back-to-back national championship after defeating UMass in the title game.