SCSU Hockey Routs Denver Friday At NHEC

The #19-ranked St. Cloud State Huskies routed #7-ranked Denver 5-2 at the National Hockey and Event Center in St. Cloud on Friday night.

Neither team scored in the first period despite a very aggressive Husky offense that peppered DU goalie Juho Olkinuora with seven shots in the game's first seven minutes. The Huskies outshot the Pioneers 13-7 in the opening period.

Denver got on the board first at 6:58 of the second period when junior defenseman David Makowski flicked a wrist shot from the right-wing circle that Zac Lazzara tipped in for the goal. The second assist was credited to Shaun Ostrow.

SCSU responded with a goal from junior forward Cory Thorson at 10:27 of period number two, his eighth of the season. Assists on the play went to Brooks Bertsch and Sauk Rapids native Ethan Prow.

The Huskies took a 2-1 lead late in the second period on a fantastic breakaway goal from junior Nic Dowd. Dowd stole the puck in the neutral zone and skated in on Olkinuora straight up the middle of the ice, faked forehand and scored on the backhand through the five-hole. Dowd's tenth goal of the season was assisted by Prow and goaltender Ryan Faragher.

Denver knotted the game at two at the 2:47 mark of the third period. Nick Shore stuffed in a rebound after a shot from Ty Loney trickled off Faragher's pads.

Junior forward Nick Jensen gave the Huskies a 3-2 lead with just under ten minutes left in the third period on a wrister from the high slot. Jensen's second goal of the season was assisted by Kalle Kossila and Andrew Prochno.

Jensen added his second of the night and third of the season at 16:55 of the third period, assisted by Drew LeBlanc and Kossila.

Nick Oliver added an empty net goal to finish the scoring for SCSU with just under two minutes left in the third period.