Stock Terrific, but Bears Fall
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| 0:00 - 3rd | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown (0-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Cloud St. (4-0-1, 1-2-1 WCHA) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Scoring Summary | |
|---|---|
| 1st - 12:52 | SH - Danielle Hirsch (St. Cloud St.) |
| 2nd - 02:32 | Katie Kemmerer (St. Cloud St.) |
| 3rd - 19:59 | Caitlin Hogan (St. Cloud St.) |
| Brown | St. Cloud St. |
|---|---|
|
G:
N/A
A: N/A Sh: Erica Kromm - 4 Sv: Nicole Stock - 49 |
G:
3 Players (#16, #20, #25 - 1)
A: 6 Players (#6, #13, #14, #23, #25, #27 - 1) Sh: Holly Roberts - 7 Sv: Ashley Nixon - 18 |
| TEAM STATISTICS | Brown | St. Cloud St. |
|---|---|---|
| Power Plays | 0 for 3 | 0 for 3 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties (min) | 4 (8) | 4 (8) |
| Shots on Goal | 18 | 52 |
| Face Offs Won | 18 | 34 |
ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The St. Cloud State Huskies dealt the Bears
a 3-0 defeat to open the 2008-09 season on Friday night. Senior
captain Nicole Stock (Buffalo Grove, IL) turned in a terrific
performance in net, recording 49 saves, but the offense was unable
to capitalize on its three power play opportunities. With the loss,
Brown will open the season 0-1, while St. Cloud State moves to
4-2-1, with a 1-2-1 record in the WCHA.
The Huskies came out firing in the first period, subjecting Stock
to a barrage of shots as the Bears struggled to find their rhythm.
Lacking the live-game experience that St. Cloud received in their
first six games, Brown appeared somewhat overmatched in the first
five minutes, but Stock kept the game scoreless with several
outstanding saves. The Huskies were able to strike first, however,
junior Danielle Hirsh picked up a loose puck and fired a shot into
goal for a 1-0 lead at the 12:52 mark.
St. Cloud nearly put another tally on the board only three minutes
later, but Stock made a terrific point blank save on a breakaway by
the Huskies, keeping the game close going into the second. In the
opening frame Stock approached her record for saves in a single
period set last season against Mercyhurst, finishing with 22 after
the first period.
Coach Digit Murphy and her staff came out of the locker room to
open the second with several offensive adjustments, and were able
to increase the number of shots on goal, but still lacked the big
shot to tie the game. Junior forward Katie Kemmerer of St. Cloud
State was able to capitalize on a good possession for the Huskies,
as they passed around goal before finally centering and setting
Kemmerer up for a short goal. After the score both defenses clamped
down and neither team was able to get off a good shot for the
remainder of the period.
Entering the third period with a 2-0 advantage, the Huskies were
content to sit back and play conservatively while holding on to the
lead. Although the Bears were able to find some good opportunities
in the period, they again struggled to find the back of the net,
finishing with 18 shots on goal in the shutout. Stock once again
made a number of terrific saves down the stretch, keeping the game
close against the Huskly onslaught. With time winding down, junior
Caitlin Hogan took a shot from the near right side of the goal, and
tapped in the final score for St. Cloud, a meaningless goal with
only .4 seconds remaining on the clock.
The game was not without bright spots for the Bears. Chief among
them was, of course, the continued stellar play of Stock, who gives
Brown a chance in any game that she plays. The penalty kill was
also a strength, however, as the Bears shut out St. Cloud on all
three power play opportunities for the Huskies after struggling to
do so a week ago in scrimmages against Yale and Princeton. The
defense also looked strong under new assistant coach Sean Coady,
shutting out St. Cloud for 37 minutes between the second and third
goals.
The Bears will be in action again on Saturday night, when they
return to the National Hockey Center to take on St. Cloud State
again at 7:00 p.m. CT.
