The St. Cloud State Huskies defeated the Denver Pioneers, 5-1, to remain undefeated on the season, while Denver remains winless. The Huskies improved their record to 4-0-1, 1-0-0 WCHA, and Denver falls to 0-3-0, 0-1-0 WCHA, on the season.
The Huskies struck first in the game when Joe Motzko scored his third goal of the season at the 5:23 mark of the first period with assists from Mark Hartigan and Ryan Malone.
Denver knotted the score with a power play goal at 16:32 of the first by Greg Keith.
Both teams played even up until the 9:29 mark of the third when Keith Anderson posted his first goal of the young season with an assist from Nate DiCasmirro. The goal was Anderson’s 24th career goal and his fifth career game winner.
St. Cloud iced the game with a goal by Hartigan (third of the season) at 16:56 of the third with an assist from Motzko.
Duvie Westcott, this week’s WCHA defender of the week, charted his second goal of the season at 18:21 with assists on the power play tally from DiCasmirro and Hartigan.
The night was completed with an empty netter by Jon Cullen at 19:38 of the third with another dish credited to DiCasmirro. The goal was St. Cloud’s third shorthanded goal of the season.
The victory moved St. Cloud’s record as a Division I program to 233-233-38 since 1987-88, which marks the first time St. Cloud has been at the .500 level.
St. Cloud and Denver will meet again in the second game of the series on Saturday evening.
