PREGAME NOTES
No. 7 St. Cloud State (2-2-0 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC) vs. No. 1 Minnesota (4-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 Big Ten)
Friday, 7:37 p.m. CT on FSN – Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (5,763)
Saturday, 4:05 p.m. CT on FSN – Mariucci Arena (10,000)
The Gophers’ biggest test of the season will come this weekend with a home-and-home series with in-state rival, St. Cloud State. The Maroon and Gold will head to St. Cloud on Friday evening but will be back on Saturday to the friendly confines of Mariucci Arena.
Series History
Long been the “little brother” of collegiate hockey in Minnesota, the Huskies have shown some scrap against the Gophers. Since their first meeting in 1987, Minnesota has held an edge in the series, 54-28-12 through 94 meetings, but SCSU always gives the Gophers a battle, especially when playing in St. Cloud. Minnesota beat the Huskies last January in the North Star College Cup by a score of 4-1. The last meeting between the two teams came in March at the Xcel Energy Center in the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota looked incredible all game, topping the Huskies, 4-0, to end St. Cloud State’s season.
About the Huskies
The Huskies have been surging the past couple seasons. Last year was no different as St. Cloud finished 22-11-5 and were crowned NCHC Regular Season Champions. In the first year of the conference, SCSU was dominant; taking three of four games from North Dakota and sweeping Minnesota-Duluth. After reaching the Frozen Four in 2013, the Huskies were able to top Notre Dame in overtime of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, before falling to the Gophers in the quarterfinals.
Coaching Preview
Head coach Bob Motzko is in his 10th season leading the Huskies. Motzko’s tenure at SCSU has been impressive. He’s compiled a 186-138-40 overall record, led the Huskies to five NCAA Division I tournament appearances, and two conference titles in 2014 (NCHC) and 2013 (WCHA). Motzko began his coaching career as an assistant for Herb Brooks at SCSU. Prior to taking over the Huskies’ program, Motzko won two national champions as an assistant coach for the Golden Gophers.
Season to Date
The Huskies have had an up-and-down season thus far. Their opening weekend, they split two games with Colgate when playing at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Last weekend, SCSU faced off against the 2014 National Champions, Union College. After getting beat 5-1 on Friday, the Huskies rallied to earn the split with a 3-2 win on Saturday.
Brother Versus Brother
This weekend should mark the third (and possibly fourth) meeting between the Gophers’ Michael Brodzinski and the Huskies’ Johnny Brodzinsky. The two brothers have met twice before, with Minnesota winning both contests by a combined 8-1. In those two games, Michael has been held without a point while older brother, Johnny, recorded a goal in SCSU’s loss last January.
Players to Watch
No. 28 Andrew Prochno – The senior defenseman from Minnetonka has been a mainstay on the blue line for the Huskies. Prochno, an assistant captain, has tallied 77 career points in 115 games. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder quarterbacks the SCSU power play where he isn’t afraid to let it rip from the point. Prochno is second on the team with 17 shots, although only one has found the back of the net.
No. 9 Joey Benik – The 5-foot-10, 175-pound winger is coming off a sensational sophomore season where he netted 12 goals and added 15 assists. Benik is extremely dangerous on the power play. Last year he scored five goals with the man advantage and both his points (1g, 1a) this season have come on the power play.
Background
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota
Enrollment: 17,231
Conference: NCHC
Mascot: Huskies
Colors: Cardinal Red, Black, and White
Coach: Bob Motzko (10th Season)