SCSU coach Motzko expects to find Gophers ornery

St. Cloud State, much like the Gophers, is struggling a bit at the start of the season.

The Huskies, who play Minnesota on Friday night and Sunday afternoon at Mariucci Arena, are 1-2-1. They went to Omaha, Neb., to play in the Mutual of Omaha Stampede the first weekend of the season. There they beat Rochester Institute of Technology 3-1 but lost to Clarkson 6-2.

Last weekend, SCSU was home against Miami (Ohio), rated No. 4 in the USA Today national poll this week. Miami won the first night 6-3. The second night, the Huskies and Redhawks tied 1-1 after a scoreless overtime.

"Miami is a very good hockey team," said Huskies captain Aaron Marvin on coach Bob Motzko's Monday radio show. "It let's us know where we have to be at the end of the year."

Marvin said the Huskies are focusing on one period, one game at a time and looking forward to the Gophers series.

"We've got to get the puck in their zone and put pressure on their defense and their goalie," Marvin said.

He must have watched video of Nebraska-Omaha's sweep of the Gophers last weekend by scores of 5-4 and 4-2.

"He will be in your face all night long," Marvin said, referring to Roe. "Nothing comes easy for him. He has talent and a work ethic."

THE BIG THREE

Motzko said that three programs have separated themselves from the rest this season: Boston College, North Dakota and Miami.

They are ahead of everybody, he said, but "we know what we are chasing."

He said the Huskies, after a loss and tie with Miami, had an ornery practice on Monday. Motzko expects the Gophers, who he heard a lot of positive preseason reports about, to be ornery, too, after getting swept at home by Nebraska-Omaha.

President Obama will be at a political rally on the U of M campus Saturday afternoon. So the hockey game got moved back a day.

The key to the series, Motzko said, will probably be special teams.

"Minnesota was down and out in both games [against Nebraska-Omaha] and the power play got them back in both games," Motzko said. "The penalty kill has been one of our concerns."

Miami was 3 for 6 on the power play on Friday. The Huskies held Miami to 0 for 2 on Saturday, but those two power plays totaled only 30 seconds.

* After watching video on the Gophers, Motzko said Jay Barriball is the team's best player, without question, and plays on a strong top line with freshman Erik Haula and senior winger Mike Hoeffel. "Hoeffel has been a Huskies killer," Motzko said. "half his goals seem to have been scored against us."