Miami’s trips to St. Cloud State the past two seasons could not have gone more differently.
In 2021-22, the RedHawks, were outscored, 19-1 by the Huskies in a brutal series sweep, but last season, MU battled to a pair of ties despite being a major underdog to the Huskies.
VFTG takes a brief look at the series:
WHO: Miami RedHawks (4-1-1) at St. Cloud State Huskies (2-4).
WHERE: Herb Brooks Center (5,159), St. Cloud, Minn.
WHEN: Friday — 8:35 p.m.; Saturday – 7:05 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: St. Cloud State leads, 30-19-6.
ST. CLOUD STATE RADIO: Both nights — KNSI-AM (1450), KNSI-FM (99.3), St. Cloud, Minn.
MIAMI RADIO: Saturday — WMOH-AM (1450).
STREAMING: NCHC.tv ($).
NOTES: Miami received five votes for the top-20 in this week’s USCHO poll. St. Cloud got four.
The Huskies have struggled to open the season, as they were swept at Minnesota St. and split with both St. Thomas and Alaska.
Veeti Miettinen has been one of St. Cloud’s top offensive contributors each of the past three seasons, so it’s not surprising he leads SCSU in goals (3) and points (7), and is tied for the top spot in assists (4).
The New York Rangers draftee already has 90 career NCAA points.
Nashville second-round selection Adam Ingram finished with 23 points as a freshman and is already 2-3-5 this season.
Kyler Kupka and Barrett Hall, who both have two goals and two assists, are the only other St. Cloud State forwards with more than two points.
Graduate senior Dylan Anhorn is SCSU’s top offensive thread from the blueline, netting a goal and notching four assists in six games this season after a 25-point campaign in 2022-23.
The Huskies’ other six regular defensemen have combined for just three assists.
In net, Dominic Basse is coming off a solid first season at St. Cloud after transferring from Colorado College, finishing with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
But his GAA is 2.98 this season and he owns a save percentage of .887.
Freshman goalie Isak Posch stopped all 14 shots he faced in his inaugural appearance, which came in relief.
For both teams, this series is the beginning of NCHC play, which has been Miami kryponite the past few years. The RedHawks have finished last in the conference the past three seasons and were 11 points clear of the field in 2022-23.
MU has impressed to this point in non-conference play, but it must garner success in league competition, seemingly a Sisyphean task for the RedHawks in recent years.
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