GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The University of North Dakota women's hockey team completed back-to-back 5-0 shutouts for the series and season sweep of the St. Cloud State Huskies tonight at the National Hockey Center.
Stephanie Ney (100 Mile House, British Columbia) earned her 10th win of the season and was a steadfast for the Sioux early tonight while a evenly-balanced scoring attack led the Sioux to a program record seven-game unbeaten streak. UND improves to 14-7-3 overall and 12-6-2 in the WCHA.
"She did her job," head coach Brian Idalski said. "Stephanie has been really constant for us basically all year long. We know what we are going to get going in day-in and day-out. We will see what happens down the stretch. Still want both of those kids to compete."
All five goals were scored by different skaters as Mary Loken (Roseau, Minn.), Alyssa Wiebe (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), Allison Parizek (Minot, N.D.), Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D) and Kelsey Ketcher (Mound, Minn.) scored for the Sioux.
Ney made 51 combined saves in the two games. She is now 10-2-2 on the season. Her 10 wins is the most in program history for a single season.
Parizek had one goal and two assists along with Monique Lamouruex-Kolls (Grand Forks, N.D.) who had three assists to lead the Sioux with three points apiece.
"I thought we were a lot sharper," Idalski said. "I didn't think we turned the puck over as much. We had balanced scoring throughout the lineup. Overall it was a good effort and nice to get the sweep on the road."
In the first period that saw the Sioux called for six penalties, four of which came to Lamoureux, and three called on St. Cloud State, neither team got much going but the Sioux still took a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Loken took her time after finding a rebound in front of Ashley Nixon to find an opening and score the game's first goal at 8:18 of the opening frame. Lamoureux-Kolls took the shot from the point.
UND held the Huskies 0-for-4 on the power play in the period and 0-for-5 in the game and only three shots on goal on those attempts.
The Sioux used a frustrating first period as a motivating factor and dominated possession time in the second period outshooting the Huskies 21-4.
"There was not much flow and a lot of penalties that first period," Idalski said. "It was a close, checking-type game and there wasn't a lot of room. They did a nice job of fighting through it in what is going to be playoff-type hockey for us down the stretch."
The Huskies limited the damage to a lone goal by Wiebe at 8:07 of the period. Nixon made a nice save on a shot by Parizek but Wiebe followed the shot with a wrap-around and ends up scoring off a shot that goes off a Huskies skate for her 10th of the season.
The floodgates finally opened in the third period when Parizek hammered home a centering pass from Wiebe.
Lamoureux and Ketcher would add the fourth and fifth goals of the to close out scoring in the third period. Lamoureux's would come on a pretty give-and-go between Lamoureux and Miller while 10 seconds into a power play Ketcher redirected a shot from Slavin.
The Sioux will return to action next weekend at home hosting Minnesota State. The two teams split in Mankato, Minn., earlier this season.
"First and foremost we need to focus on our preparation and the little things we do during practice," Idalski said. "If we can stay focused and do the little things right and compete hard we will put ourselves in good shape down the stretch."
