Hockey Day 2018: St. Cloud State women take home-team advantage outside

St. Cloud State University will show off both of its varsity hockey teams at Hockey Day Minnesota 2018, playing host to the University of Minnesota Duluth women's team and Minnesota State Mankato men's team.
But the women's team will play in a different environment than usual, as they trade the ice sheets of Herb Brooks National Hockey Center for the outdoor rink at Lake George, a mile down the road in downtown St. Cloud. The Huskies' contest against the Bulldogs will be the first ever outdoor women's collegiate game on Hockey Day.

"It certainly brings a whole new level of atmosphere and excitement," said Huskies coach Eric Rud. "Many of our players have never played a real game outdoors, so this will be a special moment.
"This generation of hockey players have grown up with the Winter Classic and seeing many big outdoor games. I think that for these kids in this era, it's a big thing for them to be able to follow in the footsteps of other games that have been outdoors."
The Huskies bring a record of 5-15-2 into that matchup, including a 4-7-0 home record. They've also won four exhibition games not reflected in that record -- one against the Korean National Team and three against the Minnesota Whitecaps.
The day before their open-air tilt, they'll open the weekend series against the Bulldogs at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center and set the tone for the next day's events. The Huskies have dropped both previous games this season to UMD, and will be looking to turn things around in front of their home crowd.
Led by Rud, who is in his fourth season as coach, and captain Brittney Anderson, the Huskies will make their second-straight appearance in Hockey Day games; in 2017, they topped Minnesota State in a shootout, 4-3.
Unlike last year's game, though, they'll now have to contend with the elements.
The forecast for Jan. 20 is currently somewhat windy, very humid and comes with a 60 percent chance of precipitation and a high of 34 degrees. Of course, that could change in a matter of minutes, let alone with half a week to go.
Glare from the ice, a soft or choppy ice surface and the threat of precipitation are all factors out of a team's control, but could even be influential enough to change the course of a game. It will be again up to Rud and Anderson to lead the Huskies through it.
"Playing outdoors adds a lot of other factors to the game, but we are not preparing any differently," Anderson said. "It is hard to replicate an outdoor game, so we are just aware that there are some different factors and as players we need to be able to adjust come game time."
Anderson, a senior defenseman, leads the Huskies with 45 blocked shots. The Hill-Murray High School alumna's willingness to clog shooting lanes has been a trademark of her game, ranking within the top three on the team for blocked shots in every year of her college career.
Assistant captains Emma Turbyville, a senior defender, and Alyssa Erickson, a senior forward, help provide a well-rounded leadership group. Turbyville and Erickson rank fifth and sixth on the team, respectively, for points on the season. Erickson set a career high for goals and points in her junior season; Turbyville also set personal bests in 2016-17.
Meanwhile, freshman forward Laura Kluge, hailing from Berlin, Germany, has emerged as the team leader in points by a sizable margin. The former Linköpings HC (of the Swedish Hockey League) player has immediately made an impact in her first year playing in the United States.
Goaltenders Janine Alder, a sophomore, and Emma Polusny, a freshman, have split action this season as both have played 11 games. Both have posted more-than-respectable save percentages; Alder's is .931, and Polusny's is .938.
With a roster built predominantly from underclassmen, there have been times when St. Cloud State has struggled to find an identity. However, ahead of Hockey Day and on the tail end of a 7-2 win over the Minnesota White Caps, there's never been a better time for the young team to hit its stride.
"We are a very young team, one of the youngest in college hockey this year," said Rud, whose daughter Gabbie will participate in Hockey Day as a member of the
St. Cloud IceBreakers
. "With that has come a lot of ups and downs this season. But it's been a very positive year in that our team keeps gelling as the season goes on. I think that youth and enthusiasm will really show through on Hockey Day."
"It's all the team] can talk about right now," Turbyville said.
That enthusiasm is evident within the leadership group as well, all of whom grew up playing pick-up hockey outside for fun but have never played in a real outdoor game.
Even Mission, British Columbia native Erickson is excited to take the ice at Lake George, despite a dangerous encounter with the Canadian winter when she was younger.
"One winter, when I was 13, I was outside for way too long on the outdoor rink without a hat and suffered extremely bad frostbite on my ear," Erickson said. "I laugh about it now and my friends give me a hard time about it still."
With hopefully no frostbite incidents in the near future, it's all systems go for St. Cloud State. Somewhere between nerves and excitement, the Huskies recognize the unique opportunity ahead of them and are proud to represent their adopted city and take part in history.
"St. Cloud is a great hockey community, and being able to host HDM is a huge honor," Anderson said. "Seeing the excitement surrounding this event shows how deep the hockey community is in Minnesota."
Goaltender Taylor Crosby, whose brother Sidney also happens to play hockey, agrees. "There are so many passionate hockey fans here, as well as good teams and young players.
"It seems only fitting that Hockey Day Minnesota be hosted in St. Cloud."
**Related:**
- [St. Cloud's proud hockey history takes center stage - Duluth women amped for outdoor matchup - Hockey Day broadcast details announced