When a team loses, there is always an ongoing debate over whether or not the loss had more to do with a squad’s lack of execution, or if it was the play of the opponent that derailed the train. More often than not it’s both.  

This past Saturday, in St. Cloud State’s 4-1 setback against Denver in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game, the Pioneers used their stifling defense to shut down the nation’s fourth-best scoring team, but it was also apparent that the Huskies’ normally high-powered offensive attack was sputtering at times. The speed was there, so was the creativity. The execution was not. Numerous times, SCSU seemed to be a skate behind (or ahead) of the puck. Sticks – a lot of them – seemed to disrupt the play more than normal and commonly the best passing team in the nation was missing the “toe” to their tic and tac. 

“Sometimes the pucks aren’t going your way and the bounces don’t go your way,” Mikey Eyssimont, the Huskies’ second leading scorer, said. “I think our creativity and what makes us a fun team to watch, it can get us in trouble sometimes and it did against Denver. A lot of that is just going back to the basics and sometimes just playing a solid two-way game instead of trying to force too many things too early. This past weekend was definitely an eye-opener for us in the sense that we need to be more on our game and more on our toes and our linemates need to be on the same page.”

Rarely have the Huskies been accused of not playing on the same sheet of music this season. St. Cloud State has grown the reputation as being one of the best scoring teams in the land this season, and for good reason. After finishing the regular season averaging more than 3.7 goals per contest, SCSU sported three of the top 10 scorers in the conference. As a matter of fact, heading into last weekend, the Huskies had a jaw-dropping 17 players in double digits in points. 

No wonder SCSU has been an on-going highlight reel, and despite their most recent loss, are still the No. 1 seed in the West Region heading into this weekend’s first round match-up against fourth seeded Air Force. Opposing coaches from across the nation know that in order to tame the dogs, making them one dimensional is essential. When asked about the game plan as to how to beat SCSU, limiting their firepower is where everything begins.

“Their team is filled with skill,” Air Force head coach Frank Serratore said. “They have skill up front and skill on the back end. They go up and down, they move the puck, they are clever and creative. They have four lines of guys who can hurt you on the front line and they may have the best back line in terms of offensive defensemen. They get the puck out of their zone, join the play; they hurt you on the power play. They have a lot of weapons.”

You can debate the numbers all day long, but typically a story begins to develop. If SCSU head coach Bob Motzko was to name his book it would probably be something like “balance and beauty.” The Huskies have the balance, and when all 18 skaters are flying in the same direction, it can be overwhelmingly powerful.  

While they sometimes can pass the puck too much, SCSU is at their best when they are getting everyone involved. Among the 143 goals scored this season, the Huskies have also compiled 252 team assists, almost 100 more helpers than their opponents. Individually, SCSU has 12 different players with 10 or more assists and five with 20 or more. When you compare that to the Huskies’ first-round opponent this Friday in Air Force, the Falcons have 166 team assists.  

Yes, it’s true that St. Cloud has simply scored more goals than most, but one of the things that has made the NCHC regular season champs so difficult to beat is that when they score, it truly has been a family affair. The red light might be the end result, but the puck seems to travel miles and miles before it gets there. At any one moment, every Husky on the ice is a target for a pass and the architect of a goal that is about to be scored. Just for impact, when looking at the Huskies’ 5-on-5 goals this season, there have been two assists accompanying a goal 84 percent of the time.

“I think it’s just grown from the time guys get here as freshmen as we have gotten older,” Jimmy Schuldt, St. Cloud State’s co-captain and a Hobey Baker finalist, said. “Last year was definitely a learning process for us, and I think with all of the ups and downs from last year, we took every downfall as a learning opportunity. A lot of guys took the fact that we didn’t make the tournament personally last year and really put in the work this offseason to get better, to get a little faster and stronger. That just makes the teamwork part of the game like sharing the puck easier; you are able to get places faster. When you get used to each other, the more you communicate, the easier it gets.”

That’s certainly part of it. Assistant head coach Bob Gibbons thinks there is even more to the equation. Gibbons brings it back to the man calling the shots – NCHC Coach of the Year Bob Motzko. After taking over the program 13 years ago, the former Husky grad and Herb Brooks’ protégé had an idea when it came to the type of player he wanted to recruit and the brand of hockey he wanted to play. Still, just because the plan is put on paper doesn’t mean it will lead to the desired result. You may have the parts, but that doesn’t guarantee the engine is going  to run. Most who surround the 2017-18 Huskies, however, believe that this team is simply different, and so far, things have finally played out just how the head-man envisioned it.

“I think a big part of it is credit to Bob Motzko and the style that he plays,” Gibbons said. “A roster full of talented players and they thrive in this environment. Most hockey players want to play offense, so the talented hockey players are excited about coming to St. Cloud State and coming to play for Bob. On the recruiting trail, I think one of the first things that we look for is someone who has hockey instincts. You can work on passing all you want and you can work on all of the different skills, but if you don’t have the hockey intellect and the ability to slow the game down a little bit, you aren’t going to be able to make the pass – you’re not going to be able to see it. When the play is there, a really good hockey player is going to make that play. I think it starts on the recruiting trail by recruiting intelligent hockey players.”

Blake Lizotte, a Lindstrom, Minn., native, wasn’t a marquee name coming out of high school. As a matter of fact, in an effort to advance his game, the 5-9 center skated in the NAHL for Minot during the 2014-15 season before moving to the USHL and suiting up for Fargo for two more years. While playing for the Force, he quietly became known as a playmaker, a magician in the faceoff circle and a two-way player who despite his size, played with speed and grit.  

Now as a freshman for the top-ranked team in the nation, Lizotte was recently named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team and ranks fifth on the Huskies’ roster in scoring, including 19 assists. Most recently paired with Eyssimont and junior Patrick Newell, the line has been Motzko’s most dynamic and most relentless. Individually, over his last 15 games, Lizotte has registered 12 points while Eyssimont has added 15. Newell, who has missed games due to injury, has three goals and nine assists over his last 10 games.  

“Some years are better than others,” Lizotte said. “We looked at things this summer and I think we realized that we might have a pretty good team this year. I think in some cases, we’ve been even better than what we originally thought. All of our lines, pretty much anyone can get it done each and every night which is something that is really special and something most of the good teams have. That’s been really special. We have just been trying to capitalize on that strength because it doesn’t come around very often. 

“When you are trying to find chemistry, it’s not just taking a player’s skill and putting them together, it’s not something that’s going to work every time. Personality plays a big factor. Pretty much every one in our room gets along. It’s a really good place to be and it’s fun coming to the rink. When you get along with all 25 guys on your team that is really special.”

And that’s just one line. Leading the pack in points scored with 42 is Robby Jackson, a junior from Alameda, Calif. Then there is Ryan Poehling and Easton Brodzinski’s 14 goals, tying them for second on the team in that category. On the blue line, it begins and ends with Schuldt, but if you sleep on everyone else, the likes of Jon Lizotte (5-12--17), Will Borgen (2-12--14) or Jack Ahcan (3-20--23) will make you pay. 

At the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, while SCSU was slowed on offense, the four Husky goals against the Hawks and Pioneers were scored by four different players. As a matter of fact, in 39 games, a single Husky has scored more than one goal in a game just 11 times, making their opponent’s mission of focusing on just one line or one specific person a gigantic task.

“It’s a lot of fun to be a part of a team that gets along as well as ours does,” Schuldt said. “It’s not every year that teams are really close and gel like we have this year, and I think there is something to be said about that. I think it does help us have success through the season. Everyone has bought in and wants to win no matter what; it’s not about points for anyone. Our team doesn’t have any superstars who care just about points. We have four lines who can all create offense. All six defensemen have the ability to create offense and be effective on both ends of the ice. It makes it a lot of fun to see everyone having the type of success they are having and to see our team playing together so well.”

“I think we are one of the deepest teams in the league from our first to fourth line, from our front end to our goalie,” Eyssimont said. “I think when we are playing well, we feed off our energy when we are scoring goals, and that’s something we are going to focus on this upcoming weekend. We are going to do our best to play that complete game and to get back to having that fun we have been having all year. That usually comes when we are working hard and playing well.”

Now the challenge becomes proving it.  Licking their wounds from their most recent setback, Eyssimont and company believe that the loss to the Pioneers just might be exactly what the team needed. There is no doubt that winning the NCHC Tournament was one of the team’s goals established before the season, but nothing compares to their ultimate goal of winning the national title at the end of the year. The Huskies are four wins away.

“Obviously, you want the hardware; you want to be remembered as the team who won the Frozen Faceoff,” Eyssimont said “Good for DU, they accomplished that. That was one of our goals all year and they took it from us. At the end day, though, that’s not the ultimate goal for our team. It was a good learning experience if you want to call it that. We can take a lot of the bad things that happened to us and the bad things we did and learn from it. The main thing is just keeping our composure and going to battle every night and playing like it’s just another hockey game. We are a team that has fun and plays hard. If we do that, we put ourselves in a position to win every game.”

Prior experience can often be the greatest teacher. Whether it’s the sting of a recent defeat or the painful memory of a loss to Ferris State two years ago as the No. 1 seed, the Huskies have experienced the emotions that go along with playoff hockey. This group, more than any other, understands the power of chemistry and the difference a laugh and a smirk can make. Throw out the rankings, the records and the pressure of being the top seed. First and foremost, it has to begin with simply having fun playing the game. When that happens the rest seems to always fall into place.

“We all realize that we are all here for one reason: to win a national championship,” Lizotte said. “There are a lot of good teams out there, anyone can beat anyone on any given night. I think when you hear someone talking about the No. 1 team in the nation, there is that risk of getting that sense of entitlement where you think, we are the No. 1 team, so we should do this or do that. We are not like that at all. We come out and work every night and have fun playing the game together. 

“Staying humble is going to be a key for us through this. If you don’t approach things the right way, you are going to get beat. There are too many good teams in college hockey to contend with. We just need to keep doing things the right way and stay focused on the main goal.”

The Huskies and Falcons drop the puck this Friday at 3 p.m., in Sioux Falls, S.D., followed by Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State. The game will be a homecoming of sorts for Eyssimont who played junior hockey in Sioux Falls for the Sioux Falls Stampede and helped them win the Clark Cup in 2015.

Andrew Vitalis can be reached at lphprep@yahoo.com.