ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston hockey team fell 6-3 to St. Cloud State University Saturday, January 29 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn. The Huskies scored four goals in the final two periods to help secure the victory.

Minnesota Crookston dropped to 10-6-2 (5-3-2 WCCHA) with Saturday's loss. The Golden Eagles split the season series with the Huskies. St. Cloud State moved to 6-4-0 in WCCHA play. St. Cloud State jumped back over the Golden Eagles in the WCCHA Northwest Division standings to sit in second. Minnesota Crookston is now in third in the Northwest Division. The Golden Eagles have still been on a roll of late, as they have gone 8-3 in their last 11 games.

Minnesota Crookston was guided by one goal and one assist apiece from Gunner Ferrier (So., Baudette, Minn.) and Logan Syrup (Fr., F, Park River, N.D.). Tyler Zahradka (So., F, Grand Forks, N.D.) added his team-leading 22^nd goal of the season, while Jackson Fuller (Fr., F, Bloomington, Minn.) and Nikolai Rajala (Fr., F, Coleraine, Minn.) also had assists.

In goal, Braden Schmitz (Fr., Devils Lake, N.D.) started and played the first period and some of the second, allowing three goals. Jared Aamold (Fr., Breckenridge, Minn.) played in parts of the second and third, allowing three goals. Sean O'Connor (Fr., West Fargo, N.D.) played the final 9:12, allowing no goals with six saves.

St. Cloud State was led by two goals and an assist from Noah Bissett. Riley Dixon chipped in two goals and an assist, as well. Alec Will finished with a goal and an assist. In between the pipes, Noah Schmidley allowed three goals, with 30 saves for the game.

The Huskies jumped on the scoreboard first, as they found the back of the net just 1:02 into the game as Bissett scored off a Jake Pirkl assist. Minnesota Crookston knotted the game up at the 7:41 mark when Syrup had a tally off a Ferrier assist. St. Cloud State took the lead 2-1 at the 14:27 mark when Dixon scored off assists from Pirkl and Alex Rourk to send St. Cloud State into the intermission with a 2-1 lead.

The Huskies took a 3-1 lead at the 9:29 mark of the second period when Dixon scored a short-handed goal. Minnesota Crookston pulled within 3-2 at the 16:27 mark when Ferrier scored off a Fuller assist. The flurry of goals continued late in the second period, as Bissett scored off assists from Keaton Skaja and Will at the 17:56 mark. With just 55 seconds left in the second period, Casey Hormann found the back of the net off a Dixon assist to give the Huskies a 5-2 advantage.

St. Cloud State pushed their lead to 6-2 at the 9:12 mark when Will scored off assists from Bissett and Rourk. Minnesota Crookston would cut the lead to 6-3 with 27 seconds left in the game off a power play goal from Zahradka off assists from Rajala and Syrup, but it wouldn't be enough.

Minnesota Crookston will play their final WCCHA regular-season series Friday, February 4 and Saturday, February 5 against Bethel University at the Crookston Sports Center in Crookston, Minn.