>http://www.daily.umn.edu/~online/daily/11031995/sports/husky/>
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>> SPORTS
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>> St. Cloud State's young players need big weekend against the U
>>
>> Jeff Sherry - Staff Reporter
>>
>> When breaking down St. Cloud State's roster prior to this season,
>> the Huskies looked very similar to the Gophers, only on a smaller
>> talent scale.
>>
>> Scouting reports said the Huskies' strength was on defense, their
>> goaltending was solid and they needed their young forwards to
>> contribute immediately to replace key losses up front.
>>
>> So far this season they've had cause for both optimism and concern,
>> but the bottom line with this year's Huskies is they are relying on
>> numerous young and inexperienced players to carry the load.
>>
>> The most promising thing to come out of St. Cloud State's first five
>> games is the emergence of three young forwards, freshmen Matt Cullen
>> and Mark Parrish and sophomore Sacha Molin. The trio leads the
>> Huskies in scoring and has provided them with depth at a position
>> that looked thin going into the season.
>>
>> "They've done an excellent job for just stepping into a league like
>> this," Huskies coach Craig Dahl said. "They've been killing
>> penalties and (played) on the power play. I'm very pleased with
>> them."
>>
>> Cullen is one of the few recruits Minnesota wanted but didn't get
>> last year. The Moorhead, Minn., graduate was named Minnesota's
>> Associated Press Player of the Year last season and is now centering
>> the Huskies' top forward line, with Parrish and junior Dave Paradise
>> on the wings.
>>
>> Gophers freshman Wyatt Smith roomed with Cullen for a week this
>> summer and was impressed by him as a player and a person.
>>
>> "He's always been one of the best players on the ice whenever we
>> played him," Smith said. "There aren't too many players who can play
>> offense and defense as well as he can. He showed that last year. He
>> had 80-some points (89) last year, and he was still regarded as a
>> defensive forward.
>>
>> "And he's a great guy -- totally down to earth. He's a great player
>> and he doesn't have a big head. He helps you out more than anything.
>> He kind of coached me a little bit and taught me some of the things
>> he does."
>>
>> On defense the Huskies lost second team All-WCHA selection Kelly
>> Hultgren from last year, but returning are talented seniors Dan
>> Reimann, Taj Melson and P.J. Lepler. Melson was named WCHA defensive
>> player of the week two weeks ago.
>>
>> Goaltending presents a bit of a concern for St. Cloud. Sophomore
>> Brian Leitza returns after posting a 3.43 goals-against average in
>> 30 games last year. But Leitza has been having back problems this
>> season. So Saturday against St. Lawrence, Dahl started freshman Tim
>> Lideen.
>>
>> Dahl said Leitza will play Saturday, but he isn't sure who will play
>> Sunday.
>>
>> "It's kind of a daily thing with (Leitza's) back," Dahl said. "But I
>> thought Lideen played real well last weekend. He did a real good
>> job."
>>
>> The most glaring aspect of the Huskies' play so far has been on
>> special teams. They have the WCHA's best power play (35 percent) and
>> penalty kill (94.6 percent). Their power play is particularly
>> impressive at home, where they have converted 11 of 20 opportunities
>> (55 percent).
>>
>> "We're kind of feeling our way along right now," Dahl said. "And
>> we'll certainly be a much stronger team in the second half of the
>> year."
>>
>> Notes: The Gophers enter this weekend's series with no significant
>> injuries. The Huskies' third-line center Mike Maristuen had
>> arthroscopic knee surgery this week and will miss at least two
>> weeks.
>>
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>> =A9The Minnesota Daily
>
 
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!
Nastier, Bigger, Faster in '95-'96!
 
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