ANCHORAGE - Jimmy Murray scored at 2:09 of overtime to lift No. 14/15 St. Cloud State to a 4-3 come-from-behind win over Alaska Anchorage in a WCHA encounter at Sullivan Arena Friday night.
The Huskies improved to 8-5-0 overall and 6-3-0 in WCHA play while the Seawolves fell to 2-5-4 overall and 0-4-3 in WCHA play. It appeared UAA was on the way to its first WCHA win of the season as the Seawolves got out of the gates quickly - scoring three goals on their first eight shots of the game - to jump to a 3-0 first period lead.
Senior winger Jordan Kwas scored via the power play just 3:24 in to stake UAA to a 1-0 lead. Quinn Sproule and Blake Tatchell were credited with the assists.
UAA erupted for two more goals in the first - over the span of just 39 seconds. Stationed near the left post, Tyler Currier banged home a pretty pass from Chris Crowell to score at 9:34. Blake Leask also earned an assist on the play. Then at 10:13 freshman and Anchorage native Hayden Trupp bagged his first collegiate goal on an assist from Daniel Naslund.
The Huskies cut it to 3-1 after two periods. St. Cloud's Jonny Brodzinksi scored from the high slot at 7:38 of the second on assists from Drew LeBlanc and Kalle Kossila.
St. Cloud made it 3-2 just 44 seconds into the third when Cory Thorson won the draw back to Murray and Murray beat Gunderson high to the glove side. The Seawolves managed to kill off a portion of a late third-period Husky 5-on-3 power play, but with St. Cloud got the equalizer when David Morley cashed in on the remaining 5-on-4 man-advantage with just 2:36 left in regulation.
After trailing 11-6 in shots on goal after one period, St. Cloud State wound up with a 24-18 shots advantage. Both teams went 1-for-5 on the power play.
Husky goalie Ryan Faragher had 15 saves in picking up the win in net for SCSU while UAA's Rob Gunderson registered 20 saves in a losing effort.
The teams will meet tomorrow evening at 7:07 p.m. to complete the weekend series.
