St. Cloud State Overcomes Adversity to Sweep Arizona State

Huskies move within 2 points of home ice for NCHC playoffs after two wins over the Sun Devils.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The St. Cloud State men's hockey team picked up an NCHC road series sweep over Arizona State on February 6-7, moving within two points of fourth place in the conference standings. The Huskies dealt with adversity before the series even started when freshman goalie Yan Shostak got sick during warm-ups on Friday, but sophomore Patriks Berzins stepped in and played both games, stopping 73 of 77 shots. On Saturday, the Huskies had a back-and-forth game before junior center Tyson Gross scored the game-winning goal with 37.9 seconds left to give SCSU a 4-3 victory.

Why it matters

The sweep was an impressive accomplishment for the Huskies, who had been swept at home by Miami the previous weekend. The win moves SCSU within two points of fourth place in the NCHC standings, which would earn them home ice advantage in the opening round of the conference playoffs. The team showed resilience in overcoming the adversity of losing their starting goalie before the series.

The details

Freshman goalie Yan Shostak got sick during warm-ups on Friday, forcing sophomore Patriks Berzins to step in and play both games of the series. Berzins stopped 73 of 77 shots and was named NCHC Goaltender of the Week. On Saturday, the Huskies and Sun Devils traded goals before freshman wing Noah Urness gave SCSU a 3-2 lead in the third period. Arizona State tied it late, but with 37.9 seconds left, junior center Tyson Gross stole the puck and scored the game-winner while the Huskies were killing a penalty.

  • On February 6, 2026, at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
  • On February 7, 2026, at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.

The players

Tyson Gross

A junior center for the St. Cloud State Huskies who scored the game-winning goal with 37.9 seconds left in the February 7 game against Arizona State.

Patriks Berzins

A sophomore goaltender for the St. Cloud State Huskies who stepped in and played both games of the series against Arizona State after the original starting goalie got sick.

Noah Urness

A freshman wing for the St. Cloud State Huskies who scored a goal to give the team a 3-2 lead in the third period of the February 7 game.

Brett Larson

The head coach of the St. Cloud State Huskies men's hockey team.

Barrett Hall

A junior wing for the St. Cloud State Huskies who made a key play to steal the puck and set up Tyson Gross' game-winning goal.

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What they’re saying

“I saw the goalie come flying out. I knew Hallsy was in a race for the puck. I saw an opportunity. I kind of read where the goalie was going to put it. He put it right on my tape and instincts took over.”

— Tyson Gross, Junior Center (The NCHC)

“I can't remember many (games) that were that big of an emotional swing. With four minutes left, you're hoping to hang on for the win. Then all of a sudden, it's a tie game. Then you take a penalty with a minute-and-a-half (left). You're thinking, 'Oh boy, we've got to kill this off and even if we do, they're going to be on a power play in overtime.' Then Hallsy makes a great stick play to knock a puck away in our 'D' zone to Grosser's goal. It was one of the most roller coaster five minutes I've been a part of.”

— Brett Larson, Head Coach (The NCHC)

What’s next

The Huskies have four games left in the regular season and are two points behind Minnesota Duluth for fourth place in the NCHC standings. Their goal is to finish the season as strongly as possible and secure home ice advantage for the opening round of the conference playoffs.

The takeaway

The St. Cloud State Huskies showed tremendous resilience and composure in overcoming adversity to sweep Arizona State on the road. Their ability to bounce back from a tough home series loss and rally for a dramatic late-game victory demonstrates the team's mental toughness and commitment to finishing the season strong.