St. Cloud, Minn. --- The University of North Dakota women's hockey team jumped out to a quick lead on the road Friday night and never looked back as it defeated St. Cloud State 6-2.
North Dakota improves to 15-10-0 (10-9-0-0 WCHA) while the Huskies drop to 8-17-2 (4-16-1-0 WCHA).
"I thought for being on the road we accomplished what we wanted to do," head coach Brian Idalski said. "To have a good start and play with the lead. We were able to do that tonight and get a tough win on the road."
Senior Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) snapped a nine-game goalless streak in a big way as she tallied a hat trick in the first two periods including her 100th collegiate goal.
UND opened a 3-1 lead heading into the first intermission with three different goal scores as Michelle Karvinen (Rodovre, Denmark) and Sam LaShomb (White Bear Lake, Minn.) also found the back of the net. In the most lopsided period of the game, UND outshot the Huskies 16-10 (31-16 attempted shots) and were inches away from a couple more goals as it hit two pipes in the frame.
Monique Lamoureux would score both of UND's goals in the second period for her 101st and 102nd career goals. She would add an assist in the third period for a four-point game
"You figured on a big (ice) sheet with her jumping up in transition she should have a little more to do things and she was able to capitalize," Idalski said. "More importantly she was solid defensively and did a very good job in our own end. Those are going to be very important for us down the stretch."
Captain Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) had a quieter four-point game as she had three assists in the first two periods before scoring the lone goal of the final stanza. She now has 252 career points and has moved within 10 of the WCHA's all-time leading point scorer in Wisconsin's Hillary Knight.
UND continues to get itself in penalty trouble though the seemed to level the playing field in the second and third periods including having to play on three 5-on-3 penalty-kills.
"The power play has been very good here the last couple of weeks and they were the same," Idalski said. "The penalty-kill was also good, I don't if it was as sharp as last weekend though as I think there was times when we were a little bit sloppy. We again though are giving them way too many opportunities. Giving them three 5-on-3 opportunities is a little bit ridiculous and it needs to be better."
UND finished the game 1-for-4 on the power play and 6-for-7 on the penalty-kill.
Netminder Shelby Amsley-Benzie (Warroad, Minn.) started her fourth consecutive game in net for UND made 27 saves while allowing two goals.
"Shelby played well," Idalski said. "I thought that the first one was a screen and a bounce, other than that she stopped the ones she was supposed to. She is giving us some good confidence back there with another good outing."
UND will look for the regular season and series sweep over the Huskies tomorrow. Opening puck drop is set for 2:07 p.m.
