St. Cloud State, which played the Gophers this weekend, is off to an impressive start. The Huskies routed Mercyhurst 7-2 and 7-3 last weekend and moved up from No. 15 to No. 10 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national rankings this week.

“We’ve got a little of the known and unknown on this team,” said coach Bob Motzko, starting his fourth season, in a preseason teleconference call with the media.

He said the Huskies have two high potent offensive players in junior Ryan Lasch and sophomore Garrett Roe, who were 1-2 in WCHA scoring last season.

St. Cloud State also had among the nation’s best special teams last season, he said, both the power play and the penalty kill was among the top 10.

 

“We have been labeled a good offensive team,” he said before the Mercyhurst series, “but I don’t see it that way. We are a good power play team, but an unknown when it comes to scoring five on five.”

He said his sophomores have to emerge for the Huskies to improve on their fourth-place tie with Minnesota State Mankato in last season’s WCHA standings.

“Colorado College is clearly the team,” he said, “the front-runner. We were in ninth place in January. One hot streak put us in fourth place with Mankato.”

Motzko is excited about plans to refurbish the rather spartan National Hockey Center. “We have great plans,” he said. “We are shot of money but a campaign has begun.”

The Legislature approved $6.5 million for the project and Motzko said, despite the tough economic times, he hopes phase 1 could begin in two years.

“The economy has everyone spooked right now,” he said, “but we believe it is going to happen.”

The “it” is a new entrance, a wider concourse, and 28-29 suites wrapping around the building.

He also said he pushed hard to shrink the rink from Olympic six (200×100) to NHL size (200×85). That won’t happen, he said, but it will probably be a few feet narrower.

The arena’s back rink will be shrunk from Olympic to NHL size, Motzko said.

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