The St. Cloud Norsemen scored early and limited chances for the Minnesota Wilderness Friday night in a 4-0 victory.
Tyler Dysart led the way offensively with two goals, while his team applied a stout defense in allowing only 18 shots on net. Goaltender Ryan Manzella earned the shutout victory.
The loss snaps Minnesota’s 10-game winning streak and run of 11 consecutive with a point—both of which tied franchise records.
Hudson Blue opened St. Cloud’s scoring just 2:31 into the first period. That was followed by Andrew Cumming depositing a goal with 5 minutes left in the first frame to make it 2-0.
In the 2nd period, shortly after the Wilderness began its first power play, it surrendered its most deflating goal of the game. Dysart registered his first of the contest with a short-handed tally when he fired a shot from the top of the right circle that deflected off the glove of a partially screened Nick Erickson and into the back of the net. That made the score 3-0 7:26 into the middle stanza.
The Norsemen (6-4-6) closed out the scoring when Dysart notched his second of the game with 2:54 left in regulation time.
Both teams were scoreless on four man-advantage opportunities. Minnesota’s best chance came in the 2nd period when it had 33 seconds of 5-on-3 but could not make it pay dividends.
Erickson finished with 21 saves on 25 shots and suffered his first loss of the season after posting shutout victories in his first two starts.
The Wilderness (11-4-2) will try to bounce back Saturday night when it returns home for the finale of its two-game series with the Norsemen. Puck drop at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet is set for 7:15.