Home ice has been anything but an advantage when the University of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State University have butted heads over the past few seasons.

While the Bulldogs have posted six straight wins in St. Cloud, the Huskies have enjoyed a prosperous recent run at AMSOIL Arena, going 5-1-1 in their last seven visits to that downtown Duluth facility. The latest of those five Husky wins came Friday -- a 2-1 decision in the front end of a two-game National Collegiate Hockey Conference series.

Husky freshman defenseman Jack Ahcan, who along with UMD freshman left winger Joey Anderson and St. Cloud State head coach Bob Motzko were part of the U.S. club that skated off with the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship gold medal eight days ago, struck once in the first period and again midway through the second period. The No. 3 Bulldogs finally broke the ice with 6:30 to go in regulation when freshman left winger Riley Tufte banged in a loose puck from in close for his first collegiate goal.

UMD (12-5-4 overall, 8-4-1-1 NCHC) outshot the Huskies 42-29, including 16-6 over the final 20 minutes of play, but were kept in check by St. Cloud State netminder Jeff Smith. UMD freshman Hunter Miska, who has now made 15 straight starts between the pipes, finished with 27 saves while suffering just his fourth loss in 17 career decisions (11-4-2).

"It was a tough loss, but I did like our third period," said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin, whose Bulldogs have now lost two straight for the first time since last February. "We have to play a better 60-minute game to have a  chance in this league. We certainly have to play more than just one good period."

The two teams will meet again Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. to close out UMD's four-game homestand.

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