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Stang heating up for second half
By Jay Corn
Roxy Stang cannot tell you how it happened. When prodded, she'll say that all it took was some luck, some coaching and a pair of old skates to return her on-ice statistical output to its historical norm. Whatever did the trick, the fact remains that Stang is in the midst of a historical hot streak to the likes of which SCSU has never seen.
In the games the women's hockey team has played since school paused for winter break, this senior forward has produced numbers that have even her coach at a loss for answers. In only six games, Stang has tallied five goals and nine assists, over which time she is a staggering plus-7. Her three goal, six assist weekend against Bemidji on Jan. 9-10 earned her WCHA player of the week, the third time in her career that she has garnered such honors.
"Roxy is really seeing the ice very well right now, and things are going really well for her," head Coach Jason Lesteberg said. "She's been busting her butt in practice and has really been working hard to put the puck in the net. I think what you're seeing now is the real Roxy Stang, and from this point on, I see her putting up some really good numbers."
The series against Bemidji also saw Stang break several school records, one of which she previously held. In a win over Bemidji Jan. 9, Stang reset a school record for points in a game with six, torching the Beavers with a goal and five assists. Stang already held the previous record of five points in a game, a feat she accomplished during her sophomore year against Duluth Feb. 7, 2001. Her five assists also broke the SCSU record for most assists in a game, previously co-held by Ricky-Lee Doyle and Andrea Keller. Stang now has sole possession of five separate school records, a fact she gives little thought or attention to.
"Having the records is nice," Stang said. "I really try not to think about it too much though because more than anything, it takes my mind off the team and right now, we as a team are trying to pull things together and make a serious playoff push the second half of the season."
This season has not been so smooth all along for Stang. Through the first 17 games, she'd only managed two goals and three assists, falling far short of the average offensive numbers she has historically put up. However, those numbers have skyrocketed with the flurry of recent output. Her season totals now stand at seven goals, 12 assists (which leads the team) and an overall rating of plus-5. To find the explanation for this breakout, Stang insists - look no further than her feet.
"I've really been attributing this all to a pair of old skates that I brought out to try to turn things around a little," Stang said. "I say that half jokingly, half seriously, but they sure brought me something that I can't explain. The skates, along with my coaches keeping faith in things, and a little bit of luck just all seem to be coming together at the right time for me, and I'm glad I can help the team put together some wins at the same time."
The recent wins Stang refers to mark what could be the turning point of the Huskies' season. The squad is currently riding a three- game winning streak, their longest streak of the year, but inconsistency continues to haunt the team. Perhaps the best example of this up and down play comes in the form of the Bemidji team that was on the receiving end of Stang's recent torching.
Playing on their home ice, and aided by Stang's record performances, SCSU swept the recent weekend series against Bemidji by a combined score of 10-4, extending their winning streak to three. Conversely, just two weeks earlier, and away from the National Hockey Center, the Huskies dropped a two- game weekend series to the Beavers by a combined score of 10-5. The only reason for the polar opposite results that the box scores offer is the discrepancy in shots on goal. In the back-to-back losses away from home, the Huskies mustered 38 total shots on goal, while two weeks later at home, a total of 58 shots on goal were registered by the Huskies on their way to notching two wins, not to mention some retribution.
"I really can't explain why we seem to be so up and down sometimes," Stang said. "What I can say is that this team is without question rejuvenated and pumped up for the rest of the season. We can't wait to get going again, (after a week off) and right now we're just focusing on Duluth and all of our efforts are going into preparing and working toward going up there and coming back with some wins."
If SCSU does indeed use its current winning streak as a springboard into the second half of the season, a major factor will be the return of lead scorer Ashley Stewart from injury. Stewart's return gives coach Lesteberg the additional scoring threat the team has been missing since she went down in late October with a leg injury. In only 11 games played this season, Stewart has notched a team-leading nine goals to go along with her team leading plus-8 player rating. Her return also frees Stang up, allowing her more space to work on the ice as defenses are drawn to Stewart more. The added depth also allows coach Lesteberg to distribute playing time more evenly, avoiding the fatigue factor that has at times taken its toll on the team, especially late in games.
"Ashley's return really helps the whole team," Lesteberg said. "Being on the same line with Roxy will allow us to put a line out there with a lethal scoring ability, taking some pressure off of our defense, and hopefully resulting in a lot of points on the board, as we've seen being done lately."
Stang, now in her final season of athletic eligibility, sees nothing but good fortune ahead for the hockey program that she has been such a vital part of for the past four years. A mass communications major, Stang has nothing but fond memories of both SCSU and Husky hockey.
"I'm not ready at all to leave, and to be honest I'm kind of sad about the whole thing," Stang said. "It's good to know that there are some great girls here to carry things on, especially the current freshmen and sophomores. They've really impressed me this year. I really have enjoyed my time here, and going to SCSU and playing hockey here has been such a great experience, but it'll be a lot easier to leave if we can make a serious push and get into the playoffs. That would be a nice going away present."
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