ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Derek Stepan says he's snake-bitten, says it's painful, says the wound is pretty serious.

"It's deep right now," he offered quietly Friday night.

Stepan, the sophomore center for the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team, believes he should have much more to show for his efforts after 11 games this season. He should have more of everything -- goals, assists, points -- because he seems to be playing well enough to merit them.

But after a 4-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association loss to St. Cloud State, Stepan served as a microcosm for the Badgers, who performed well enough to win, but didn't because they simply couldn't close enough deals.

"Just can't find a way to finish," Stepan said.

UW (6-4-1 overall, 4-4-1 WCHA) generated 39 shots -- its season average, which is best in the league -- and applied major pressure down the stretch of what was a one-goal game until the final minute.

Meanwhile, Stepan and sophomore left winger Jordy Murray had two great scoring chances in the second period, while their other linemate, senior right winger Michael Davies, emerged as a dynamic two-way performer all night long.

But the Badgers were unable to come up with an answer for goaltender Michael Lee, who was credited with 38 saves on a night he and his defense were at their best protecting a 2-1 lead throughout the third period.

"The riddle that we needed to solve tonight was beating their goaltender," UW coach Mike Eaves said. "We never solved it. We did a lot of good things, but didn't quite solve the riddle of getting another puck behind him."

Go figure: The Badgers have scored 31 goals in their six wins and managed eight in their other five decisions.

In a goaltending matchup of NHL draftees chosen by Phoenix, Lee got the best of junior Brett Bennett (21 saves). Lee was taken by the Coyotes in the third round in 2009, while Bennett was a fifth-round choice in 2006. They worked with a Phoenix scout in attendance.

"He won them the game," Bennett said of Lee, the preseason choice of WCHA coaches to be the Rookie of the Year.

Senior center and tri-captain Blake Geoffrion scored the only goal for the Badgers, his team-leading seventh, on the power play in the first period.

Right winger Ryan Lasch scored two goals for the Huskies, while center Drew LeBlanc got the winner in the second.

St. Cloud State (5-4-2, 4-2-1) has been a quick-strike team for the most part this season, scoring half of its 24 goals in the first period while allowing six. That trend continued this night.

The Huskies scored on a 5-on-3 power play at 5 minutes, 8 seconds when a pass through the crease by Lasch from the low left circle clipped the skate of UW junior defenseman Brendan Smith and deflected past Bennett.

The Badgers got it back courtesy of the 4-on-3 power play, just its second conversion in the past five games spanning 24 tries. Smith did a great job moving from the point to the left circle, using some newfound space to turn and feed Geoffrion for an open shot from the right post at 8:49.

But the game changed in the second period. Not only did the Huskies take the lead, they played better in the neutral zone and established themselves in the defensive end.

St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko said the Badgers "picked us apart in the neutral zone" during the first 20 minutes, but adjustments were made between periods.

"I like us a lot in the second period," Motzko said. "That's what held us in there. We had a real strong second period."

It started with Lee making an early save on Stepan during a 2-on-1 with Murray. Stepan took a shot that Lee muzzled in his pads so as not to give up a rebound opportunity.

LeBlanc provided the lead at 6:24 when, off a set play from the left circle, he got off a wrister from the near hash mark that eluded Bennett.

The Badgers had a power play late in the third, but couldn't convert. A key moment came when a pass by Bennett to Smith seemingly caught St. Cloud State in a unit change. But UW was judged to be offsides.

"We played a good game in our defensive zone," said Motzko, whose club had 21 blocked shots to 11 for UW.

Meanwhile, the Badgers were licking their wounds after center Garrett Roe scored into an empty net and Lasch converted a turnover by sophomore defenseman Jake Gardiner into a breakaway in the final 47 seconds.

"I'd be worried if I wasn't getting the chances," Stepan said dejectedly, "but they're still there."

It's just a matter of finishing.

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