Bemidji State Gets Four Points in WCHA Play at MSU with Shootout Win, Victory; Ohio State, Minnesota Duluth Rebound for Conference Splits on the Road
Erin Cody and Her Bemidji State Teammates are Moving Up in the WCHA Race |
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Nov. 8, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MADISON, Wis. – Bemidji State was the big gainer over the Nov. 6-7 weekend after the visiting Beavers added four points to their 2009-10 Western Collegiate Hockey Association season total by virtue of a 3-2 shootout win at Minnesota State, Mankato on Friday and a 3-1 victory on Saturday. As a result, BSU has moved into fifth place this week, just two points out of third.
In the two other WCHA matchups contested over the weekend, visiting Ohio State and Minnesota Duluth both rebounded from losses in their series openers on Friday to claim victories on Saturday. The Buckeyes won 3-1 over host North Dakota while the Bulldogs claimed a 5-0 shutout decision over host St. Cloud State.
As a result of those six league contests, just two points separate the top four teams in the current WCHA standings while five points separate the top six. Minnesota (8-2-0, 6-2-0 WCHA), idle this week, holds on to first place with 12 points, Ohio State (5-4-3, 5-4-1 WCHA) is second with 11, Minnesota Duluth (7-5-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) and Wisconsin (6-4-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) share third with 10 points apiece and Bemidji State (3-7-2, 2-2-2-2 WCHA) is fifth with eight points. North Dakota (3-6-1, 3-6-1 WCHA) occupies the sixth spot with seven points, followed by Minnesota State (3-3-2, 1-3-2-1 WCHA) in seventh with five points and St. Cloud State (3-7-0, 2-6-0 WCHA) in eighth with four points.
Looking ahead to this week’s schedule, Wisconsin will host Wayne State in non-conference play on Nov. 12-13 (Thur/Fri) while WCHA series matchups have Minnesota Duluth at Ohio State (Fri/Sat), Bemidji State hosting St. Cloud State (Fri/Sat), and Minnesota traveling to Minnesota State (Fri/Sat). North Dakota will be idle.
At All Seasons Arena in Mankato on Saturday, Bemidji State and host Minnesota State played scoreless hockey for 43:33 before the visiting Beavers erupted for three goals , including two and the game-winner at 8:48 of the third period from left winger Erin Johnson and three assists from defenseman Erika Wheelhouse to record a 3-1 victory before 336. BSU took a 1-0 lead on right winger Emily Erickson’s first goal of the game at 3:33 of period three before Mavericks’ center Ashley Young evened the score at 1-1 with a power-play tally at 4:13. In goal, Zuzana Tomcikova stopped 30 of 31 shots for BSU while Paige Thunder had 24 for MSU.
At the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks on Nov. 7, Ohio State center Natalie Spooner’s power-play goal at 18:58 of the third period staked the visiting Buckeyes to a 2-0 lead and held up as the game-winner in a 3-1 win over North Dakota before 424. OSU’s win made the weekend series end in a split. Only 35 shots on goal were registered by the two teams, with OSU having 19 and UND 16. For the Sioux, center Ashley Furia’s power-play goal at 9:01 of the second period closed the gap to 2-1 before Buckeyes’ winger Raelyn LaRocque sealed the decision with a goal at 10:24 of the second.
At the National Hockey Center on Saturday, visiting Minnesota Duluth powered back after a loss on Friday to claim a 5-0 shutout victory over host St. Cloud State before 321 as the Bulldogs’ line of left winger Audrey Cournoyer (3a), center Katie Wilson (2g) and right winger Emmanuelle Blais (2) accounted for seven points. Scoring the game-winner for UMD was winger Laura Fridfinnson at 17:38 of the first period while in nets, Jennifer Harss posted a 24-save shutout.
And before 1,951 at the Kohl Center in Madison on Saturday afternoon, host Wisconsin came back after a loss on Friday to notch a 3-2 overtime win over non-conference foe Robert Morris as right winger Brooke Ammerman tallied the game-winner at 3:13 of the extra session. Also for the Badgers, winger Kelly Nash had a goal and an assist while defenseman Stephanie McKeough contributed two assists.
This Week in the WCHA
Results of Friday, November 6: Robert Morris 3 at Wisconsin 1 (nc); Ohio State 4 at North Dakota 5 (WCHA); Minnesota Duluth 1 at St. Cloud State 5 (WCHA); Bemidji State 2 at Minnesota State 2 ot (WCHA).
Results of Saturday, November 7: Robert Morris 2 at Wisconsin 3 ot (nc); Bemidji State 3 at Minnesota State 1 (WCHA); Ohio State 3 at North Dakota 1 (WCHA); Minnesota Duluth 5 at St. Cloud State 0 (WCHA).
Upcoming in the WCHA
Games for Thursday, November 12: Wayne State at Wisconsin (nc), 7:07 pm CT.
Games for Friday, November 13: Wayne State at Wisconsin (nc), 2:07 pm CT; Minnesota at Minnesota State (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Minnesota Duluth at Ohio State (WCHA), 7:07 pm ET; St. Cloud State at Bemidji State (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT.
Games for Saturday, November 14: St. Cloud State at Bemidji State (WCHA), 2:07 pm CT; Minnesota at Minnesota State (WCHA), 3:07 pm CT; Minnesota Duluth at Ohio State (WCHA), 7:07 pm ET.
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