After going winless in their first five regular
season games, Bemidji State bounced back in a big way by
sweeping in-state rival Minnesota State in Mankato last
weekend. The wins marked the third and fourth consecutive
wins by the Beavers over the Mavericks.
CHA
Notebook
Bemidji State forward Travis Winter (8) scored two
goals and added two assists in the Beavers' sweep
of Minnesota State last weekend.
Sophomore Travis Winter – who entered
the weekend with one goal and five assists in 20 career
games – recorded a pair of goals to go with two assists
in the series, and senior Garrett Roth netted the overtime
winner Friday.
Goaltender Matt Climie made 31 saves on Friday
before junior Orlando Alamano made his first career regular
season start and made 25 saves, including 11 in the third
period, to pick up a 3-2 win.
Aside from Roth’s overtime tally, the
backbreaking goal for the Beavers was Shane Holman’s
shorthanded goal in the opening minute of the third period
with the teams tied 2-2.
In the Saturday tilt, John Vadnais became
the first Beaver defenseman to score this season what would
prove to be the game winner early in third period. The goal
was the first of the freshman’s collegiate career.
Bemidji State is now 6-3 in their last nine
meetings with WCHA teams. The Friday win also marked the
program’s first win in 22 tries on Olympic-size sheets
and their first win at Minnesota State since 1996.
SEEN AND HEARD IN THE CHA
Wayne's (New) World?: The
rumor mill has been filled with rumblings of Wayne State’s
program being in jeopardy, but the Warriors instead are
looking ahead.
“There is no secret,” said Wayne
State coach Bill Wilkinson. “We are making efforts
trying to join, and would rather be in, the CCHA. This coming
year would be ideal, but next year would be okay, too.
“In order to make hockey work here,
we need to play teams that our fans recognize. It’s
not on the table yet, but we will be putting forward a proposal
and we’ll see what happens.
“I think most of the teams in our conference
understood from the beginning that this league would be
teams in and teams out as schools found a good fit for their
programs. I know our looking to make the move will put a
crimp on other teams in the conference, but just like with
Air Force moving to join Army in Atlantic [Hockey], each
team needs to do what’s best for their program.”
Speaking of New Homes ...: In
hockey terms, Tuesday's ballot proposal in Bemidji to use
the city's half-cent sales tax to pay for an events center
passed, but only after the tying score came with the goalie
pulled and the game-winner netted in overtime.
Currently, the city uses the sales tax to
cover parks and trails improvements, but voters residents
its extension by a 44-vote margin. Once the tax serves its
current purpose, it'll fund 60 percent of the construction
costs for the events center. Bemidji State's men's and women's
hockey teams would be the building's primary tenants. Both
currently play in the John Glas Fieldhouse, an on-campus
facility built in 1967 that seats about 2,500.
“It’s a big day for Beaver hockey,”
coach Tom Serratore told the Bemidji Pioneer. “It’s
great for the program, community and alumni. There’s
still a lot of stairs to climb, but the first step is out
of the way.”
An article in Wednesday's Pioneer
estimated construction costs between $35-60 million.
Great Weekend Getaway
Robert
Morris at Bemidji State (Fri.-Sat.) The Colonials scored nine goals in a split
with Niagara last weekend; the Beavers return to the
Glas for their first regular-season home games following
a road sweep of Minnesota State.
While You’re There: Got milk?
The Eagles Auxiliary Bake Sale takes place Saturday
from 9 a.m-3 p.m. at the Eagles Club #351, 1270 Neilson
Ave. S.E.
Stick
Salute
Trailing 4-1
at Robert Morris, the Niagara line of Ted Cook,
Les Reaney, and Sean Bentivoglio took matters
into their own hands, combining for three goals and
eight points as the Purps rallied for a 7-5 win.
Bench
Minor
Robert Morris junior center
Joel Gasper was on the ice for four of Niagara’s
five even-strength goals in the Purple Eagles come-from-behind
victory Saturday.
FRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG
• By the time their current seven-game
road swing concludes Thanksgiving weekend, Wayne State will
have played only two of their first 13 games this season
on home ice.
• From the Bad News-Worse News Dept.:
Robert Morris stands eighth in the nation in penalty minutes
per game (25.7), but is 23rd in penalty killing at 84.5
percent.
• Wayne State’s shutout loss to
Western Michigan last weekend marked the first time in Warrior
history they were shutout in consecutive games.
• Niagara’s Sean Bentivoglio became
just the eighth player in school history pass the 100-point
mark during his six-assist weekend against Robert Morris.
• Bentivoglio entered the week leading
the nation with 13 assists. Meanwhile, Niagara teammate
Ted Cook was tied for the top spot in the country with 10
goals.
A variety
of sources were utilized in the compilation of this report.
