Nebraska-Omaha's Johnnie Searfoss can't sneak this shot past Bemidji State goalie Dan Bakala during the first period of Friday night's game at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha. Photo courtesy Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald.
The Bemidji State men’s hockey team tied Nebraska-Omaha 1-1 Friday night at CenturyLink Center in a game where the goalies traded highlight-reel saves.
Bemidji State’s Dan Bakala had 37 saves and shut out the Mavericks for the first 55 minutes of the game. Omaha’s Ryan Massa stopped 27 shots, his biggest coming on the last scoring opportunity of the overtime with 1:05 remaining.
“They could have scored five times, we could have scored five times but those things happen,” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. “Am I disappointed? Of course I am because we were three and half minutes (from winning). The way the complexion of that game was going, it was just a good hockey game.”
Radoslav Illo scored for Bemidji State in the second period and Omaha’s Bryce Aneloski scored with 3:40 led in the third period to force overtime.
“To me it was an unbelievable hockey game,” Serratore said. “On the bench it was a great game and I guarantee it was in the stands. It’s probably fitting there was a tie. We had the lead, it’s frustrating losing it but give credit where credit’s due. That’s a good hockey team over there.”
Bemidji State (12-12-3, 6-10-3 WCHA) and Nebraska-Omaha (12-10-5, 9-6-4 WCHA) conclude the weekend series Saturday in Omaha at 7:07 p.m.
Both goalies returned from injury Friday night. Bakala played last Friday against Mankato but did not dress Saturday due to an undisclosed lower body injury. Massa was taken from the ice on a stretcher after suffering a concussion Jan. 20 at Mankato.
The game started out with a special teams exhibition when five penalties were called through the first 12 minutes. Omaha had the first two power plays and BSU followed with two of its own.
Neither team could convert because of Massa and Bakala. The Mavericks were unable to score during 83 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play, which Bakala ended by denying Terry Broadhurst at the edge of the crease.
BSU finished the game 0-for-3 on the power play and Omaha was 0-for-6.
Illo broke the scoreless tie 54 seconds into the third period with his seventh goal of the season by picking the corner above Massa’s glove with a wrist shot from the top of the circle.
Bakala continued to shut down the Mavericks in the second period, which included a kick save on Jayson Megna as a BSU power play expired midway through the period. He followed by making a spine-bending blocker save on Aneloski two minutes later.
The goalies matched each other for much of the third period. Massa ended a BSU odd-man rush by stopping Ben Kinne at the edge of the net with his outstretched leg with 12 minutes remaining. Bakala dived head first to stop a point-blank shot by Brock Montpetit six minutes later.
“Both goalies played very well and kept their teams in it,” Serratore said.
Aneloski ended Bakala’s shutout bid in the third period when his shot from between the circles was deflected and trickled through.
Bemidji State had two good scoring opportunities in overtime and nearly won it with 1:05 remaining. Jake Areshenko’s slap shot from the blue line was hard enough to get under Massa’s pads, but he snapped his legs together before the puck could squeeze out behind his skates.
Bemidji State’s overtime record moved to 1-0-3 this season with the tie.
Scoring Summary
BSU 0 1 0 0 – 1
UNO 0 0 1 0 – 1
First period – No scoring.
Second period – 1, BSU Illo 7 (Walters, Hunt), :54.
Third period – 2, UNO, Aneloski 4 (Jaycob Megna, Gwidt), 16:20.
Overtime- No scoring.
Shots on goal – BSU, 7-10-9-2-28. UNO, 10-14-12-2-38.
Goalies – BSU, Bakala (38-37). UNO, Massa (28-27).
Power plays – BSU, 0-for-3. UNO, 0-for-6.
A-9,079.
Here are some pregame notes and line charts for tonight’s game between Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha.
Bemidji State is 5-1-2 against Omaha since the two programs joined the WCHA. The two teams split a November series at the Sanford Center. Jordan George rallied the Beavers with a goal in the last minute of the third period for a 3-3 tie in the Friday night game and Omaha responded with a 5-2 win Saturday night behind back-to-back goals from Terry Broadhurst.
The Beavers are coming off a weekend split at home against MSU, Mankato and are 1-3 in the last four games.
The Mavericks did not play last weekend and split a pair of overtime games against Mankato two weeks ago in Mankato. UNO has split both series it has played in the New Year, which includes a home split against Minnesota-Duluth (6-2 loss, 3-1 victory).
The changes to note in Bemidji State’s lineup tonight are in goal and on defense. Dan Bakala will start in net after not dressing last Saturday due to an undisclosed lower body injury. Junior Matt Carlson will take Kyle Brodie’s spot on the third defensive pairing with Sam Windle. Carlson has appeared in 13 games this season but has not played since the Dec. 30 victory against Bowling Green.
Omaha will start goalie Ryan Massa in net tonight. He suffered a concussion in the Mankato series and it was an injury that required him to be taken from the ice on a stretcher. Brainerd native and forward Josh Archibald is back from injury, and defenseman Andrej Sustr is playing tonight despite reportedly not being at 100 percent. BSU will need to keep an eye on the top line combo of UNO leading scorer Matt White (32 points) and leading goal scorer Terry Broadhurst (14).
Out in social media circles and on hockey internet forums, there’s no name that frustrates Omaha fans quite like Bakala. That’s for good reason: check out his lifetime stats vs. Nebraska-Omaha and then compare it against his career numbers.
Dan Bakala vs. Nebraska-Omaha (6-2-2)
Save percentage: .944
Goals against average: 2.00
Career (79 games): .916 save percentage, 2.48 goals against
2011-12: .913 save percentage, 2.62 goals against
2010-11: .919 save percentage, 2.47 goals against
2009-10: .917 save percentage, 2.36 goals against
Here are the lines:
Bemidji State
Forwards
Kinne 9-McLeod 14-George 28
Illo 18-Walters 11-Boehm 4
MacQueen 17-Jubinville 12-Mattson 16
Orban 7-Fisher 13-Findlay 6
Drew Fisher and the Bemidji State men's hockey team travel to Nebraska-Omaha this week. Pioneer Photo/Eric Stromgren
There schedule shows 10 games left in the regular season but the postseason is already here the way Bemidji State men’s hockey coach Tom Serratore sees it.
“This time of year is the stretch run and we call it playoff hockey right now,” he said. “I think you have to get goaltending and you have to get special teams.”
The Beavers had part of that formula in last weekend’s series split against MSU, Mankato and hope to find the missing power play this weekend at Nebraska-Omaha (Friday 7:37 p.m., Saturday 7:07 p.m.).
The Beavers were 0-for-6 on the power play against Mankato and were shut down on all five times in Saturday’s 5-2 loss.
“We struck out last weekend on the power play and you can’t,” Serratore said. “Your power play has to get it done.”
Power play production has slowed in recent games for the Beavers. Since scoring three times on the power play in a 5-0 win over Alabama-Huntsville, the Beavers have scored twice on 17 attempts over the last six games.
That is a concern for BSU, which ranks second to last in WCHA goal scoring with 45 goals on the year. The Beavers have three more goals than last place Alaska-Anchorage.
“We’re offensively challenged and no one is averaging four goals a game in college hockey right now,” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. “You have to get it (power play) going this time of year because now we’re seeing teams a second time, and teams have tightened up for the second half of the year. There is so much at stake right now. Hockey is different this time of year than it is in November.”
Bemidji State (12-12-2, 6-10-2 WCHA) has lost three of its last four games heading into the series against Omaha (12-10-4, 9-6-3 WHCA). Omaha did not play last week and split the series against Mankato with a pair of overtime games.
This weekend is a rematch of the split November series at the Sanford Center. BSU rallied to tie Omaha 3-3 in the Friday night game before the Mavericks answered with a 5-2 win Saturday to end BSU’s seven-game unbeaten streak against UNO dating back to last year.
“They’re going to do what they did the first series, they’re going to try and outwork us and that’s going to be a challenge for us to get two wins this weekend,” BSU defenseman and alternate captain Jake Areshenko said.
Areshenko said recent losses have not shaken the team and many of the players are arriving early to the afternoon practices to work on various skills.
BSU hopes to return senior goalie Dan Bakala this weekend. He had 39 saves in last Friday’s 2-1 win but did not dress Saturday due to an undisclosed lower body injury. He participated in practice this week and said Tuesday he hopes to play against Omaha.
Serratore said the BSU is playing some of its best hockey of the season despite the recent losses. He felt BSU’s best series of the year was a December split against Denver, but did not think highly of the four wins that followed against Alabama-Huntsville and Bowling Green.
Serratore is not concerned about the team’s mental state as it heads into the stretch run where six of the final 10 games will be played on the road.
Colorado College, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Alaska-Anchorage remain on BSU’s regular season schedule before the first round of the playoffs.
“It’s a short season right now,” Serratore said. “There’s six weeks left and they’re playing on a lot of emotion. It’s exciting. This is an exciting time of the year and this is why you play. I don’t have to motivate them and they motivate themselves. I thought we’re playing good hockey and I’m pretty happy with how we’ve played the last four games. This is the WCHA. It’s a league where you can play good and still lose.”
Serratore said there are no plans for an “overhaul” at this point in the season and is pleased with the team’s work ethic in practices.
“I think we’ve had some good series as of late and it should be an exciting weekend,” Areshenko said. “We’re a little frustrated about losing on Saturday but we’ve got a hard couple weeks coming up here so we have to forget about last weekend.”
Jake Areshenko Interview
Bemidji State alternate captain Jake Areshenko talks about playing Nebraska-Omaha for the second time this season and how the team feels after last weekend’s split against MSU, Mankato.
BSU women look forward to rival North Dakota
One would be hard-pressed to find a women’s hockey team in the nation with a harder four-week schedule than what the Beavers are going through right now.
It started two weeks ago on the road against No. 2 Minnesota, continued last week in front of an attendance record crowd at No. 1 Wisconsin, resumes this week at heated rival in No. 6 North Dakota and concludes next weekend at home against No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth.
The Beavers, which received eight votes in the latest national poll, have not won during the stretch heading into the North Dakota series (Friday and Saturday, 7:07 p.m.) but are playing well according to head coach Steve Sertich.
“I look at the big picture,” he said. “The players and coaches were disappointed we didn’t get any points, especially last weekend. But I think we’re playing solid hockey from (goalie) Zuzana Tomcikova on up. It’s great preparation for the playoffs.”
Tomcikova has faced 162 shots the last four games with two of the last three going to overtime. Wisconsin needed a third-period goal for a 1-0 win to gain the sweep against the Beavers last Saturday.
“As good as she’s (Tomcikova) been in her four years, she’s playing at her best,” Sertich said. “Against Wisconsin she made some tremendous, game-turning type saves. To me I think she’s a Patty Kaz(maier) candidate and I think an All-American. I think she’s playing at a higher level than so many goalies that are in our league and elsewhere.”
The 1-0 loss against Wisconsin was played in front of 12,402 rowdy Badger fans at the Kohl Center, which set the NCAA attendance record for a women’s hockey game.
“It was unfortunate we didn’t get any points out of it,” BSU senior Montana Vichorek said. “It sucked we lost, but the experience was good. Playing in front of 12,000 people was crazy and we’ll probably never get the chance to do that again. It was fun, it a neat atmosphere. It was unfortunate they were all red and cheering against us. It was fun and I think it helped us play better.”
The Beavers (14-12-3, 8-12-2-0 WCHA) have shifted its attention to North Dakota (16-9-2, 12-8-2-1 WCHA). UND is an opponent anticipated like no other with last year’s three-game playoff loss still fresh in the minds of the players.
“We do like playing them, especially after our playoff series last year,” Vichorek said. “It was tough to take and such a good playoff series. I think that makes us – everyone who’s coming back on the team want to beat them more … They are very emotional games I think. They’re fun to play but we want to beat them too.”
The teams split the earlier meeting this season, UND winning 5-2 in Crookston and BSU winning 3-2 at the Sanford Center. If the season ended today, BSU would travel to Grand Forks for a playoff rematch.
“It’s an interesting rivalry and the games sometimes get pretty physical out there,” Sertich said. “I think who the officials are is crucial in a series like this. But there is something extra when we play North Dakota.”
Lushanko a finalist for Ms. Hockey
BSU hockey recruit Megan Lushanko of Chisago Lakes is one of 10 finalists for the 2012 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award.
The list will be narrowed to five on Feb. 16 and the winner will be announced Feb. 26 in St. Paul.
Lushanko, a forward, has 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 23 games this season.
Zuzana Tomcikova makes a save during a game against North Dakota earlier this season at the Sanford Center. Pioneer Photo/Eric Stromgren
What I’m reading this week
Bemidji State at Nebraska-Omaha (Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07)
TV: The games will be televised in Nebraska on channels NET-1 and NET HD.The games will also be streamed on America One for a fee here.
Twitter: I won’t be making the trip this weekend, but I plan to watch the games and provide game updates on my Twitter account at @estromgren. I will try to get the line charts and post them on my blog before the game.
BSU junior Jordan George was profiled in a feature story this week at the College Hockey News. He talks about life after playing on a line with Matt Read and Ian Lowe. From Dan Myers.
Omaha goalie Ryan Massa could return this weekend against the Beavers. He was knocked out of a Jan. 20 game against Mankato with a concussion. Brainerd native Josh Archibald is expected to be back in the lineup this weekend. From Rob White, Omaha World-Herald.
St. Cloud State at Wisconsin (Friday and Saturday, 7:07)
A second knee injury this season has ended Jordy Christian’s college career. He plans to under go surgery to repair damage in both knees within the next few months. From Mick Hatten, St. Cloud Times.
SCSU senior goalie Mike Lee has returned to the St. Cloud State lineup from a hip injury. Ryan Faragher took over goaltending duties since Lee suffered the injury. Coach Bob Motzko said he is unsure how to use the two goalies the rest of the season. From Mick Hatten, St. Cloud Times.
Wisconsin is in a tight race with North Dakota for the lead for home attendance average in college hockey this season. Wisconsin is averaging 11,409 fans per game and leads UND’s average by 142. The Badgers have topped the average attendance chart since moving to the Kohl Center in 1998-99. From Andy Baggot, Wisconsin State Journal.
Michigan Tech at MSU, Mankato (Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07)
The Huskies are coming off last weekend’s three-point weekend at Minnesota-Duluth and the team is calling that series a defining moment. From Stephen Anderson, Daily Mining Gazette.
MSU goalie Phil Cook is red hot, who has allowed 11 goals and has a .945 save percentage in his las sixt tarts. He credits the strong play to the defense. From Shane Frederick, Mankato Free Press.
No. 11 Colorado College vs. No. 13 Denver (Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07)
This is a home-and-home series with Friday’s game in Denver and Saturday’s game in Colorado Springs. It could be an adventure for both teams getting out of Denver as a storm forecast is predicting 22 inches of snow (yes 22 inches) to dump on Denver starting Friday.
Colorado College wing Michael Morin had surgery Wednesday on his right ankle and his season might be over. Winger Dakota Eveland and defenseman Eamonn McDermott are not close to returning and will not play against the Pioneers this weekend. From Brian Gomez, Colorado Springs Gazette.
Denver’s Ty Loney has been suspended indefinitely by coach George Gwozdecky for breaking team rules. He was on a seven-game point streak. From Mike Chambers, Denver Post.
No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth at Alaska-Anchorage (Friday and Saturday, 10:07 p.m.)
Following Friday’s 4-4 tie against Michigan Tech, Duluth changed all four lines prior to Saturday’s 5-0 loss. That lineup is expected to be much the same except for a few tweaks. From Kevin Pates, Duluth News Tribune.
The Seawolves carry a seven-game losing streak into this weekend’s series and have not won since Dec. 9 at Colorado College.
Matt Read goal video
Former Bemidji State captain Matt Read scored the 16th goal of his rookie season for the Philadelphia Flyers during Thursday night’s home game against Nashville. He forced a turnover and finished off a breakaway with a wrist shot. Here’s the video:
Millsy’s Former and Future Beavers Update
Millsy over at The Beaver Pond tracks the statistics of former Bemidji State players and prospects in the junior leagues. Here is the latest update with stats current as of Jan. 31.
Minnesota goaltender Kent Patterson blocks a shot by St. Cloud State's Cory Thorson during a college hockey game, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in St. Cloud, Minn. (AP Photo/The St. Cloud Times, Dave Schwarz)
Perham offensive lineman Jese Hein signs his National Letter of Intent to play football at Bemidji State with his mother, Tracy Hein, and Perham football coach Mike Jordahl Wednesday afternoon. Photo via Bob Williams/East Otter Tail Focus
The Bemidji State football team restocked its roster with a priority on running backs, wide receiver and the defensive backs in the 2012 recruiting class announced by head coach Jeff Tesch on Wednesday.
The Beavers added 34 players to the team on National Signing Day. There are 32 high school seniors and two transfer students in the class. The players come from six states, with 17 from Minnesota and nine from Wisconsin leading the way.
The offensive additions may help the BSU offense become a more explosive group in the future. BSU in recent years has played an effective hard-running, possession-style game but has lacked a breakout element.
Tesch is hoping running backs SaVaughn Alexander (Joliet, Ill.) and Derrick Dunn (San Diego, Calif.) can help change that.
“When he’s (Alexander) healthy, he’s more of a dynamic back or safety. He can play either one and he’s more of a home run threat than what we’ve had in the past. That’s something that we’re excited about.”
Alexander rushed for 400 yards in four games before missing the rest of his senior season to injury. Dunn rushed for 1,200 yards on 161 carries and had 16 touchdowns as a senior.
“We just wanted to get more of a home run back that could make a great play,” Tesch said of Dunn. “If you turn on his highlights, you’re going to say ‘wow, I can’t believe he didn’t sign Division I.’ He has that type of abilities.”
(Here’s a highlight video of Dunn)
Matthew Summers (Isle), Dexter Taylor, Jr. (Lockport, Ill.) and Austin Goettlicher (Cleveland) were the wide receivers inked on signing day. Goettlicher is the nephew of Patrick O’Connor, Tesch’s first quarterback at Bemidji State.
The Beavers put a recruiting focus on Arizona this year where defensive coordinator Rich Jahner spent a significant amount of time.
Kameel Al-Khouri, a defensive back from Glendale, Ariz., is expected to help bolster the defensive backfield and be a special teams return threat. He had 109 tackles and scored five punt return touchdowns as a senior.
BSU needed to find some new faces to fill the secondary after losing NSIC Defensive Player of the Year in safety Brody Scheff, safety Dusty Sluzewicz and captain Jake Schmidt.
Al-Khouri is joined by defensive back Josh Tismer (White Bear Lake), and transfers Jordan Abaroa (Scottsdale Community College, Arizona) and Julian Burroughs (Nebraska-Omaha). Abaroa is a safety and Burroughs is a defensive back.
Tesch said the running backs and the defensive backs have the best chance at making an immediate impact next year because of BSU’s lack of roster depth in those areas.
“We’re going to try and redshirt as many guys as we can, but if they are going to make us better then we are going to play them,” he said.
The Beavers also added size with NLI signees in outside linebacker Max Fuller, defensive lineman Mitchell Elbe, defensive lineman Adam Shavlick, offensive lineman Matthew Valentine, offensive lineman Jesse Hein and tight end Nick Moore.
Elbe (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) is from Sayner, Wisconsin. Perham’s Hein (6-foot-1, 280 pounds) and Shavlick (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) of Mantiwoc, Wis. are accomplished high school wrestlers.
Little Falls’ Valentine (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) was the offensive lineman of the year on the All-Granite Ridge Conference team.
At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, Tesch envisions Fuller (Stoughton, Wis.) helping out against some of the formations Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State run.
Moore of Osseo, Wis. (6-foot-5, 240 pounds) is looked to help replace standout senior Brian Leonhardt in the coming years.
Quarterback Nathan Koziol of Lodi, Wis. was the lone quarterback among the signees and was a target with Lance Rongstad entering his senior season.
There were 16 who accepted written offers of admission, highlighted by Bemidji High School wide receiver Zach Declusin and linebacker Andrew Street.
The Beavers finished the 2011 season 8-3 overall and in a three-way tie for fourth place at 7-3 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Standings. BSU cracked the national polls and had signature victories over nationally ranked Augustana and St. Cloud State.
Though the Beavers ultimate goal of a national playoff appearance was dashed by back-to-back road losses late in the season, Tesch said last season’s success helped on the recruiting trail.
“I said we were one dropped punt from being in the national playoffs and that’s how I felt,” he said. “We definitely got in on some better kids and helped get us some better kids. It certainly opened the door. Before you could just say we’re getting close and now we’re saying we’re beating those types of teams.”
2012 BSU Football Signing Class
Name (position, hometown)
National Letter of Intent Signees
SaVaughn Alexander (RB, Joliet, Ill.), Kameel Al-Khouri (DB, Glendale, Ariz.), Max Dibble (ILB/DL, Fulda), Derrick Dunn (RB, San Diego, Calif.), Mitchell Elbe (DL, Sayner, Wis.), Max Fuller (OLB, Stoughton, Wis.), Austin Goettlicher (WR, Cleveland), Jesse Hein (OL, Perham), Nathan Koziol (QB, Lodi, Wis.), Nick Moore (TE, Osseo, Wis.), Ross Pflum (OLB, Appleton, Wis.), Adam Shavlick (DL, Mantiwoc, Wis.), Matthew Summers (WR, Isle), Dexter Taylor, Jr. (WR, Lockport, Ill.), Josh Tismer (DB, White Bear Lake), Matthew Valentine (OL, Little Falls).
Transfer Commitments
Jordan Abaroa (S, Gilbert, Ariz, Scottsdale Community College), Julian Burroughs (DB, Nebraska-Omaha).
BSU Offer of Admission Signees
Damon Benham (RB, Deer River), Zach Declusin (WR, Bemdji), Tyler Dustman (P/K St. Francis), David Erickson (OL, Thief River Falls), Brett Gehring (DL, Bismarck, N.D.), Sam Graff (ILB, Rothschild, Wis.), Reed Hendrickson (OLB, Bismarck, N.D.), Andrew Kryshak (FB, Menomonie, Wis.), Adam Langan (OL, Thief River Falls), Josh Malone (WR, Gordan, Wis.), Logan McAllister (ILB, Brainerd), Nam Nguyen (RB, St. Cloud), Zach Rynning (QB/S Kennedy), Andrew Street (LB, Bemidji), Ethan Supler (ILB, Elbow Lake), Kaleb Torgerson (FB, Thief River Falls).
Bemidji State's Brance Orban battles Michigan Tech's Carl Nielsen for space in front of Kevin Genoe during an October series at the Sanford Center. Pioneer File Photo/Eric Stromgren
February is here which means the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs are a little over a month away and closing in fast.
The Beavers travel to Nebraska-Omaha this weekend (Friday 7:37 p.m., Saturday 7:07 p.m.). BSU is currently in 10th place with 14 points and UNO holds the last first-round home playoff spot in sixth place at 21 points. Those seven points are not impossible to overcome, but time is running out for BSU to string some wins together and make a final challenge for one of those coveted home ice spots.
Minnesota leads the MacNaughton Cup chase with 30 points in first place and Minnesota-Duluth five points behind in second place. The Bulldogs were stunned last weekend at home by Michigan Tech. The Huskies rallied from a four-goal deficit to tie 4-4 Friday and won 5-0 on Saturday.
I asked BSU head coach Tom Serratore what he thinks about the WCHA race at this point of the season and his focus turned to the Huskies (BSU swept Tech 6-5 and 3-1 in October at the Sanford Center).
“Michigan Tech is a wild card and I think they’re a good team. I think they should have got points in Bemidji. We were very fortunate that weekend. There’s losses we’ve had where we should have got points … I talked with (head coach) Walt Kyle at Northern Michigan and he said ‘watch out for those guys, not only this year but in the future.’ They’ve got some very good freshmen right now – (Blake) Pietila, (Tanner) Kerow, (David) Johnstone – those three in particular. They’ve got a good sophomore group. I thought it was gutty how they came back from a four-goal deficit against Duluth and that shows a lot about their character and their resiliency right now. When I saw Tech here in October, I said ‘look out.’ I could tell.”
“What to make out of it? I don’t know. Nothing surprises you in this league. It’s like us last year against Omaha. Once and awhile weird things happen and that’s sports in general.”
Bakala back this weekend?
BSU senior goalie Dan Bakala played in last Friday’s 2-1 win over MSU, Mankato but did not dress for Saturday’s game with an undisclosed lower body injury. I believe the Beavers have dressed three goalies in the majority, if not all game s this season.
Bakala was back on the ice with the team at Tuesday’s practice. Afterwards I asked him if he was going to be able to play this weekend against Nebraska-Omaha.
“I hope so,” he said.
BSU-Wisconsin women set NCAA attendance record
Bemidji State’s 1-0 loss against No. 1 Wisconsin last Saturday was played in front of 12,402 rowdy Badger fans at the Kohl Center, which set the NCAA attendance record for a women’s hockey game and was featured in the New York Times Slap Shot hockey blog.
BSU senior defenseman Montana Vichorek said this about the game:
“It was unfortunate we didn’t get any points out of it … It sucked we lost, but the experience was good. Playing in front of 12,000 people was crazy and we’ll probably never get the chance to do that again. It was fun, it a neat atmosphere. It was unfortunate they were all red and cheering against us. It was fun and I think it helped us play better.”
A Mankato reaction to the Sanford Center
MSU, Mankato beat writer Shane Frederick wrote about his first impressions of the Sanford Center for a column in the Mankato Free Press and posted some photos here.
Some excerpts from the column:
“They did it right at the Sanford Center, both for hockey fans and the teams.”
“When the WCHA breaks up after the 2012-13 season, Minnesota State expects to be one of the top programs in the revamped conference. The planned upgrades will help. Right now, though, it’s clear who will have the best rink.”
CBS Sports Network, NCHC agree to television deal
The CBS Sports Network has agreed to a multi-year agreement with the National Collegiate Hockey Conference beginning with the 2013-14 season, which will make it the exclusive national television partner for the conference.
The announcement was made Tuesday by CBSSN Programming Senior Vice President Dan Weinberg and NCHC Commissioner Jim Scherr.
The agreement calls for a minimum of 18 conference games, including the NCHC semifinal and championship tournament games.
Minnesota-Duluth hockey beat writer Kevin Pates said on Twitter Tuesday: “I have heard NCHC will pay game production costs to CBS Sports. So this doesn’t sound like a revenue stream.”
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Eric