Denver sweep stings Bemidji State men’s hockey team

Bemidji State's Ben Kinne skates to the net against Denver goalie Juho Olkinuora during the first period of Saturday night's game in Denver. Pioneer Photo/Eric Stromgren

DENVER – Hosting a first-round playoff series is the goal for each Western Collegiate Hockey Association team in the second half of the regular season.

The drive is what can make losses this time of year so deflating. There are only so many games left to earn the points needed to finish in the top half of the league and avoid a road trip in the playoffs.

The Bemidji State men’s hockey team opened the second half of the season with 6-3 and 3-2 losses to No. 16 Denver last weekend and have a week off before the chase for home ice resumes again.

“It hurts, I don’t know how else to say it,” Bemidji State captain Ben Kinne said. “Those are four big points we could have had and now they have them. That’s the toughest part. We’re still stuck in the place where we are and we want to be going where they went.”

The Beavers (11-11-2, 5-9-2 WCHA) left the series tied with Wisconsin for ninth place in the WCHA standings and are five points out of the sixth home playoff spot with 12 games to play.

Bemidji State was 7-1-1 in its previous nine games entering the series against Denver and the sweep put an end to a five-game winning streak that started with a Dec. 10 win against the Pioneers.

Now the Beavers will have to wait until the Jan. 27-28 home series against Minnesota State University, Mankato for another opportunity move up in the standings.

“We have to come to the rink and be prepared to work hard and get better each day,” BSU defenseman Brady Wacker said. “You just have to build from your losses and learn from your mistakes.”

The Beavers had leads in both losses against the Pioneers.

Friday’s 1-0 lead after the first period was lost when the Pioneers scored five goals in the second period. It was the most goals BSU allowed in a period since a 12-0 loss to Minnesota-Duluth in 2002.

Saturday’s 2-1 lead after two periods was countered by a two-goal rally. Denver’s Jason Zucker had two goals in the win, including the game-winner on a rebound power-play goal in the third period. The Minnesota Wild draft pick played in his first series back from the World Junior Championships where he was the captain for Team USA.

“He’s just a great player,” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. “He’s one of the best players in the league, and maybe the most explosive player in college hockey.”

There were some positives for the Beavers with contributions from the underclassmen.

Playing in his sixth and seventh games of the year, sophomore Kyle Brodie’s homecoming was marked with a goal and assist Friday for his first points of the season. He grew up in the Denver suburb of Northglenn.

Point streaks continued for sophomore Radoslav Illo and freshman Danny Mattson.

Illo has two goals and three assists in the last five games. Mattson did not have a point in his first six games as a Beaver, but he has a goal and four assists in his last four games played.

Any positives tend to be overshadowed by losses and the disappointment of the sweep was on Kinne’s mind following Saturday’s loss.

“We played three good periods this weekend,” Kinne said. “That’s all you can really say. When you play three periods maybe or maybe not you win a game. It didn’t happen for us this weekend. We’ve got to come back next week, work hard and put a little string together with Mankato next. That’s where our mindset is right now.”

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