8/16/2010 - MEN'S ICE HOCKEY BSU and Lakeland Public Television make men's hockey broadcast agreement

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BEMIDJI, Minn. —  Bemidji State University men’s hockey has a new television home. Today, Lakeland Public Television General Manger Bill Sanford along with Bemidji State Director of Athletics Dr. Rick Goeb announced that organizations have reached a two-year agreement to televise all BSU men’s ice hockey home games.

“The new partnership with Lakeland Public Television is a great benefit to Bemidji State, our department of athletics and our men’s hockey program.” said Goeb.  “Gaining membership into the WCHA, moving to a new state-of-the-art facility and securing this expanded television reach is taking us to a new level.”

“Lakeland Public Television has a long history of working along side Bemidji State University and is proud to partner with BSU to bring such a pivotal season of Beaver hockey into homes across the state of Minnesota,” commented Sanford.  “It is an exciting time for all of us.”

Lakeland Public Television will debut its 16-game, 2010-11 broadcast schedule when the Beavers host new Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) rival University of North Dakota October 15 and 16.  

All games will be broadcast on Lakeland Plus, while BSU’s opening weekend series with North Dakota and the final home series versus the University of Minnesota, March 4-5, will also be carried on Lakeland’s primary channel in high definition.

In addition to live coverage, each broadcast will be replayed in high definition at midnight on Lakeland’s primary channel.  

After spending the last 10 years primarily broadcast locally by only one cable provider, the new partnership with the stations of Lakeland Public Television greatly expands the reach of Bemidji State hockey.  Lakeland Plus is carried on cable systems throughout northern and central Minnesota with a reach south to Little Falls, west to Wadena and Fosston, east to Aitkin and Grand Rapids, and north to the Canadian border cities of Roseau and Warroad. Locally, Lakeland Plus can be seen by Paul Bunyan Television customers on channel 174, while MidContinent Communications will add the channel to its lineup soon. Lakeland’s primary channel, reaches an even larger audience because it is additionally carried on Dish Network and DirecTV with viewers in central and southern Minnesota--including the Minneapolis/St. Paul market--and portions of western Wisconsin.

Local radio personality and BSU graduate, Scott Williams joins Lakeland Public Television to call the action in 2010-11.  Williams has been a fixture in BSU athletics’ telecasts for the last 10 season, providing play-by-play coverage for Beaver football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball in addition to men’s and women’s hockey duties.

Providing expert analysis to the broadcast is former Beaver hockey captain Eric Monsrud. Monsrud has been immersed in the BSU hockey program for over 30 years and was a member of three Beaver Hockey teams that captured NCAA Division II national championships.  From 1991-96, Monsrud accumulated 44 goals and 49 assists for 93 points in 114 games played.

Lakeland Public Television will invest over $200,000 in broadcasting equipment and hire as many as 13 new part-time positions to televise the games. The television broadcast of Beaver Hockey is made possible in part by Paul Bunyan Telephone, Leech Lake Gaming, Visit Bemidji, The Bemidji Regional Events Center, and MidContinent Communications.

“This is very a big investment,” Sanford added. “Without the generous support from these sponsors, these telecasts would not be possible.”

The Bemidji State men’s hockey team finished the 2009-10 season with a 23-10-4 overall record and won its fifth College Hockey America regular-season title in the last seven years with a 14-3-1 league record. BSU concluded its 2009-10 campaign with an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Regional, marking the program’s fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2005.

--bsu--