BEMIDJI, Minn. -- Bemidji State University goaltender Zuzana Tomcikova (Fr., Bratislava, Slovakia) and forward Emil Billberg (So., Stockholm, Sweden) have been named Beaver Pride Athletes of the Week for exceptional athletic performances during the week of Dec. 1-6.

Tomcikova recorded 93 saves last weekend turning away 46 University of Minnesota Duluth scoring attempts in the series opener and matched her single-game career high with 47 in the second contest. Her .912 save percentage placed her second to only UW's Jessie Vetter (.917) among WCHA goaltenders that played in both games. In addition, Tomcikova was the only goaltender in the league to play all 120 minutes in net for her respective team and her total of 93 saves was more than all the goalies combined in the SCSU-UW series (86), and tied the combined total of the goalies in the UM-UND series.

Billberg picked a good time to log his name in the scoring column. The sophomore was a major factor in Bemidji State's College Hockey America sweep over University of Alabama-Huntsville over the weekend. Billberg scored his first and second goals of 2008-09 in the series potting a game-tying, third-period goal in an eventual 3-1 victory Friday and netting his first collegiate game-winning goal during the third period of Saturday's 4-2 victory.

The BSU women's ice hockey team returns home for the first time since Nov. 15 for a conference match-up with neighbor to the east, University of North Dakota. Fridays contest is set for a 7:07 p.m. start while the team wrap up the calendar year Saturday with a 2:07 p.m. opening face off. Both games will be played at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse.

Bemidji State (7-7-0; 4-2-0 CHA) is off for the holidays but will return to action Dec. 28-29 when it travels to Hanover, N.H. to participate in the Ledyard National Bank Classic hosted by Dartmouth. The Beavers will face University of Massachusetts Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. and will battle either Dartmouth or Army the following afternoon. BSU's next home contest comes Jan.2 at 7:35 p.m. as the Beavers host the front half of a home-and-home, non-conference series with the University of North Dakota.

2008-09 Beaver Pride Athlete of the Week Selections
Sept. 2
Samantha Ross - Soccer
Derek Edholm - Football

Sept. 9
Ashlee Ellefsen - Soccer
James Foss - Men’s Golf

Sept. 16
Alysha Domiano - Soccer
Andrew Schultz - Football

Sept. 23
Nicole Olson - Volleyball
Casey Hill - Men’s Golf

Oct. 1
Lauren Olivares - Soccer
Eurise Watson - Football

Oct. 8
Kaylee Keys - Women's Hockey
Terrell Phelps - Football

Oct. 15
Katherine Wheeler - Soccer
Luke Knutson - Football

Oct. 22
Samantha Ross - Soccer
Derek Edholm - Football

Oct. 29
Jenny Stromberg - Soccer
Matt Read - Men's Hockey

Nov. 5
Jamie Ford - Soccer
George Kadlec - Football

Nov. 12
Courtney Bitter - Volleyball
Jake Anderson - Football

Nov. 19
Nicole Olson - Volleyball
Brady Fairbanks - Men's Basketball

Nov. 26
Heidi Matzke - Women's Basketball
Zach Eastman - Men's Basketball

Dec. 3
Melissa Roberts - Women's Basketball
Matt Dalton - Men's Ice Hockey

Dec. 10
Zuzana Tomcikova - Women's Ice Hockey
Emil Billberg - Men's Ice Hockey