Saturday, February 16, 2013

BEMIDJI, Minn. (Sanford Center) – Brady Wacker (Sr., D, Jansen, British Columbia) used his third goal of the season to break a scoreless deadlock late in the second period, but the Beavers were unable to hold the lead as Cody Danberg and the University of Minnesota Duluth forced overtime and the teams settled for a 1-1 tie Saturday at Sanford Center.

With one point and the draw, the Beavers earned three points this weekend to garner their first series victory of the season, move to 6-17-7 overall and 5-13-5 in WCHA play to climb into a tie with Michigan Tech for 10^th place in the league standings.

The Beavers and Bulldogs skated the first 20 minutes of the game locked in a scoreless tie despite two close calls for BSU.

At the 3:44 mark of the period, junior Radoslav Illo (F, Bystrica, Slovakia) rung a shot off the post that drew a review from the officials, but was decided it never crossed the goal line. Just over a minute later, Jake Areshenko (Sr., D, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) swatted the puck out of the air and into the back of the net, but after a review of the play, officials determined it was directed into the goal off his hand and was disallowed.

The first period was littered with eight penalties, but each team was held scoreless on its two power-play chances and skated off the ice after one period of play tied 0-0.

The teams played nearly 18 minutes of the second period with the score knotted at 0-0, but Wacker got the Beavers on the scoreboard at the 17:29 mark. Just as time expired on the Beavers’ third power-play opportunity of the game, Aaron McLeod (Sr., Ottawa, Ontario) made a pass from the right post to Wacker in the top of the slot. The senior stepped into it, turned the pass around and buried it into the back of the net through traffic.

Leading 1-0 heading into the final 20 minutes of play, the Beavers saw the Bulldogs take charge in the third period, controlling play for long stretches and out shooting BSU 16-6 in the session.

With 6:47 to play, Minnesota Duluth got the equalizer. Danberg won the faceoff cleanly to teammate Jake Hendrickson. Hendrickson fired a shot on goal from the top of the slot and Danberg crashed the net to deposit a rebound off the pad of BSU goaltender Andrew Walsh (So., Dawson Creek, British Columbia) just inside the right post.

Time would expire on regulation with the score stuck at 1-1, forcing the Beavers’ 10^th overtime contest of the season.

In the extra frame, Bemidji State out shot UMD 4-1 and regained control of the game, but was unable to breach Matt McNeely and the Bulldogs’ goal line and was forced to settle for the draw.

The Beavers are now 13-22-1 all-time versus Minnesota Duluth, however, in the last 19 meetings between the teams, BSU holds an 11-7-1 advantage.

Bemidji State has next weekend off before hitting the road for its final road series of the regular season March 1-2 in Grand Forks, N.D. BSU’s league match up with University of North Dakota will begin from Ralph Engelstad Arena March 1 at 7:37 p.m. with the finale set for March 2 at 7:07 p.m.

--bsu--