3/13/2010 - MEN'S ICE HOCKEY Beavers and Colonials play to 3-3 draw in CHA third-place game

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LEWISTON, N.Y. (Dwyer Arena) -- Staring at back-to-back College Hockey America Tournament losses and the possible elimination from the 2010 NCAA Tournament picture, the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team rallied from a 3-1 deficit Saturday to earn a 3-3 draw versus Robert Morris University at Dwyer Arena in Lewiston, N.Y.

After potting the first goal of the game and holding a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes of play, BSU saw Robert Morris score three goals in the first 5:49 of the third period.  But the Beavers clawed their way back into the game getting goals from Ben Kinne (So., F, St. Paul, Minn.) and Ian Lowe (Jr., F, Bradwardine, Manitoba) to close the gap on the Colonials and force overtime.

Each team was held scoreless in the sudden-death, extra frame and settled for the 3-3 tie.

“The attitude this team has is to keep clawing until the end,” commented senior captain Chris McKelvie after the game.  “We don’t quit.  Its not in our program, its not the way we’ve ever done things.  We just keep fighting and taking it step by step.  So it was nice to see the team battle back in that third period.”

The Beavers broke into the scoring column at the 12:49 mark of the first, 65 seconds into BSU’s first power-play opportunity of the game. Tyler Lehrke (Sr., F, Park Rapids, Minn.) took the puck off the boards behind the net and found Ryan Cramer (Jr., F, International Falls, Minn.) in the slot for his third goal of the tournament.  Senior Chris Peluso (D, Wadena, Minn.) was also credited with an assist of the play.

Each team struggled to generate offense during the next 30 minutes, but when J.C.. Velasquez scored an even-strength goal to knot the game at 1-1, it sparked an offensive surge by the Colonials.  During the next 2:06, RMU would take the lead on a Brandon Blandina goal and add a tally from Nathan Longpre to put the Beavers in a 3-1 hole.

At that point, freshman goaltender Mathieu Dugas (L’Assomption, Quebec) was called upon to replace BSU’s starter Dan Bakala (So., Calgary, Alberta) after posting 17 saves and giving up three goals in 45:49.

The change was a catalyst for BSU.  As Dugas posted save after save, the Beavers began to gain momentum.

With 5:57 to play, the Beavers caught the break it needed as Kinne posted a rebound goal off a Jamie MacQueen (So., F, St. Thomas, Ontario) shot from the point to cut the RMU lead to one, 3-2.  Fifty-three seconds later, Lowe evened the score at 3-3 when Brad Hunt (So., D, Ridge Meadows, British Columbia) found him, with a pass from the blueline, on the left post for the junior’s team-leading 20th goal of the season.

Each team had its chances in overtime, but the score would remind tied, marking the second consecutive season the CHA’s third place game has gone undecided.  Last season, Niagara University and University of Ala.-Huntsville played to a 1-1 tie in Bemidji, Minn.

The Beavers 23-9-4 overall now await their postseason fate.  Without a CHA Tournament championship or the automatic bid that goes along with it, BSU is forced to wait for the March 21 NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Section Show to find out if it is among the 16 teams that will continue their seasons in the NCAA Tournament.  The selection show will be televised on ESPN2.

“I don’t know.  Right now we are taking the approach that we are in. I think that is what you have to do,” said head coach Tom Serratore. “I just told the guys in the locker room that we are going to come back Thursday and get prepared for a regional.

“We just have to watch and wait right now, but we are ranked high enough now that we feel good about it.”

--bsu--