Beaver Fever Friday – Elias Rosen – Mens Hockey

Beavers travel to Lake Superior State in return from bye week

The Bemidji State men’s hockey team returns from a bye week to clash with Lake Superior State this weekend in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The Beavers and Lakers open the series with a 6:07 p.m. (CDT) puck drop Friday before a 5:07 p.m. start for the series finale Saturday.

This weekend marks the continuation of a rivalry dating back to the 1960s. From 1966-1973 Bemidji State and Lake Superior State met on a yearly basis as members of the International Collegiate Hockey Association. In addition, the teams have a storied national championship history. BSU defeated the Lakers for NAIA national titles in 1968, 1969, and 1970. In all, BSU and LSSU have met on 57 previous occasions with the Lakers owning a 36-33-6 advantage and a 17-16-3 edge over the Beavers at Taffy Abel Arena.

Since the calendar changed to 2019, BSU and LSSU have met as often or more than BSU and any other opponent. In the last 20 months, the teams have tangled 16 times, which includes six postseason matchups. In those games, BSU is 8-6-2, but the Lakers eliminated BSU from the 2018-19 postseason and again last winter.