Beavers resume WCHA play with road trip to St. Cloud State
After earning its first series sweep of the season, the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team resumes Western Collegiate Hockey Association play by traveling to St. Cloud State University Friday and Saturday for a two-game series. The Beavers (4-8-2, 1-8-1 WCHA) are chasing the Huskies (6-7-1, 2-7-1 WCHA) in the WCHA Standings and will compete for key league points this weekend. Puck drop for game one on Friday, Dec. 3 is slated for 3:01 p.m., followed by a 2:01 p.m., start time for game two Saturday.
The Beavers will play their final road series of the 2021 calendar year this weekend at St. Cloud State and their series will conclude a four-game road trip. Bemidji State finished the non-conference portion of its 2021-22 schedule last weekend by earning a sweep at Lindenwood University. The Beavers scored the most goals in a weekend series this past weekend after out-scoring the Lions 8-4. BSU downed Lindenwood 4-1 in game one and then earned a 4-3 overtime victory in game two.
Bemidji State is now 3-4-1 on the road this season but has just one road conference win of the season back on Oct. 1 at University of St. Thomas.
Senior Graysen Myers (2g-1a) and freshman Claire Vekich (1g-2a) each totaled three points last weekend to lead the Beavers with Myers scoring Saturday’s game-winning overtime goal and Vekich recording her first collegiate multi-point game Friday. For her efforts during the weekend, Vekich was tabbed as the WCHA Rookie of the Week, her first WCHA accolade.
Sophomore Hannah Hogenson earned both wins in net for the Beavers and stopped 49-of-53 shots for a .925 save percentage.
Bemidji State is 48-43-10 all-time against the Huskies and are 21-22-6 when playing in St. Cloud. The Beavers’ last win in St. Cloud was Feb. 14, 2020, a 3-0 victory. Fifth-year senior Lydia Passolt leads active skaters with nine career points (4g-4a) in 13 career games against the Huskies while Paige Beebe follows with five points (3g-2a) in 21 games and junior Reece Hunt has posted four points (0g-4a) in 11 games. Fifth-year senior Kerigan Dowhy is the only goaltender to face St. Cloud State and in seven games she has posted a 1-5-1 record with a 2.64 goals against average and .890 save percentage.
Myers continues to pace the Beavers on offense and has posted 11 points off five goals and six assists in 14 games. She has been hot as of late and has a three-game point streak and has posted four points (2g-2a) during that span.
Vekich also has a three-game point streak and has recorded four points (1g-3a) in her last three games. Following Myers is Beebe and Hunt who have each posted eight points this season while Beebe paces the team with six goals and Hunt is tied with Myers for the team lead in assists with six. Sophomore Taylor Nelson and Vekich are tied for fourth on the team with five points after each have totaled two goals and three assists.
Hogenson leads BSU netminders with a 3-5-2 record and has compiled a .922 save percentage and 2.85 goals against average. Her save percentage is good for third in the conference and 24th in the nation.
The Beavers closed out the month of November with a 2-3-1 record while Hogenson was tabbed as the WCHA Goaltender of the Month after posting a .919 save percentage, a 2-2-1 record and totaled 181 saves. Bemidji State went 2-for-11 (.182) on the power play this past weekend and is sixth in the conference with a .105 (4-38) percentage on the season. The Beavers’ penalty kill allowed two power play goals in nine chances (.222) this past weekend but were able to score two short-handed goals by Beebe and fifth-year senior Lindsey Featherstone. Bemidji State is sixth in the league on the penalty kill at .757 (9-37) percent.