BSU Women’s Hockey resumes league action with road trip to St. Thomas

Fresh off its final bye weekend of the 2022-23 season, the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team hits the road and travels south to Mendota Heights, Minn., to take on University of St. Thomas for the Beavers’ final two games of the 2022 calendar year.
 
The Beavers (4-15-1, 1-13-0 WCHA) hit the road to face the Tommies (3-14-1, 0-13-1 WCHA) for a two-game, Western Collegiate Hockey Association series beginning Friday, Dec. 16 at Saint Thomas Ice Arena and concluding Saturday. Puck drop for each game is slated for 2:01 p.m.
 
Bemidji State faces St. Thomas for the first time this season.

The Beavers faced the Tommies for the first time in the two program’s histories last season with BSU going 3-1-0 during their four regular season meetings.

Bemidji State had its much needed bye week last weekend after previously being swept by No. 2 University of Wisconsin Dec. 2-3 and were out-scored 17-2 in the series.

St. Thomas is looking to build momentum off a 0-1-1 weekend at No. 7/8 University of Minnesota Duluth where the Tommies earned two points against the nationally ranked Bulldogs in Duluth.

The shootout victory in game two for the Tommies snapped a 308 day pointless streak for UST earning their first WCHA points of the season.

Sophomore goaltender Saskia Maurer was sensational between the pipes for the Tommies and stopped 48-of-49 shots by UMD.

This weekend’s series between the Beavers and Tommies will be just the fifth and sixth meetings between the two teams with BSU holding a 3-1-0 edge.

Senior Reece Hunt leads the Beavers with five points (2g-3a) in four career games versus the Tommies and owns a +4 rating on the ice.

She is followed by Taylor Nelson (1g-2a) and Claire Vekich (2g-1a) who have each posted three points.

Junior Hanna Hogenson is the lone BSU goaltender to see action versus the Tommies and in just one meeting, she is 1-0-0 with a 3.00 goals against average and .857 save percentage.

Bemidji State has had issues scoring the puck and keeping the puck out of the net this season and are last in the WCHA in goals for per game (1.25) and goals against (4.50).

BSU is seventh in the league with a power-play percentage of .133 (6-45) and also seventh on the penalty kill with a percentage of .803 (49-61).

The Beavers lead the WCHA with 328 blocked shots this season with Taylor Larson pacing the team and is sixth in the league with 33 blocked shots. She is followed closely by Abby DeLaRosa and Ella Anick with 31 a piece.

Bemidji State has been good in the faceoff circle and is fifth in the league with a faceoff winning percentage of .509.

Bemidji State is led on offense by sophomore defenseman Adriana Van De Leest who has totaled seven points (7a) in 16 game.

She is followed by Taylor Nelson (2g-3a) and Gabbie Smith (2g-3a) who has posted five points.

20 skaters have recorded at least one point for the Beavers leaving just two who have not yet recorded a point.

Freshman Raeley Carney paces the Beavers with three goals this season while the Beavers have seen 15 different goals scorers.