For the second consecutive Friday, the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team upset a top-10 team in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play. The Beavers (11-16-2, 8-9-2-0 WCHA) knocked off No. 9 Ohio State University 3-2 Friday evening to earn three points in a tight WCHA standings race. For head coach Jim Scanlan, the win was number 82 for the fifth-year head coach surpassing Steve Sertich for most in program history.
Bemidji State came back from down 2-0 after the first period to score three-unanswered goals including the game-winning goal by senior Emily Bergland early in the third period. For Bergland, the game-winning goal is the seventh of her career tying her for third most in program history.
Redshirt-sophomore Lauren Bench stopped a career-high 44 shots in the game including 22 in the final period en route to her team leading seventh win of the season.
The Beavers found their legs in the second period by scoring two goals during the middle frame. Junior Abby Halluska started the scoring for Bemidji State with her fifth goal of the season just 3:32 into the period after scoring on the breakaway. The Beavers then tied the game at two when sophomore Lydia Passolt found a loose puck in front of the net to score her fifth goal of the season just 4:52 later. The Beavers could only muster two goals in the period and entered the second intermission tied 2-2 with the ninth-ranked Buckeyes. BSU played much better in the second period and brought the shots total to 24-19 in favor of Ohio State after outshooting them 14-11 in the second.
The third period started exactly the way the Beavers wanted when Emily Bergland fired a shot from the left circle that was screened and fooled goaltender Lynsey Wallace for the go-ahead goal just 3:25 into the final period. For Bergland, the goal was her sixth of the season and 36th of her career to tie her for fifth all-time at Bemidji State with Alicia Kinsman (99-03) and Kaitlyn Tougas (12-16). Redshirt-sophomore Lauren Bench was fantastic in net for the third period and stopped all 22 shots by the Buckeyes in the period. She finished the game with 44 saves, a career high, and the most by a Beaver goaltender this season.
The Beavers will attempt at their fourth win and regular season series sweep over the Buckeyes Saturday afternoon when the two teams play the series finale at 2:07 p.m. from OSU Ice Rink.
Pregame Open Pregame Open
Jim Scanlan Pregame Coach Pregame
Abby Halluska Pregame Player Pregame
Bemidji State Lines
Abby Halluska – Emily Bergland – Paige Beebe
Jacqueline Kaasa – Kiki Radke – Lindsey Featherstone
Lydia Passolt – Clair DeGeorge – Ellie Moser
Claudia Verkerke – Graysen Myers – Abby Ecker
Extra Skater –
Briana Jorde – Mak Langei
Melissa Hunt – Tina Kampa
Kara Werth – Heather Olson
Lauren Bench
Kerigan Dowhy
Lexi Baker
Opponent Lines
Emma Maltais – Charly Dahlquist – Tatum Skaggs
Paetyn Levis – Jacyn Reeves – Madison Field
Liz Schepers – Sara Sakkinen – Rebecca Freiburger
Samantha Bouley – Erin Langermeier – Olivia Soares
Jincy Dunne – Sophie Jaques
Lauren Boyle – Lisa Bruno
Madison Bizal – Elise Riemenschneider
Lynsey Wallace
Amanda Zeglen
Beaver Radio Network Three Stars
Boxscore provided by http://collegehockeystats.net