Beavers return home to host No. 8 Buckeyes before long road trip

For the third consecutive week, the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team faces a nationally ranked opponent in No. 8 Ohio State University. The Beavers (3-4-1, 2-2-0-0 WCHA) are 2-2-0 against nationally ranked opponents this season after falling to No. 1 University of Wisconsin in two games this past weekend but upset No. 8 University of Minnesota Duluth the weekend before. Bemidji State hosts the eighth-ranked Buckeyes (5-3-2, 3-3-2-0 WCHA) for a two-game, Western Collegiate Hockey Association series beginning with game one Friday, Nov. 1 at 6:07 p.m., followed by game two Saturday at 3:07 p.m.

The Beavers and Buckeyes meet for the 83rd and 84th meetings in the two program’s histories in a series that began Nov. 19, 1999. Ohio State owns the all-time series record and holds a 42-28-12 edge over the Beavers but BSU is winners of four of their last five meetings. Last season Bemidji State went 3-1 against OSU after sweeping the then-ranked fourth Buckeyes in Bemidji by scores of 2-1 and 4-2. Junior goaltender Kerigan Dowhy was a dominant between the pipes during the series and held the Buckeyes to just three goals on 73 shots and was named the league’s goaltender of the week for her efforts.

Bemidji State is 16-17-7 when playing Ohio State on their home ice while they are just 12-21-5 when playing at the Buckeyes’. Sixth-year head coach Jim Scanlan is 10-9-1 coaching against the Buckeyes while four-year head coach Nadine Muzerall is 5-6-1 coaching against the Beavers.

Ohio State enters the weekend’s action after hosting No. 2 University of Minnesota this past weekend. The Buckeyes earned an upset win over the Gophers in the first game of the series, 4-3, but fell in game two 4-2. Junior Liz Schepers scored two goals for the Buckeyes in their 4-3 win while goaltender Andrea Braendli recorded 33 saves to earn the win in net.

Schepers finished with three goals in the series to lead the team while junior Tatum Skaggs posted three assists. Ohio State comes into the weekend third in the WCHA with 11 points (3-3-2-0) in league play and are ranked eighth in the latest USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national polls.

The Buckeyes are third in the WCHA by averaging 3.10 goals per game but are sixth in the league by allowing 2.80 goals per game. They are ranked fourth in the conference on the power play with a .136 percentage (3-of-22) while their penalty kill is last in the league at .724 percent (21-of-29).

Ohio State is led on offense by junior Emma Maltais who is tied for seventh in the league in scoring after posting 14 points (6g-8a) in 10 games this season. She is followed by Schepers who has posted 12 points (7g-5a) in 10 games and is tied for fifth in the WCHA in goals. Junior Tatum Skaggs has also posted 12 points (3g-9a) and is tied for sixth in assists while sophomore Sophie Jacques in the Buckeyes’ next leading scorer at eight points (1g-7a).

In net, sophomore Andrea Braendli has been the lone netminder for OSU this season starting every game and has posted a 5-3-2 record. She has a 2.68 goals against average and .904 save percentage to rank sixth and eighth in the WCHA, respectively.

Bemidji State returns home after traveling to No.1 Wisconsin where they were swept by the Badgers by a score of 4-1 in both games. Freshman Reece Hunt scored her first collegiate goal in game one of the series while junior Paige Beebe scored the Beavers’ lone goal in Saturday’s game. Senior Haley Mack and junior Clair DeGeorge each earned assists on Hunt’s goal for the Beavers’ only points in the series. Bemidji State is tied for fifth in the WCHA with six points (2-2-0-0) and are 3-4-1 overall.

The Beavers are tied for sixth in the WCHA by averaging just 1.75 goals per game and are fifth in the league on defense by allowing 2.62 goals per game. The Beavers’ power play is third in the WCHA by converting at a .143 percentage (4-of-28) while their penalty kill is fourth in the league at .880 percent (22-of-25).

Bemidji State is led on offense by senior Haley Mack who has posted seven points (6g-1a) in eight games and is tied for eighth in the league with six goals. Her 0.75 goals per game average is the sixth best marker in the league and is tied for 23rd in the nation. She is followed by junior defenseman Tina Kampa who has posted five points (0g-5a) in eight games which is tied for ninth among league defensemen.

Beebe (2g-2a), Hunt (1g-3a) and DeGeorge (0g-4a) all follow with four points in eight games. In net, the Beavers are led by redshirt junior Lauren Bench who has posted a 2-3-0 record in five games. She has posted a 2.62 goals against average and .906 save percentage to rank fifth and seventh in the WCHA, respectively.