Beavers close out first half of season with road trip to Union
The Bemidji State University women’s hockey team closes out the first half of its 2019-20 season this weekend seeking to achieve the longest winning streak in program history. The Beavers (9-8-1, 6-6-0 WCHA) tied a program record with their sixth-consecutive victory after earning a series sweep over St. Cloud State University this past weekend and hope to improve on that streak this weekend when they travel to Union College (NY) to face the Dutchwomen (2-12-3, 2-4-1 ECAC). Bemidji State and Union each close out 2019 with the two-game non-conference series, Dec. 13-14 with puck drops scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EST Friday and 2:00 p.m. EST, Saturday.
Bemidji State and Union met for the first time in the two program’s histories last season when the Beavers hosted the Dutchwomen for a two-game series at the Sanford Center, Jan. 4-5, 2019. The Beavers earned the series sweep by out-scoring Union 9-2 after wins by scores of 3-0 and 6-2. Kiki Radke led the Beavers by posting a goal and two assists in the series while Jacqueline Kaasa (2g-0a), Clair DeGeorge (2g-0a), Abby Halluska (1g-1a) and Paige Beebe (1g-1a) each posted two points. Lauren Bench earned a 22-save shutout in game one of the series while Kerigan Dowhy stopped 18-of-20 shots in game two.
Bemidji State travels to Schenectady, N.Y., looking to end one of the best first halves to a season in recent memory. The Beavers will attempt to claim their 11th win of the season before the new year which is the most since BSU posted a 13-5-2 record during the 2015-16 season and paved the way to a program record 22 wins. The Beavers have posted a 9-8-1 (6-6-0 WCHA) record so far this season and have tied a program record with a six-game win streak.
Bemidji State closes out 2019 at Union after earning a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series sweep over St. Cloud State this past weekend. The Beavers were led by seniors Kiki Radke (2g-1a) and Abby Halluska (1g-2a) who each posted three points while senior defenseman Briana Jorde totaled two assists and was named the WCHA Defenseman of the Week. Redshirt junior Lauren Bench earned two wins and posted a 1.50 goals against average and .930 save percentage to also earn WCHA Goaltender of the Week honors.
The Beavers are sixth in the WCHA in scoring by averaging 2.17 goals per game and are fifth in the league on defense by allowing 2.44 goals per game. The Beavers’ power play is fourth in the WCHA by converting at a .135 percentage (7-of-52) despite having scored their last power-play goal back on Nov. 29 (1-for-12). Bemidji State’s penalty kill is sixth in the WCHA at .827 percent (43-of-52) and have killed off their last five chances.
Bemidji State is led on offense by senior Kiki Radke who has posted 14 points off of five goals and nine assists in 16 games this season. Radke has recorded a point in each of the last five games (4g-6a) for the third longest active point streak in the WCHA. Radke has totaled five points on the power play this season (1g-4a) which is tied for sixth in the league. Following Radke, senior Haley Mack has totaled 13 points off of nine goals and four assists. They are followed by senior Abby Halluska (3g-7a) and junior Clair DeGeorge (2g-8a) who each have recorded 10 points while Halluska is on a three-game point scoring streak (1g-4a). The Beavers’ blueline is paced by junior Tina Kamp who has nine points (0g-9a) while junior Mak Langei follows with eight points (2g-6a). In net, BSU is led by Lauren Bench who is 7-6-0 with a 2.38 goals against average and .909 save percentage and has started five of the last six games with a perfect 5-0-0 record.