Bemidji State opens 2022-23 season by hosting Lindenwood

The Bemidji State University women’s hockey team officially begins its 2022-23 campaign by hosting Lindenwood University at Sanford Center, Sept. 23-24. The Beavers and Lions drop the puck on the fresh season for a non-conference series beginning Friday at 6:01 p.m., and then followed for game two at 3:01 p.m., Saturday.

Bemidji State begins its 2022-23 season looking to improve upon the 2021-22 season where the Beavers went 11-20-3 during the regular season and finished sixth in the Western Colleigate Hockey Association with 25 points and an 8-18-2 league record.

The Beavers were swept in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs a season ago by then No. 4 University Wisconsin Madison, Wis.

Bemidji State was voted to finish sixth in the WCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll earlier this year while University of Minnesota (44), Ohio State University (43) and Wisconsin (42) were voted to finish first, second and third, respectively.

The Beavers return 20 letter-winners from last season including leading scorer and alternate captain, Reece Hunt.

Hunt paced the Beavers with 20 points off seven goals and 13 assists and also led BSU in assists and shots (107).

Bemidji State also returns junior Taylor Nelson and sophomores Claire Vekich and Makenna Deering. Nelson finished fourth on the team with 13 points (5g-8a) with Vekich (7g-5a) and Deering (0g-9a) each following.

Deering led a young Beaver blueline last season with nine points and tied with fellow freshman Kendra Fortin for a team-high 50 blocked shots.

With five first-year players last season, the Beavers’ blueline gains a year of experience while also retaining all eight blueliners from last season.

Also returning and looking to make an impact this season is junior Gabbie Smith (4g-4a), sophomore Alyssa Watkins (1g-4a), senior Paige Anderson (1g-4a), sophomore Kendra Fortin (0g-4a), senior Kate Boland and junior goaltender Hannah Hogenson.

In her sophomore season, Hogenson led BSU netminders with 22 games played, 1267:45 minutes played and posted a .914 save percentage and 3.08 goals against average.

Bemidji State named senior Kate Boland its captain for the 2022-23 season voted by her peers while Paige Anderson and Reece Hunt were voted alternate captains.

Four newcomers are welcomed to the Beaver squad this year incluidng four freshmen and one transfer student. Raeley Carney (Wasilla, Alaska), McKayla Zilisch (Appleton, Wis.), Mya Headrick (Garden River, Ont.) and Madison Faucher (Amherstburg, Ont.) are all incoming freshmen this season while Genevieve “Geno” Hendrickson (Warroad, Minn.) joins the Beavers after spending her freshman season at Franklin Pierce University.

Head coach Jim Scanlan begins his ninth season at the helm of the BSU Women’s Hockey program. He owns a 112-139-20 (.450) career record and is the Beavers’ all-time coaching wins leader. Assistant Emma Terres-Sobieck begins her third season behind the Beavers’ bench while Sarah Bobrowski joins the BSU coaching staff for her first season.

Listen to both games this weekend on 94.3 The Legends and online at BeaverRadioNetwork.com