Women’s Hockey continues homestand with series against Lindenwood
Beavers host Lions looking to end losing skid
The Bemidji State University Women’s Hockey team closes out its four-game homestand at Sanford Center this weekend and takes a break from Western Collegiate Hockey Association play by hosting Lindenwood University, Friday-Saturday.
The Beavers (0-6-0, 0-4-0 WCHA) host the Lions (0-4-0, 0-0-0 AHA) for a pair of non-conference games this weekend beginning Friday, Oct. 18 at 6:02 p.m. The two teams will then drop the puck for the series finale Saturday at 3:02 p.m.
Both games in the series will be streamed online at B1G+ with play-by-play provided by the Beaver Radio Network. The same Beaver Radio Network broadcast can be heard on the radio at 94.3 FM The Legends or online at www.beaverradionetwork.com.
Bemidji State continues play at home after hosting No. 11 St. Cloud State University last weekend at Sanford Center.
Six of the Beavers’ first eight games this season have been at home.
The Beavers are looking for their first wins of the season after starting the season 0-6-0 against some of the top competition in collegiate women’s hockey.
Bemidji State is hoping to bounce back from two losses against St. Cloud State last weekend in two, tightly contested games.
The Beavers allowed just three goals over the weekend to the 11th-ranked Huskies but had trouble finding the back of the net and were shutout in the series 1-0 and 2-0.
Freshman Kaitlin Groess continued her hot start to the season by stopping 47-of-49 shots she faced for a .959 save percentage despite the two losses.
She is the team’s leading netminder with 236 minutes between the pipes and has posted a 1.78 goals against average and .943 save percentage in four appearances.
Among goaltenders with over 200 minutes played so far, Groess is seventh in DI women’s hockey in save percentage (.943) and ninth in GAA (1.78).
Her 116 saves this season are second most in the WCHA and t-14th in DI.
Bemidji State faces its second Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) opponent of the season this weekend after previously traveling to Robert Morris University for a series with the Colonials at the beginning of the month.
The Lions face their third WCHA opponent of the season after being swept by St. Cloud State and University of Wisconsin earlier in September.
The Lions have not played a game since Sept. 27-28.
Lindenwood has been outscored by its opponents 30-3 this season.
The Beavers are 12-4-1 all-time against the Lions but were swept last season on the road in Maryland Heights.
Lindenwood earned a 4-2 and 4-1 victory in their series last season and captured their first series sweep of the Beavers.
However, Bemidji State is 7-1-0 when hosting the Lions at Sanford Center.
Senior Kendra Fortin and junior Raeley Carney lead the Beavers after each has posted three career points against the Lions.
Carney paces the team with two goals scored while Fortin has recorded three assists.
Graduate transfer goaltender Josie Bothun has faced the Lions a dozen times in her career during her time at Penn State.
In 12 career games versus Lindenwood, Bothun is 11-0-1 with a 1.54 goals against average and .930 save percentage.
Redshirt freshman Isa Goettl paces the Beavers’ attack and in six games, she has scored two goals.
Hailey Armstrong and Riley Reeves follow with a goal and assist each while freshman Morgan Smith has collected two assists.
11 total Beavers have collected a point so far this season.
Head coach Amber Fryklund has split time in net Bothun and Groess. After starting both games last weekend, Groess leads the team with four starts while Bothun has two.
Bemidji State is one of the top teams in DI women’s hockey in blocked shots and is third in the nation with 102 blocked shots.
Sophomore Riley Reeves paces the team, WCHA and is second in the nation with 21 blocks.
Bemidji State’s penalty kill has been strong for the Beavers to start the season. It is fifth in the conference with a penalty-kill percentage of .882 (15-of-17) and has successfully killed of its last seven opponent power plays.
The Beavers ranks 12th in Division I on the penalty kill.