(RV) Beavers renew rivalry with (RV) St. Cloud State with home-and-home series
BSU Men’s Hockey faces regional rival St. Cloud State in home-and-home series

The (RV) Bemidji State Men’s Hockey team faces a familiar non-conference opponent this weekend and make its 2025-26 Sanford Center debut with a home-and-home series against (RV) St. Cloud State University.

The Beavers (2-0-0, 0-0-0 CCHA) battle the Huskies (0-1-0, 0-0-0 NCHC) for a two-game, home-and-home series beginning with game one at Sanford Center at 7:07 p.m. The two teams then close out the non-conference series Saturday in St. Cloud, Minn., at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center with puck drop slated for 6:07 p.m.

Beaver Hockey fans can also tune-in to a Beaver Radio Network broadcast for both games on the radio dial at 92.1 FM or online at www.beaverradionetwork with Brian Schultz calling play-by-play.

Bemidji State is looking to carry momentum into their series with the Huskies after sweeping University of Alaska Anchorage to open the season last weekend in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Beavers had one of its most successful series in their DI history in terms of goal scoring tying for the program’s second-most goals scored in a series and most since the 2004-05 season by scoring 14 goals (16 goals at Air Force Feb. 27-28, 2004).

Bemidji State outscored the Seawolves 14-2 in the series and tied a DI program record with nine goals in their series opener.

The Beavers opened the series with a 9-2 win and then followed with a 5-0 shutout win in game two.

Senior Adam Flammang led the Beavers recording a Central Collegiate Hockey Association high five points off a goal and four assists. He earned his second career CCHA Forward of the Week honor after a career night for the senior alternate captain from St. Michael, Minn.

Flammang was followed by senior Reilly Funk who paced the team scoring three goals and added an assist for four points.

Junior Kasper Magnussen had the helping hand and recorded four assists, all of which were in Friday night’s victory becoming the first Beaver since Kyle Baumann (2017) to record four assists in a game.

In total, 20 Beavers recorded a point in the series including eight with multiple points.

The Beavers also had stellar play in net with goaltenders Raythan Robbins and Max Hildebrand each earning wins.

Robbins started game one and stopped 27-of-29 shots to earn his second career victory while Hildebrand earned a 23-save shutout in his first collegiate start.

Hildebrand was the first Beaver netminder since Mathieu Dugas (Oct. 24, 2009) to record a shutout in his first collegiate start.

Bemidji State continues to garner points in the USA Hockey College Hockey Poll and USCHO.com top-20 national polls receiving three and 13 points in the polls, respectively.

Bemidji State is 46-55-8 all-time against St. Cloud State with the teams facing off against one another 109 times dating back to 1948.

SCSU has gotten the better of the Beavers as of late owning a 7-1-2 record over the last 10 games. The Huskies swept last season’s home-and-home series earning a pair of one-goal victories.

Tom Serratore is 5-25-5 in his 25 seasons coaching against the program that gave him his collegiate coaching start.

2025-26 is the 70th season of Beaver Hockey and its 27th season in Division I.

Head Coach Tom Serratore begins his 25th season leading the Beaver Hockey program and is tied with Rico Blasi of University of St. Thomas as the most tenured coach in the CCHA.

Serratore is the sixth-most tenured coach among active coaches in Division I and is ninth among active coaches with 405 career wins. He is an eight-time conference Coach of the Year and the second winningest coach in Beaver Hockey history (R.H. “Bob” Peters).

Serratore returns a veteran group from the 2024-25 season as 18 skaters make their return to the squad while 10 newcomers look to make their green and white debut.

Bemidji State returns seven of its 10 leading scorers from last season including top point-getter and 2025-26 captain, Kirklan Irey.

Irey captains the Beavers during the 2025-26 season after he led the Beavers in points with 24 (11g-13a).

Senior Reilly Funk also returns after finishing second on the team with 23 points and led the Beavers with 16 assists.

The Beavers’ most experienced group is their blueline returning five of their top seven defensemen from last season.

BSU has an average of 59 games played between its seven returning blueliners. It’s top returning point-getter from the blueline is sophomore Isa Parekh who totaled 18 points (3g-15a) and was a CCHA All-Rookie Team selection last year. He is followed by senior Patrik Satosaari who had 10 points (3g-7a) from the blue line while seniors Mitch Wolfe (2g-6a) and A.J. Macaulay (0g-2a) followed.

Bemidji State returns 54-percent of its goals from last season led by Kirklan Irey (11), Reilly Funk (7) and Kasper Magnussen (7).

The Beavers will have new faces in net following the graduation of Mattias Sholl who made 117 appearances during his collegiate career. Bemidji State’s most experienced goaltender is junior Raythan Robbins who as played 171 minutes in his career. Also returning is sophomore Trent Wiemken who has yet to make an appearance while freshman and Western Hockey League (WHL) Goaltender of the Year Max Hildebrand will guard the net for the Beavers this season.

The Beavers return nine forwards including eight from the senior or junior class.

10 newcomers were brought in for a total roster size of 28 (15-F, 10-D, 3-G).

Freshman Max Vig highlights the Beavers’ newcomers after he was drafted 209th overall (7th Round) of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He is the seventh Beaver to be drafted into the NHL and first since Eric Pohlkamp (2023). Vig joins Pohlkamp (fifth round – San Jose – 132nd), Radoslav Illo (fifth round – Anaheim – 136th), Chris Peluso (seventh round – Pittsburgh – 194th), Andrew Murray (eighth round – Columbus – 242nd), Gary Sargent (third round – Los Angeles – 48th) and Dale Smedsmo (seventh round – Toronto – 93rd) as Bemidji State NHL draft picks.