Trailing University of Alaska-Anchorage by a goal with just over 15 minutes to play, the Bemidji State University men’s hockey team got a goal from Phillip Marinaccio (F, Fr., Nobleton, Ontario) to force overtime and the Beavers escaped with a 4-4 tie Saturday at Sanford Center.
The goal was the second of the night for Marinaccio who led all BSU players with three points (2g-1a), while James Hansen (D, So., Maple Grove, Minn.) and Mitch Cain (F, Jr., Fort Frances, Ontario) each chipped in a goal and an assist.
The draw swings the series in BSU’s favor after the Beavers defeated the Seawolves 4-1 Friday.
BSU moves to 4-6-2 on the season with a 4-3-1 mark in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play. Alaska-Anchorage slips to 5-3-1 overall and are now 2-3-1 in league play.
The teams felt each other out for the first 10 minutes of play, but Alaska-Anchorage was first to draw blood, getting a tip-in off the stick of Scott Allen at the 12:40 mark of the frame. The goal stood as the fifth of the season for Allen, who would go on to collect a hat trick in the game.
Hansen evened the score with 4:59 to play in the period. After Jeff Jubinville (F, Sr., Edmonton, Alberta) dug the puck out of the corner, Hansen unleashed a slap shot from the blue line. His shot caromed off the leg of a UAA defender and into the upper right corner of the net for the first goal of his collegiate career.
The Seawolves’ Jordan Kwas looked to put UAA up in the final seconds of the first, but after review, the referees determined a UAA player was in the crease and waived the goal off. The decision left the teams locked in a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes of play.
Bemidji State grabbed its first lead of the night on a goal from Marinaccio just 2:39 into the period. Phil Brewer (F, So., Cambridge, Ontario) fired a shot on net and Marinaccio, who was crashing the net, had the puck deflect off his skate and into the back of the net.
The Beavers stretched their lead to 3-1 at the 7:22 mark of the second. Marinaccio fired a shot that the Seawolves’ goaltender. Michael Matyas kicked it to the stick of Cain, who deposited it into the back of the net for his second tally of the season. Hansen was also credited with an assist on the play giving him the second multi-point game of his career.
UAA would cut the BSU lead to one goal at the 17:50 mark when Allen scored his second goal of the game on the power play.
BSU opened the third period with a 3-2 lead despite trailing 26-13 in shots on goal, but would not only see UAA come back to knot the score, the Seawolves would take the lead before the five-minute mark of the period. Allen completed his hat trick with a goal at the 3:52 mark and Matt Baily netted the go-ahead goal 41 seconds later (4:33).
Bemidji State and Marinaccio would battle back to even the score and force overtime with at the 7:18 mark of the third period.
In the extra frame, BSU was outshot 8-2 and failed to get any sustained offensive pressure, but escaped with the tie, 4-4.
BSU goaltender Andrew Walsh (Jr., Dawson Creek, British Columbia) posted 30 saves in the draw and moves to 4-6-2 on the season.
The Beavers continue their current six-game homestand Nov. 22-23 when they host Lake Superior State University for a WCHA two-game set. The first will begin at 7:37 p.m. Friday with the series finale slated for a 7:07 p.m. start at Sanford Center.