The Bemidji State women’s hockey team has been giving the top teams in the league quite the challenge as of late. Last weekend, the Beavers challenged the #2 Wisconsin Badgers in two one-goal games and last night on the road BSU took the top ranked Minnesota Gophers through overtime and into a shootout.

The Beavers went into their fifth WCHA game of the season looking for points, and that is exactly what they got.

The Beavers and Gophers went scoreless in the first period on Halloween night.

In the second, the Gophers would strike first but BSU would answer back just six minutes later on what senior Rachael Kelly called “an ugly goal.”

The game would be tied up 1-1 going into the 3rd period.

Bemidji State went ahead 2-1 when freshman Alexis Joyce set up Lauren Miller at the 12:20 mark of the third period.

In the final minutes of regulation, BSU’s Ivana Bilic was called for a penalty and the Gophers went on their third powerplay of the night. Minnesota’s Hannah Brandt put the equalizer in to make it a 2-2 hockey game with 1:18 to play.

The Beavers took the Gophers through overtime and into a shootout. The Gophers struck in the shootout first, but BSU’s Ivana Bilic would answer. After three skaters each, the two teams entered their fourth shooters.

The game winner came down to Stephanie Anderson, the former Gopher turned Beaver who sniped a goal past Sidney Peters to give BSU the 2-1 lead in the shootout. The Gophers final shooter was then stopped by Brittni Mowat who made 47 saves on the night to record the Beavers first points in WCHA play this season.

The Beavers wrap up their weekend series at Ridder Arena today at 4:07pm. Catch all the action beginning at 3:30 on the Beaver Radio Network and 1300 The Sports Fox in Bemidji.