Bemidji State women’s hockey coach Jim Scanlan said it best Saturday night after his team took 5 of 6 points on the road against the nationally ranked Minnesota Gophers, “I’m so proud of our team. They battled for 125 minutes. They left it all out on the ice. When you play together as a team, you’re going to get rewarded.”

The Beavers were rewarded indeed. They beat a Minnesota team that hadn’t lost on its home ice since November 13, 2013. Bemidji State hadn’t beaten the Gophers since October 29, 2011 in Bemidji. They hadn’t won a game in Minneapolis since February 9, 2007.

BSU took five of six available points in WCHA play, their first points in league action this season. An all-around team effort was key for the Beavers.

Bemidji State goaltender Brittni Mowat had a career weekend. The sophomore stopped a total 83 shots and had to help the Beavers kill off a late game penalty in each of the two games at Ridder Arena. Friday she stopped the Gophers in the shootout. Saturday she recorded her fifth shutout of her career. Her quick glove saves and calm demeanor was reminiscent of the legendary Zuzana Tomcikova. If I got a vote, I would nominate Mowat for WCHA defensive player of the weekend.

The Beaver penalty killers were strong this weekend too, stopping all but one of the six Gopher powerplay chances. The BSU powerplay unit led by defender Ivana Bilic scored the game winner on Saturday.

From top to bottom, the Beavers had their best weekend of hockey of the season, maybe even their best weekend of hockey in the eight years I’ve been broadcasting Bemidji State women’s hockey. I could have listed every single BSU player who stepped out onto the ice this weekend. Each one of them contributed to the success they found in Minneapolis this Halloween weekend.

The Bemidji State women’s hockey team will head back home tonight, exhausted but elated, with five points, a shutout against one of the best teams in the country, some much deserved confidence and a stop for celebratory ice cream.

It’s a great day to be a Beaver!

~Kelly Schultz, “Voice of Bemidji State Women’s Hockey”