Bemidji State shirts sold out first at the Verizon Center clothing stands at the 2009 Frozen Four in Washington, D.C. They were the feel-good story of college hockey; the upstart team from the soon-to-be-defunct conference.
Miami ended that run and, after losing their starting goaltender and 38 percent of their goal scoring, no one expected much this season from the Beavers.
An eight-game unbeaten string to begin the season – including a first-ever 6-2 win at Minnesota – raised a few eyebrows, but the Golden Gophers are having an off year. The true test to see if the Beavers’ season was all smoke-and-mirrors would be against the top team in the country; a RedHawks team that handed the Beavers a 4-1 loss in D.C. in April.
So now what?
Chris McKelvie scored the game-winner in the final four minutes of regulation after assisting on the second goal to send the Beavers to victory lane.
“It was all set by Matt Read – whenever he has the puck, I just go to the net,” said McKelvie on the KKBJ postgame show. “Last April we were the Frozen Four Cinderella story so I think we were a bit nervous. But we were relaxed today and knew we could play with these guys.”
“There were times where the ice felt tilted,” said head coach Tom Serratore also on KKBJ. “But we played good defense and got good goaltending. It was a monumental win for our program, but just like a million other coaches say, we’re just taking it one day at a time.”
As might be expected, the Beavers stumbled against Ohio State the next night of the two-game Subway Holiday Classic in Grand Forks, N.D., with a 2-1 overtime loss. It marked their fourth overtime in 14 contests this season.
This weekend it’s another high-octane test as Bemidji State gets back to conference play when they host a rival Niagara team which has righted its ship, going unbeaten in their last three while outscoring opponents 12-4 after a tie and an eight-game losing skid to begin the season.
The two teams have spilt five of their last six regular season series at the Glas—the other ended in a pair of ties.
FRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG
· Niagara goaltender Adam Avramenko stopped 38 shots in picking up his second career shutout, 5-0, at Robert Morris last Wednesday. His only other whitewash came in the same Island Sports Center building last season.
· When Alabama-Huntsville travels to Robert Morris for a pair this weekend, it will mark the Chargers’ only game action in a 41-day period spanning November 22-January 1.
· Bemidji State has the stingiest defense in the nation allowing 1.71 goals per game.
· Robert Morris is allowing an average of 48 shots on goal during their current three-game losing streak. The peak was 55 to Niagara in the last contest.
· Alabama-Huntsville defenseman Ryan Burkholder is the current CHA “Nathan Schwartzbauer Award” leader. The junior is still looking for his first collegiate goal 60 games into his career. Schwartzbauer played 126 career contests for Bemidji State without a single tally.
