The match up

The Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team is back on the road this weekend as it travels to Colorado Springs, Colo. for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) series at Colorado College. The series is set to get underway Friday ay 8:37 p.m. and will continue with an 8:07 p.m. start Saturday at Colorado Springs World Arena.

BSU enters the weekend with a 2-1-1 recorded after earning three points (1-0-1) at Nebraska-Omaha in its last outing, Oct. 26-27. BSU battled back form a pair of two-goal deficits in the first game of the series to salvage a 3-3 (OT) draw before riding a two-goal effort from David Boehm to a 3-2 victory in the finale.

Four games into the young season, four players sit atop BSU’s scoring chart with three points apiece. Radoslav Illo (Jr., F, Bystrica, Slovakia) headlines the group with two goals, while senior Jordan George (F, Madison, Wis.) has posted a team-leading three assists this season.

Colorado College welcomes BSU this weekend owning a 5-3-0 record and an unblemished 2-0-0 mark in league play. Last weekend, the Tigers opened their WCHA slate with a road sweep of Wisconsin. CC opened the series with a 5-4 overtime victory before Joe Howe posted a 33-save shutout to complete the sweep at Kohl Center.



The rivalry

The Beavers and Tigers enter the weekend with a very short history. Kicking the series off with a single nonconference game in 2000, CC holds a 5-4-1 edge in the series, but the Beavers have experienced a fair amount of success vers the Tigers as of late. The Beavers are 3-2-1 since opening WCHA play versus CC in 2010-11. However, it’s been a tale of two locations in the rivalry. While the Tigers have never won a game in Bemidji (0-3-1), BSU is a meager 1-5-0 in Colorado Springs. Last season, the teams traded blows to split the season series. The Tigers swept the Beavers (3-1 and 6-4) in Colorado Springs Oct. 14-15, while BSU countered with a sweep of its own (4-2, 4-1) in Bemidji Feb. 10-11.



The unparalleled tradition

The 2012-13 season represents the 14th at the NCAA Division I level, and the 57th year of intercollegiate competition, for a BSU program which has assembled one of the finest traditions in all of American collegiate sport.

*BSU owns 13 NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III national titles.

*The Beavers have captured 21 conference titles in 56 seasons of intercollegiate competition.

*In 2009, BSU became the first No. 16 seed to ever earn a spot in the Frozen Four. In just its 10th year at the NCAA Division I level, only two teams, the 1958 Denver Pioneers and the 1980 Northern Michigan Wildcats, found their way to college hockey’s grandest stage faster.

*BSU has developed seven NHL players, six Olympians and 82 All-America honorees.

*BSU has compiled an all-time record of 1,000-505-95 (.655) in 1,600 games.



The coaches

*Bemidji State’s Tom Serratore (Bemidji State ‘86) is in his 12th season as BSU’s head coach and has an overall record of 197-165-42 (.540). In addition to directing the Beavers to records of at least .500 in seven of the last nine seasons, Serratore’s teams have won CHA regular-season championships five times since 2003-04 and made trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010, with a 2009 appearance in the Frozen Four. He is a five-time CHA Coach of the Year recipient and was Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year Runner-up in 2009.

*In 14 seasons at the helm of the Colorado College men’s hockey program, Scott Owens has posted a 304-188-43 (.608) overall record. A 1979 graduate of CC, Owens has led the Tigers to three WCHA regular-season titles and seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament. His teams have averaged better than 23 wins per season since he took over the program.



Last season for the Beavers

The BSU men’s hockey team is coming off its second season in the WCHA. The Beavers posted a 17-18-3 record which included an 11-14-3 mark in league play, which was good for 10th place in the league’s final standings. Was swept by eventual WCHA Final Five Champion University of North Dakota in the first round of the 2012 WCHA playoffs, 4-1, 4-3.



Last time versus Colorado College

The Beavers swept Colorado College Feb. 10-11 in Bemidji, Minn. to salvage a season series split with the Tigers. Brance Orban and Aaron McLeod each contributed multi-point games and Dan Bakala stopped 29 of 31 shots to propel the Beavers to a 4-2 victory in the opener. BSU closed out the series with a 4-1 victory, riding another multi-point effort from McLeod, who finished the weekend leading all players with four points (2g-2a).



Beavers picked to finish eleventh

Western Collegiate Hockey Association media picked Bemidji State to finish 11th in the annual 94X WCHA Preseason Media Poll. Defending regular-season champion University of Minnesota was picked as the favorite to win the league and the MacNaughton Cup in 2012-13. The Gophers garnered 24 of 25 first-place votes and 11.92 points per ballot to edge University of North Dakota (10.76).



Oh captain, My captain

For the second consecutive season, senior forward Ben Kinne (St. Paul, Minn.) will captained the Beavers during the 2012-13 campaign. Senior defenseman Jake Areshenko (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) will wear the “A” for the second season, while Aaron McLeod and Matt Prapavessis were also selected alternate captains for 2012-13.



Playing close to home

Five of the Beavers’ 27 rostered players in 2012-13 hail from the state of Minnesota. James Hansen and Sam Windle call Maple Grove their hometown, Sam Rendle is from Grand Rapids, Ben Kinne hails from St. Paul, Danny Mattson grew up in Minneapolis and Matt Hartmann calls Hugo home.



Familiar look

Tom Serratore returns 20 letter winners from a year ago including Jordan George and Aaron McLeod. George posted 31 points (19g-12a), which included a career-high 19 goals scored in 2011-12 to lead the team, while McLeod more than doubled his point total by registering 23 points (9g-14a) to finish fourth on the team. BSU returns 72 percent of scoring from a year ago, which includes 73.3 percent of its goal scoring (74-of-101) and 71.4 percent of its assist scoring (115-of-161).



Three is the magic number

In 2011-12, the three-goal mark was a threshold for Bemidji State. The Beavers were 5-15-1 when allowing more than two goals and were 12-3-2 when scoring at least three. When its opponent scores three or more goals, BSU is 4-16-2 last winter. This season, BSU is already 2-0-1 when scoring three or more goals and 0-1-0 when netting less than three goals in a game.



BSU 18th in all-time wins

Bemidji State became the 18th program among the 58 current members of NCAA Division I to post its 1,000th all-time victory when it defeated Nebraska-Omaha, Oct. 27, 2012 in Omaha, Neb. BSU’s 1,000 victories currently rank 18th all-time among current members of Division I. Cornell is next ahead of BSU, in 17th all-time with 1,022 victories. Seventeen Division I programs have posted 1,000 wins, including 2012-13 BSU foe Minnesota which leads Division I with 1,655 all-time victories, and is the only program in the nation with 1,600 or more all-time wins, while Michigan is second with 1,552 victories.



Friday is a perfect time for OT

All four of BSU’s overtime contests in 2011-12 came in the first game of a series and that trend has continued to BSU’s first OT game of 2012-13. The Beavers were unbeaten in overtime last season at 1-0-3 and have not lost an overtime game since falling to Minnesota, 3-2, versus Minnesota Mar. 5, 2011--a streak spanning six games (2-0-4).



Don’t call it a shutout

BSU was shut out by Lake Superior State in its season opener, 2-0. The shutout marked an end to a string of seven games with at least one goal scored.

Man advantage

Bemidji State finished the 2011-12 season going 25-for-118 (.212) on the man advantage with a 20-for-91 (.220) success rate in WCHA play to rank fourth. BSU enters this weekend’s series with just one power play goal in 17 chances (.059) in 2012-13. BSU was 1 for 10 (.100) Oct. 26-27 at Nebraska-Omaha getting its lone goal power-play goal in the second game of the series snapping an 0-for-11 stretch to open the season.



It’s a fine line...

The Beavers were involved in 17 games that were decided by one goal or fewer last season. BSU was 8-6-3 in those games. BSU is 1-0-0 in one-goal games in 2012-13.



Penalty killers...

The BSU penalty-kill finished the 2011-12 season 123-of-147 (.837) to sit 10th in the country, which included killing 92-of-109 (.844) in WCHA play to lead the league. BSU is 15-for-16 (.938) on the penalty-kill this season and a perfect 10-for-10 in league play, however, the Beavers will be challenged this weekend when they go head-to-head with the WCHA’s most potent power-play team. The Tigers lead the league converting 3-of-5 opportunities into goals (.600).



Beaver scoring by class

Coming off a 2011-12 campaign in which it led the BSU scoring race, with 126 points (55g-71a), which included netting nearly 57 percent of the teams goal scoring, this year’s senior class is again taking an early lead in the scoring race. The seniors have accounted for 15 points (5g-10a) in the Beavers’ first four games. The Junior class ranks second with two goals and three assists for six points and the freshman class has significant contributions already with three goals and an assist for four points. The sophomore class rounds out the race in fourth with two points (1g-1a).



Power-play goose eggs

It’s not all that uncommon for a team to be held without a power-play goal in any individual game, but Dec. 31, 2011 versus Bowling Green, BSU didn’t get a single power-play opportunity (0-for-0). BSU also failed to get a man advantage opportunity Feb. 17, 2012 at Minnesota Since Bemidji State made the jump to the NCAA Division I level for the 1999-2000 season, that has only happened four times in 463 games and two came during the Beavers’ 2011-12 campaign.



Then there were seven

Matt Read, a 2011 graduate of Bemidji State and the Beavers’ Division I-era scoring leader, made the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2011-12 opening-day roster and scored his first NHL goal in the Flyer’s second game of the season.

Read’s trip to the NHL makes seven products of the Beaver Hockey program to skate in the NHL ranks. He joins former BSU goaltender Matt Clime (2005-2009) and his teammate Andrew Murray (2001-05) as the only other former Beavers currently in the NHL.



Its share of OT

Extending their March 17 WCHA Final Five quarterfinal game versus Minnesota Duluth to overtime, the Beavers completed the 2010-11 season playing in 12 overtime games, marking its most since playing in a school-record 15 in 2002-03.

In the 11 years since the Beavers moved to Division I, they have escaped overtime with at least a tie in nearly 77 percent (69) of the 90 games that have needed extra time to decide the outcome.

Since March 11, 2006, BSU is 12-6-22 in games extended to sudden death, including an 0-0-1 mark in 2012-13.



Shoot the puck

This season BSU has been outshot in three of four games in 2012-13 and is trailing opponents 134-100 for an average of -8.5 shots on goal per game. BSU is 1-1-1 when being out shot in 2012-13 and 1-0-0 when out shooting its opponent.



Big shots

BSU has allowed 40 shots on goal two times already this season. Not surprisingly, BSU is 0-1-1 in those games.



Directions to the scoring column

With six new skaters in the BSU line up, the 2012-13 season brings with it many collegiate firsts--games, goals, assists. Freshman Phil Brewer and Cory Ward opened their collegiate careers Oct. 19-20 and each scored a goal in their season game in the green and white. Markus Gerbrandt added his first collegiate goal Oct. 27 in a win over Nebraska-Omaha. James Hansen, Brad Robbins, and Graeme McCormack open this weekend in search of their first collegiate points, while senior Matt Hartmann (0-0=0 in 19 gp) remains the only BSU veteran without a point to his name.



Assistance from the crease

March 3 BSU’s defense produced a goal and two assists including a helper from goaltender Dan Bakala. The assist was the fourth of his career and first to come from between the pipes for the Beavers since Bakala contributed to a goal Jan. 7, 2011. With four in his career, he is just one behind Jim Scanlan (1978-82) who holds BSU’s all-time record.



1-0 wins...

BSU’s victory versus UND Nov. 20, 2011 marked the seventh 1-0 victory in the history of the program. Since making the jump to NCAA Division I for the 1999-2000 campaign, BSU is 3-57-7 when scoring only one goal.



I am Iron Man

Since stepping on campus in the fall of 2009, Jordan George has missed just one of the of the Beavers’ last 117 games. He sat out of the Jan. 16, 2010 contest at Niagara, but has played in the last 94 games consecutively.



Blueline’s offensive push

Beaver defensemen finished the season scoring in 31 of BSU’s 38 games in 2011-12 and accounted 16 goals and 46 assists (16-46=62) accounting for 24 percent of BSU’s total scoring with an average of 1.63 points per game in 2011-12. In 2012-13, BSU is getting production from Sam Windle and Brady Wacker. Both defenders have two points, while the blueline is averaging 1.00 ppg.



Hints at the outcome

The Beavers are 18-5-3 since 2008-09 when captain Ben Kinne scores a goal. Last season Kinne had 10 goals and BSU was 6-3-1 in those contests. Alternate captain Jake Areshenko scores less frequently, but has the same effect on the game’s outcome. BSU is 9-3-3 when he logs a point and 3-1-0 when he scores a goal.



50th goal on the docket...

Senior forward Jordan George has scored 49 goals during his career at BSU. With a goal this weekend, he will become the only current NCAA Division I men’s hcokey player to reach the 50-goal plateau--a mark that only 25 players in the history of the BSU men’s hockey program and just four in BSU’s Division I era has reached.



By George he’s scored 100

With two goals and an assist versus UAA March 2-3, 2012, then-junior Jordan George became the 59th player in the history of Bemidji State hockey to eclipse the 100-point plateau. In 116 collegiate games, he has amassed 104 points (49g-55a).



Elite company at 100

There are currently just eight players in NCAA Division I college hockey that have accumulated 100 points during their careers and this weekend’s series feature two of them. BSU’s Jordan George has 104 points (49g-55a) in 116 games, while Colorado College senior Rylan Schwartz has 111 points (40g-71a) in 123 games played.



Building on career year

Entering his junior season with 15 points (8g-7a) to his credit, centerman Aaron McLeod earned a spot on BSU top attacking line posting career-high totals for goals (9), assists (14) and points (23). He finished fourth on the team in scoring in 2012-13.



Netting a new goaltender

After seeing time in 11 games as a rookie, collecting a 6-4-1 record, two shutouts and team-bests in save percentage (.915) and goals against average (2.37), Andrew Walsh seems to have a lock on the Beavers’ starting netminder job this season due to the departure of Dan Bakala. Walsh has started all four of BSU’s games in 2012-13, owns a .955 save percentage and 1.48 GAA to go with a 2-1-1 record.



Comfortable in the net

Piling up 127 saves in four games this season, Andrew Walsh climbed into the ninth spot on BSU’s Division I-era saves list. He now has 397 stops and needs 69 this weekend to bypass Orlando Alamano (2004-09) who compiled 465 during his BSU career.



Taming the Tigers

No current BSU player has had more success versus Colorado College than senior forward Brance Orban. In five games versus CC he has six points (3g-3a), which includes one of the senior’s four career multi-goal games, to lead all BSU players in goals assists and points. However, in the Beavers’ last two meetings with the Tigers, Aaron McLeod leads all players with four points (2g-2a). Sophomore Mitch Cain has only faced CC on two prior occasions, but is averaging one point per game with a goal and an assist and though Tyler Tosunian’s only has three games versus CC, he scored his only collegiate goal, a game-winner no less, versus the Tigers Feb. 10, 2012 in Bemidji.



The Can’t-Miss Kid

Sophomore Danny Mattson has never missed the net when playing Colorado College. In three games, he has fired one shot on net and it counted as the third goal of his collegiate career.



Success in November

BSU opens play in the month of November hoping to continue the success the program has traditionally had during the month. Since the Beavers made the jump to the Division I level for the 1999-2000 campaign, BSU is 46-38-8 (.543). Last season BSU was 2-3-1 in November.



Scoring first

Being the first team to light the scoreboard this season has been a key to victory in the Beavers’ four games. Scoring first in two games, BSU is a perfect 2-0-0, while when it has allowed its opponent to light the lamp first, it is 0-1-1.



There is no place like home

Bemidji State’s trip to Colorado this weekend marks a return home of sorts for junior defenseman Kyle Brodie--the only BSU player from the Rocky Mountain State. A native of Northglenn, Colo. Brodie has played well in front of his friends and family. In three games played in his home state, he has two points (1g-1a) which accounts for two-thirds of his career scoring (2g-1a).

--bsu--