Jan. 5, 2008

[box score]

BEMIDJI, Minn. (John S. Glas Fieldhouse) - A Rock-solid defensive effort and a pair of collegiate hockey first led to a Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey 2-0 victory over non-conference foe University of Minnesota Duluth Saturday at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse. The Beavers used a pair of third period goals and the first career win and shutout by freshman goaltender Matt Dalton (Fr., G, Clinton, Ontario) to salvage a split in the home-and-home series and retain ownership right to the “Blue Ox” traveling trophy for the third consecutive season.

The teams played an evenly-matched first period and skated into the intermission with the score just as it began locked at 0-0.

Each team had a pair of power-play opportunities in the game’s first 20 minutes with UMD possessing a four shots to two advantage up a man and nine to seven in shots on goal during the period.

The Beavers spent over seven minutes of the second stanza on the penalty kill as the team was whistled for four penalties.

Typical of the night and the defense the team was playing previous to the three-week lay off, BSU successfully killed each of the four Bulldog power-plays including an brief 5-on-3. In addition, the Bemidji State may have had its best scoring opportunity of the game through the first 40 minutes one man down. BSU attempted to clear the zone and as the puck caromed off the back wall, the UMD goaltender left the crease to play it. The puck bounced out in front of the empty net and Alex Stalock beat the speedy Tyler Scofield (Jr., F, Prince George British, Columbia) to the puck diving to cover it and draw to draw a stoppage of play.

The teams remained deadlocked at 0-0 through two periods, but as the third period got underway, momentum began to turn in BSU’s favor.

Blaine Jarvis (Sr., F, Gladstone, Manitoba) netted his team-leading eighth goal of the season just 2:47 into the final period to give the Bemidji State the first lead of the night, 1-0. Brandon Marino (Jr., F, Riverside, Calif.) won a battle in the corner and shoveled the puck behind the net to senior centerman, Matt Pope (Langley, British Columbia). Pope fed Jarvis who was streaking down the slot and the senor sealed the deal flipping the puck over the right shoulder of the UMD goaltender. The goal would stand as the game winner, Jarvis’s first of the season.

Next it was Dalton who helped continue the momentum flow stymieing a Jordan Fulton one-on-one shot attempt with 9:04 to play to preserve the BSU one-goal lead.

Less than a minute later, Matt Francis (Jr., Surrey British, Columbia) took a rebound off the stick of Dalton and moved play in the other direction. He found Tyler Lehrke (So., F, Park Rapids, Minn.) who fired a nifty pass across the ice to Emil Billberg (Fr., F, Stockholm, Sweden.). Billberg buried the puck in the back of the net past the beaten Bulldog goaltender.

The goal was the first of Billberg’s career and marked his second point in as many nights as he assisted on one of the Beavers’ three goals in the 5-3 loss to UMD Friday.

In just the third appearance of his career and second start this season, Matt Dalton turned away a total of 25 shots in the contest to earn his first collegiate win and to log the inaugural shutout of his career. He made nine saves in the first, seven in the second and nine in the final period, playing every second of the 60-minute game. The rookie improved to 1-2-0 in 2007-08.

A good portion of Dalton’s success could be contributed to the way the Beavers played their standard hard-nosed defense. The team worked for 25 blocked shots on the night allowing the Bulldogs just seven shots on goal on seven power-play opportunities.

Stalock earned the start in net for the second consecutive night and made 17 saves while allowing the two BSU goals to get tagged with the loss and drop to 7-7-4 on the season.

The win marks the fifth over the Bulldogs (7-7-4) in the last six meetings between the teams while BSU reels UMD to 7-16-0 in the all-time series.

Despite falling in the game, UMD held a 25-19 advantage in shots on goal. The deficit marks the third consecutive game BSU has been out shot after riffling through the first 18 games of the season without being out shot in a single contest. BSU is now 1-2-0 in games in which it has been out shot and continues to hold a 611-428 (+183) advantage in shots on goal.

Bemidji State, now 9-9-2 overall, turns its focus back to College Hockey America play as it travels to the University of Alabama-Huntsville for a two game set Jan. 11-12. Friday’s series opener is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. opening face off while Saturday’s match up will begin at 4:00 p.m. CST at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala.

--bsu--