Jan. 24, 2009

[box score]

BEMIDJI, Minn. (John S. Glas Fieldhouse) -- Tyler Scofield (Sr., F, Prince George, British Columbia) piled up a pair of assists and Matt Francis (Sr., F, Surrey, British Columbia) scored for the second time in as many nights as the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team defeated Niagara University 3-1 to square the College Hockey America series Saturday at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse.

After a scoreless first period, the Beavers netted two goals in the second fueled by the playmaking ability of Scofield, who posted his team-leading fifth multi-point night of the year and moved into sixth place on the program’s Division I-era scoring charts with 36-55=91 points. The Beavers took a 2-1 lead into the third and added another goal for good measure winning for the first time in 2009 and snapping a six-game losing streak in the process.

The Beavers got on the board five-minutes and 12-seconds into the second stanza. Matt Read (So., F, Ilderton, Ontario) built upon his team scoring lead potting his seventh marker of the season on passes from Brad Hunt (Fr., D, Ridge Meadows, British Columbia) and Scofield.

Francis added a power-play marker at the 7:20 mark to stretch the Beavers’ lead to 2-0. From behind the net, Scofield found Cody Bostock (Sr., D, Salmon Arm, British Columbia) streaking down the slot. Pagliero fended off a wrister by the senior defenseman but Francis cleaned up the rebound and neatly deposited it into the back of the net to put the Beavers up 2-0. The goal would stand as the game winner--the senior’s first of the season.

But before the end of the period, Niagara would answer. Egor Mironov scored a goal 1:35 into a power play to reel the Beavers to within a goal , 2-1, 1:49 before the period was set to expire.

The Beavers solidified the win 13:30 into the third period. Jamie MacQueen (Fr., F, London, Ontario) picked off an errant Purple Eagle pass in the neutral zone and fired a shot from the top of the point that was deflected by the NU goaltender onto the stick of Travis Winter (Sr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.), who potted his first goal since Dec. 28. The assist by MacQueen stands as his first in the Beaver green and white.

Each team made good on one power-play opportunity in the game. BSU was 1-for-7 while the Purple Eagles netted a goal on five chances.

For the second consecutive night, the Beavers out shot their opponents mounting a 28-20 advantage on the shot board, which included a 17-shot second period by BSU.

Dalton earned his first victory between the pipes since Dec. 28, stopping 19 NU scoring attempts, while allowing one goal. He improves to 9-8-0 on the season.

Juliano Pagliero recorded 25 saves in the game but allowed all three BSU goals and was tagged with the loss. He moves to 11-9-1 on the season.

The Beavers continue College Hockey America play with a trip east to Pittsburgh, Pa. to face Robert Morris University for a two-game set. The series gets underway Friday with a 6:35 p.m. opening face off and will wrap up with a 6:35 p.m. start Saturday. BSU was 2-1-1 versus the Colonials last season and is 4-4-0 all time at the RMU Island Sports Center.

--bsu--