NOV. 2, 2002
MANKATO, Minn. - [stats] Bemidji State finally
decided a game in regulation after five consecutive overtime
games to open the 2002-03 season, but remained without a tally
in the win column as the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks
rallied for a 3-1 win tonight at the Midwest Wireless Civic
Center.
Bemidji State drew first blood in the contest as Bill Methven
scored his first goal of the season at the 8:16 mark of the
first period. He was assisted by Myles Kuharski and Ben Lindell;
it was the first career point for Lindell.
The lead held for more than 20 minutes, until Mankato’s
Grant Stevenson found the back of the net on a short-handed
opportunity at 10:55 of the second period. Stevenson’s
tally snapped a streak of 165 consecutive power-play opportunities
for BSU without allowing a short-handed goal; BSU last allowed
a short-handed goal on Nov. 2, 2001 to Union College’s
Glenn Sanders.
Steven Johns added the eventual game-winner for the Mavericks
just 2:03 later, scoring on a power-play opportunity from
Stevenson and B.J. Abel. Abel then chipped in a four-on-four
insurance goal at 13:03 of the third period as the Mavericks
picked up their first win of the season.
Kelly Shields again got the call in goal for BSU, responding
with a career-high 34 saves. Shields, playing the first full
series of his career, stopped 62 of 66 shots faced for the
weekend (.939) with a 1.93 goals-against average. His 34 saves
are most by a BSU freshman since Grady Hunt had 35 against
North Dakota on March 2, 2001. Shields helped limit the Mavericks
to 1-of-8 on power-play opportunities and fought off 16 of
17 shots faced in the third period alone.
However, Shields was hurt by poor goal support as BSU managed
just two total goals in the series. BSU entered play this
weekend averaging 2.75 goals per game and were coming off
a Union College series which saw BSU put up three- and five-goal
performances. Shields took the loss and fell to 0-2-1 for
the Beavers.
Stevenson finished with 1-2=3 points for the Mavericks, in
support of Kyle Nixon who saved 25 of 26 shots faced in goal.
The loss extended BSU’s winless streak to 14 games,
continuing the second-longest winless streak in school history.
The Beavers have not won a game since a 5-1 win over Air Force
on Feb. 8, 2002. The BSU record for consecutive games without
a win is 15 (0-13-2), set from Nov. 26, 2000 to Feb. 9, 2001.
The loss drops BSU to 0-2-4 on the season, leaving the Beavers
winless in the first six games of a season for just the second
time in the program’s history. BSU started 0-10-0 in
2000-’01. MSU-Mankato saw its record move to 1-3-2 on
the season, picking up its first win. BSU opens College Hockey
America play next weekend with a two-game series at Findlay.
Opening face-off for Game 1 is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Central
time from the Clauss Ice Arena.
1/8:16/BSU - Bill Methven (1) (Myles Kuharski/2, Ben Lindell/1)
// 1-0
2/10:55/MSM - Grant Stevenson (SH) (Peter Runkel) // 1-1
2/12:58/MSM - Steven Johns (PPG, GW) (Grant Stevenson, B.J.
Abel) // 1-2
3/13:03/MSM - B.J. Abel (4x4) (Grant Stevenson, Steven Johns)
// 1-3
BSU: Kelly Shields (59:40/10-8-16=34 saves/3 GA/L/0-2-1)
// empty net (0:20/0 GA)
MSM: Kyle Nixon (60:00/5-14-6=25 saves/1 GA/W)
penalties/power plays: BSU: 9-18/0-4; MSM: 7-14/1-8 |
