Feb. 22, 2003
Beavers tie NCAA single-season record with 13th overtime game

BEMIDJI, Minn. - [box score] Bemidji State junior forward Bill Methven was simply trying to do what his line has done so well all season - cycle the puck in the corners. In the fourth minute of overtime, Methven had the puck in the far left corner of BSU’s offensive zone, and turned to fire a centering pass in front of the net. The pass hit the back of Alabama-Huntsville defenseman Ian Fletcher and deflected into the net, giving the Beavers a 3-2 overtime victory over their College Hockey America arch-rivals.

"We needed a break like that," BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. "It was nice getting the win the way we did."

The victory snapped BSU’s seven-game losing streak to the Chargers and also ended Huntsville’s unbeaten streak against CHA opponents at 12 games (10-0-2). Both of Huntsville’s losses in conference play this season have come in overtime.

The overtime contest was BSU’s 13th of the season, tying it with three other programs for the most overtimes in a single season in NCAA history. The Beavers are even with five other programs with 13 overtimes, a feat most recently achieved by the 2001-02 Maine Black Bears. The overtime victory was BSU’s third of the season, tying the school record set in 1994-95 when the Beavers went 3-2-2 in overtime.

After the teams combined for three goals in each period of last night’s 6-3 Charger victory, goals were much harder to come by in tonight’s contest. The Chargers grabbed the game’s first lamp-lighter at 6:34 of the first on a nice breakaway from Karlis Zirnis, his 12th goal of the year.

BSU evened things up at a goal apiece late in the first off the stick of Jeff McGill at the 19:51 mark. He took a pass at the top of the crease from Andrew Murray and Riley Riddell to net his 10th goal of the season.

The score remained even at a goal apiece until late in the second period, when McGill again found the back of the net. McGill helped the Beavers take advantage of a Jared Ross interference penalty, scoring his 10th career power-play goal at 17:43 to give BSU its first lead of the series.

That lead held until the midway point of the third, when the Chargers evened the scoreboard at two goals apiece on a Todd Bentley marker off an assist from Ryan Brown.

"We really tightened up defensively tonight," Serratore said. "We kept [Jared] Ross in check and had more quality scoring chances tonight."

The contest featured strong goaltending at both ends of the ice. Grady Hunt picked up the victory for BSU, earning his first victory since Jan. 31 at Findlay, saving 28 of 30 shots faced. Hunt’s 28 saves are his most in a game since Jan. 17 at Alabama-Huntsville (35) and the victory snapped his personal five-game winless streak (0-4-1). The win improved Hunt to 9-8-4 on the season.

Mark Byrne got the start in net for the Chargers and saved 34 of 37 shots faced. He took the loss and fell to 6-5-2 on the year.

It was the third overtime game in four regular-season meetings for the Beavers and Chargers. It is just the second time in CHA history two teams have gone into overtime three times in the same season; Air Force and Niagara skated to three overtime games in 2000-01.

Bemidji State improved to 9-13-7 overall on the season and 7-6-3 in College Hockey America play with tonight’s win. Alabama-Huntsville sees its overall record drop to 17-10-3, 12-2-2 in CHA play. The loss was UAH’s first against a CHA opponent since Nov. 25, 2002 at Wayne State. Alabama-Huntsville’s magic number to clinch the CHA regular-season title remains at three points.

Bemidji State is back in action next weekend when it wraps up home-ice play for 2002-03 with a two-game series against the Niagara Purple Eagles. BSU trails Niagara by three points for second place in the CHA and the rights to a first-round bye in the 2003 CHA Tournament.

SCORING SUMMARY
1/ 6:34/A - Karlis Zirnis (12) (Jeremy Schreiber/15)
1/19:51/B - Jeff McGill (10) (Andrew Murray/13, Riley Riddell/8)
2/17:43/B - Jeff McGill (11, PP) (Andrew Murray/14, Jean-Guy Jervais/3)
3/ 7:57/A - Todd Bentley (4) (Ryan Brown/1)
OT/3:05/B - Bill Methven (3, GW) (unassisted)

UAH: Mark Byrne (63:05 / 12-10-8-4=34 saves / 3 GA / L, 6-5-2)
BSU: Grady Hunt (63:05 / 8-9-8-3=28 saves / 2 GA / W, 9-8-4)
Penalties/Power Plays: UAH: 7-14/0-5; BSU: 5-10/1-7
three stars: 1/Bill Methven, BSU; 2/Jeff McGill, BSU; 3/Karlis Zirnis, UAH