March 16, 2003
Warriors capture third consecutive CHA Tournament title, earn berth in NCAA Tournament

KEARNEY, Neb. (Tri-City Arena) - [box score][game notes] The Wayne State men’s ice hockey team became just the ninth team in NCAA history to win at least three consecutive conference tournament championships, out-lasting Bemidji State, 3-2, in a defensive battle which featured just 33 combined shots on net.

“ It’s playoff hockey out there. It’s only for the men,” Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore said.

After the teams traded goals in the game’s first nine minutes, Jeff McGill would quickly give the Beavers a one-goal lead, scoring at 11:17 of the period. After an interference penalty on Maxim Starchenko left the Warriors on the penalty kill for the second time in the period, the Beavers put several shots on Warrior netminder David Guerrera. On about the third shot, Guerrera could not control the rebound and was left prone on the ice. With Guerrera unable to get up in time to protect the open net, McGill fired home and regained the lead for BSU.

It would be the last goal BSU would get, as Guerrera was outstanding for the remainder of the contest.

At 10:03 of the second, Bemidji State penalties gave Wayne State the opening it would need to retake control of the game. Jared Hanowski drew an interference call less than 30 seconds after the Beavers had sent Travis Barnes into the penalty box for having too many on ice. That sequence led to a five-on-three power play for 1:37, and it took the Warriors just 1:02 to captialize.

Marc St. Jean fired a puck from the top of the left circle over Hunt’s right shoulder to again balance the scoreboard at two goals apiece at the 11:05 mark of the second.

Earlier in the five-on-three, Wayne State turned the puck over and BSU’s John Haider picked it up just outside the BSU zone. He broke free and had a short-handed one-on-one opportunity with Guerrera, but the Warrior senior made perhaps his biggest save of the game and kept the Warriors within a goal.

Wayne State grabbed the lead for good just five and a half minutes later. Taking a helper from Chris Vail, Maxim Starchenko beat Hunt to give the Warriors their first lead of the game, 3-2. That goal, the which proved to be the game-winner, snapped a streak of seven consecutive games in which BSU had not allowed more than two goals, and made the Warriors the first team to get more than two goals on Hunt since Feb. 21, 2003.

“ It came down to one thing - they scored on a five-on-three, and we didn’t,” Serratore said.

BSU’s power-play difficulties this season had an impact on today’s game. The Beavers, last in the CHA in power play efficiency coming into today’s championship game at just 16 percent, went just one for eight with the man advantage and in the first five minutes of the second period failed with a 1:27 five-on-three opportunity which proved to be pivotal in the contest.

Myles Kuharski continued his strong play in the CHA Tournament, scoring the game’s first goal after scoring BSU’s overtime game-winner in last night’s semifinal win over Alabama-Huntsville. He took a helper from Haider to put BSU on the board at 6:29 of the first. BSU scored first in all three games of the CHA Tournament.

Jon Brink balanced the scoreboard for the Warriors less than five minutes later, chipping a shot past goaltender Grady Hunt off the skates of BSU defenseman Jesse Balsimo to even things up at 8:41.

The Beavers played most of the final minute with an extra attacker, but could not get the equalizer.

Hunt took the loss and finishes his campaign at 13-10-5. He saved 12 of 15 shots faced, his second-lowest total of the season and fewest of his career in a start in which he played in all three periods. Guerrera picked up the win and finishes his career unbeaten (7-0-0) in the CHA Tournament.

Bemidji State finishes at 14-14-8 on the season, marking the first .500 season in BSU’s Division I era (since 1999-2000). Wayne State improved to 21-16-2 adn awaits the March 23 NCAA Tournament selection show to determine its next opponent.