NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - [stats] Bemidji State rallied from a two-goal first-period deficit, forcing overtime on Ryan Huddy’s first goal of the season midway through the third period, but the Warriors picked up a power-play goal just 30 seconds into overtime and escaped with a 3-2 victory. The loss sealed a split in the two-game series.

Marco Rosa, who scored a goal in Game 1 for the Warriors, had a huge first period tonight. He scored his sixth goal of the season, unassisted, just 3:18 into the contest to stake the Warriors to a 1-0 lead, then assisted on a Brent Gough power-play goal at the 10:52 mark of the first period to give Merrimack a 2-0 cushion.

The score remained 2-0 at the first intermission, and BSU would need just 1:28 of the second period to get its first goal of the night. Riley Riddell picked up his second goal of the season, even-strength, taking helpers from Ryan Huddy and freshman goaltender Layne Sedevie to pull the Beavers within a goal.

Sedevie’s assist was the first point by a BSU goaltender this year. BSU’s last point by a goalie came courtesy of Grady Hunt, who had an assist against Air Force on Jan. 24, 2003. It is just the fifth assist by a BSU netminder in the program’s Division I era (since 1999).

Huddy then capped off his second career multi-point game, evening the score at two goals apiece with his first lamp-lighter of the season at 12:01 of the third. Huddy’s goal came on the power play, just 16 seconds after Merrimack’s Peter Hams was caught for tripping. It was his first career power-play goal and his first goal since Feb. 1, 2003 against Findlay - a span of 23 games.

Huddy’s marker gives Bemidji State a power-play goal in six consecutive games, the longest streak in its Division I era (since 1999). BSU’s previous long was five games, set on three previous occasions.

But Jean-Guy Gervais was whistled for high sticking with just 14 seconds remaining in regulation, a penalty which would prove to be fatal for the Beavers. The teams ended regulation play tied 2-2, but the Mavericks needed just 30 seconds of the extra period to put away the Beavers. Bryan Schmidt netted his third goal of the season, taking a pass from Jeff Caron and Gough, to give Merrimack its first victory since Oct. 25 and break an eight-game winless streak.

For the second game in a row, Bemidji State dominated play in its defensive zone, limiting Merrimack to just 20 shots on net. Sedevie was able to save 17 shots, but BSU’s offense was not able to generate enough goals to overcome a first period in which the Sedevie allowed two goals on just eight shots faced. Sedevie has allowed two first-period goals in each of his two road starts so far this season. The loss is his second consecutive after an 0-0-2 start, and drops him to 0-2-2 for the year.

Jim Healey out-dueled Sedevie, saving 36 of 38 shots faced to earn the win in net for Merrimack.

Merrimack became the first team this season to have success against BSU on the power play. The Warriors converted on two of three chances tonight, the first team to score two power-play goals in a game against BSU this year, and were 3-for-6 (.500) with the man advantage in the series. BSU allowed just four power-play goals in its first eight games this year.

The loss is BSU’s first in four games against Merrimack. It falls to 3-1-0 all-time against the Warriors.

The loss drops BSU to 4-4-2 on the season, while Merrimack improves to 3-8-2 and snaps an eight-game winless streak. Bemidji State is back in action Tuesday, Nov. 25 when it opens a two-game non-conference series at Connecticut. After Tuesday, BSU will take two days off for the Thanksgiving holiday and then wrap up its series at Connecticut on Friday, Nov. 28.