DATE: Jan. 23, 2004
Beavers post third consecutive win over Warriors, will look for season sweep tomorrow

PLYMOUTH, Mich. - [box score] Bemidji State men’s ice hockey scored two goals in each of three periods and limited Wayne State (Mich.) to just 12 shots on net, as BSU moved back into sole possession of first place in College Hockey America with a 6-2 victory tonight at CompuWare Arena.

The victory gives BSU three consecutive wins over Wayne State for the first time in the history of the series. In addition, BSU’s six goals scored are its most against Wayne State since an 8-1 win in Bemidji on Nov. 25, 2000 and mark the second consecutive game BSU has put up five or more goals in the series.

Bemidji State’s first line wingers spearheaded the rout, combining for eight points. Brendan Cook put up a career-high 2-2=4 points from his left wing position and freshman Luke Erickson posted 1-3=4 points from the right. Cook has dominated Wayne State this year, putting up 5-2=7 points in just three games this season. Erickson’s four-point game is season high by a BSU freshman and most by a Beaver rookie since Feb. 1, 2002 when Andrew Murray had 2-2=4 points against Findlay.

BSU grabbed a 2-0 first-period lead and never looked back. Ryan Huddy netted his third goal of the campaign just 1:33 into the contest, and Cook staked BSU to a two-goal lead just over five minutes later with a helper from Erickson.

Riley Riddell assisted on Huddy’s first goal, becoming just the third player in BSU’s Division I era to reach 70 career points scored.

Wayne State cut the lead to a goal with a John May lamplighter at 6:56 of the second period, but Cook scored short-handed at 13:17 of the second after a boarding call against Jean-Guy Gervais, the eventual game-winner, and Erickson put the game away with a power-play goal with helpers from Cook and Bryce Methven just 2:25 later. Methven’s assist moved him into a tie for 35th on BSU’s career scoring list for defensemen.

Wayne State scored at 2:43 of the third on the seventh goal of the year from Nate Higgins, but BSU put up the game’s final two goals to complete the rout. Riddell scored his ninth of the campaign with helpers from Wade Chiodo and Huddy at 7:15, and Peter Jonsson picked up a power-play goal from Erickson and Cook at 14:50.

Grady Hunt picked up his 10th win of the season in net, and again had little work. Wayne State managed just 12 shots on net - second-fewest by an opponent in BSU’s Division I era - and Hunt turned aside 10 shots. He picked up his 1,500th career save against CHA foes in the win. In three complete-game starts against the Warriors this season, Hunt has faced a total of 37 shots (12.3 shots per game). He improves to 8-4-2 all-time against the Warriors.

Marc Carlson took the loss for Wayne State. He saved 29 of 35 shots faced to fall to 2-6-1 on the season.

Bemidji State’s special teams, which are on pace to perhaps become one of the most efficient units in College Hockey America history, dominated play again tonight. BSU scored three special-teams goals, including Cook’s short-handed game-winner, and for the seventh time this season scored multiple power-play goals. BSU went 2-for-6 on the power play, improving its season efficiency in all games to .198 (22-for-111) and a simply dominant .269 (14-for-52) against College Hockey America foes. Wayne State went 0-for-2 with the man advantage, dropping the Warriors to just 6-for-88 (.068) all-time against Bemidji State on the power-play. Since the start of the 2001-02 season, the Warriors have gone just 4-for-52 (.077) against BSU with the man advantage.

The Beavers improved to 10-5-3 all-time against the Warriors with tonight’s win and pick up their third road win in the Wayne State series. The win snapped a three-game BSU winless streak at Wayne (0-2-1).

With tonight’s win, Bemidji State improves to 12-7-2 on the season, 9-2-0 in College Hockey America. The win helped BSU break a tie with Niagara and move back into sole possession of first place in CHA with 18 points. Wayne State falls to 6-15-2, 2-9-0 in CHA. The teams will wrap up their two-game series tomorrow afternoon at 3:05 p.m. Eastern time, where BSU will attempt to cap its first-ever four-game season sweep of the Warriors.

NOTES: In three games this year, BSU has out-shot Wayne State by a combined 138-37 (+101 shots)... BSU improved to 5-0-0 this season the weekend after a bye week... BSU is undefeated (4-0-1) all-time against Wayne State the weekend after having a bye... After averaging 2.45 goals per game in its first 11 starts, BSU has averaged 4.5 goals per game in its last 10... BSU is 8-2-0 in its last 10 games and has been held under five goals just four times... BSU is 22-for-89 (.247) on the power-play since an 0-for-22 start... Wade Chiodo had two assists, his fourth multi-point game of the season and 10th of his career... Brendan Cook scored his 24th and 25th career goals tonight and now has 46 career points... Ryan Huddy extends his scoring streak to five games; with a goal and an assist Huddy now has 30 points to move him into 15th on BSU’s Division I-era career scoring list... Riley Riddell extended his scoring streak to five games; he has scored a point in 15 of BSU’s last 17 games...