BEMIDJI, Minn. - [box score] The Bemidji State men’s ice hockey program extended its winning streak to a season-best four games and picked up its 10th win in 12 starts with a 4-0 shutout of the Findlay Oilers tonight at the John Glas Fieldhouse.

Grady Hunt, who recorded his 2,500th career save in the second period tonight, picked up the complete-game shutout victory in goal for Bemidji State. Hunt improved to 10-4-0 on the season with the victory, 8-1-0 against College Hockey America foes. Hunt’s eight league wins lead CHA. He is unbeaten (4-0-0) in his last five starts and is 7-1-0 in nine starts since a Dec. 5, 2003 win at Wayne State.

The shutout is the fifth of Hunt’s career, tying him with two others for fourth on the BSU career charts, and is his second career shutout of Findlay. He shut the Oilers out, 4-0, in the first round of the 2003 CHA Tournament on March 14, 2003.

Bemidji State controlled play in the first period, out-shooting Findlay 15-4, but was unable to take advantage of several scoring chances. Findlay netminder Jon Horrell, the defending U.S. College Hockey Online National Defensive Player of the Week, was strong in net for the Oilers, freezing all 15 BSU shots he faced in the opening period.

BSU finally broke through after a two-on-one breakaway at 14:34 of the second period. Ryan Miller picked up a loose puck in the Findlay zone and broke down center ice. Brendan Cook matched Miller stride-for-stride down the center of the ice, and Miller passed to Cook at the top of the crease. Cook flipped the puck behind Horrell and hit the pipe, but the puck bounced into the net to give BSU the lead.

Cook then needed just 1:29 to stake BSU to a two-goal lead. The short-handed tally was Cook’s fourth of the season against CHA foes, surpassing the league record of three set by Wayne State’s Billy Collins last year. Collins scored five short-handed goals a year ago to set the all-games record; Cook and Collins are now the only two players in CHA history to score more than three short-handed goals in a season.

Riley Riddell caught Horrell out of the net at 15:27 of the third period to put BSU ahead 3-0. Horrell went behind the net to play a puck and lost control, and it slid directly to Riddell at the left edge of the crease. Riddell tapped the puck home and extended his scoring streak to seven games with his 11th goal of the season. Riddell has scored a goal in five consecutive games, the second-longest streak in BSU’s Division I era. Stefan Bjork scored a goal in six consecutive games during BSU’s inaugural 1999-2000 Division I campaign.

Ryan Huddy and Nathan Schwartzbauer assisted on Riddell’s goal; it is Huddy’s team-leading 18th goal of the season, extending his scoring streak to seven games and giving him seven consecutive games with an assist. Huddy’s assist streak is tied with two others for the longest streak in BSU’s Division I era.

Cook completed his second hat trick of the season at 13:20 of the third period, putting BSU ahead 4-0. He was credited with a goal when a puck shot by Riddell deflected off his skate and into the net. It was the 200th hat trick in BSU’s storied men’s ice hockey history and the third in its Division I era.

Findlay had its best chance to break up the shutout when Luke Erickson was issued a five-minute major and a 10-minute misconduct for checking from behind at 10:49 of the third period. Findlay had several scoring chances on the major but managed just one shot at the net - which struck a post.

The Beavers improved to 12-5-3 all-time against the Oilers with tonight’s win and extend their winning streak in the series to four and their unbeaten streak to 10 consecutive games. BSU has not lost to Findlay since Nov. 10, 2001. Findlay managed just 16 shots on net, tied for sixth-fewest by an opponent in BSU’s Division I era.

With tonight’s win, Bemidji State improves to 14-7-2 on the season, 11-2-0 in College Hockey America. The win helped BSU pad its lead for sole possession of first place in CHA; the Beavers now have 22 points. Niagara (8-2-0) and Ala.-Huntsville (8-4-0) are tied for second with 16 points apiece. Findlay falls to 5-18-4 on the season, 2-8-1 against College Hockey America. The teams wrap up their two-game CHA series tomorrow night at John Glas Fieldhouse. Opening face-off is set for 7:05 p.m. Central time.

NOTES: BSU’s four-game winning streak is tied for third-longest (5) in its Division I era... BSU’s Division I-era record streak of six consecutive periods scoring multiple goals was snapped in a scoreless first period... Still, BSU has now scored multiple goal in eight of its last nine periods played... BSU was held scoreless in the first period tonight after scoring a total of seven first-period goals in a Nov. 7-8 sweep at Findlay, including a five-goal first on Nov. 7... It is the first time since Nov. 8, 2002 Findlay has held BSU scoreless in the first period... BSU extended its streak of games outshooting an opponent on home ice to 17... Bemidji State has not allowed a power-play goal in 291:58, the third-longest streak in its Division I era... BSU managed 47 shots on net, tied for sixth-most in a game in its Division I era... Brendan Cook extended his career-long scoring streak to six games and has scored a goal in four consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak in BSU’s Division I era... Cook has scored six of BSU’s last 15 goals... Cook has three consecutive multi-goal games and has seven goals in BSU’s last four games... Luke Erickson career-high 15 penalty minutes... Ryan Huddy extends scoring streak to career-best seven games; seven consecutive games with an assist is tied for the longest streak in BSU’s Division I era... Riley Riddell extends scoring streak to seven games; five consecutive games with a goal scored is second-longest streak in BSU’s Division I era... Riddell had a goal and an assist and has three consecutive multi-point games...