MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - [box score] Bemidji State’s men’s ice hockey team was swept in a two-game weekend series for the first time since last February, dropping a 5-1 decision at fifth-ranked Minnesota tonight in front of more than 10,100 fans at Mariucci Arena.

Coupled with last night’s 2-1 loss, Bemidji State drops back-to-back games for just the second time this season and was swept in a weekend series for the first time since Feb. 14-15, 2003 at Nebraska-Omaha.

Minnesota needed just 2:51 to strike first. Barry Tallackson fired on BSU goaltender Layne Sedevie from the top of the right circle, and Sedevie saved the shot but was unable to corral the rebound. Brett MacKinnon took the rebound and fired the puck on net; his shot went behind Sedevie and was going wide of the net, but Jerrid Reinholz was there to tap the puck home behind a sprawling Sedevie and give the hosts a 1-0 lead. It was Reinholz’s second goal of the season.

The Gophers out-shot BSU 13-6 in the first period, with the Beavers not getting their second shot on net until the 11:10 mark of the period. Minnesota’s 13 shots on net were deceiving, as the Gophers hit a pipe and were wide on several open opportunities against the BSU net. Total shot attempts for the period were 22-9 in favor of the hosts.

Minnesota needed 7:17 of the second period to boost its lead to two goals. Troy Riddle stood alone at the bottom of the right faceoff circle and took a pass from Keith Ballard and Danny Irmen. He had a clear shot behind Sedevie and staked the Gophers to a 2-0 lead.

Bemidji State then got on the board with a power-play goal at 5:21 of the second. Andrew Murray tipped a pass to Luke Erickson near the top of the crease, and Erickson turned and found Brendan Cook for a wide-open attempt behind Minnesota goaltender Kellen Briggs. The marker was Cook’s sixth power-play goal of the season and snapped BSU’s streak of 256:59 without a power-play goal.

Cook’s goal to get BSU back in the game would have been for naught if not for the efforts of Sedevie. He was stellar in the second period, recording several highlight-reel saves including a pair of glove saves on power-play shots and a kick save with his skate straight in the air while laying on his back. For the period, Sedevie saved 16 of 17 shots faced as the Gophers again dominated BSU in total shot attempts, 30-14.

Jean-Guy Gervais was whistled for slashing at 19:42 of the second period, which after a holding penalty on John Haider at 19:14 left Minnesota on a five-on-three power-play for the first 1:14 of the third period. Gervais’ penalty capped a rough second period, as the teams combined for 11 penalties in the frame.

The Gophers needed just 44 seconds of the third period to take advantage of the five-on-three. Matt Koalska fired a nifty pass between the circles to Keith Ballard, who was camped to Sedevie’s left. Sedevie dodged in an attempt to close up the left side of the net, but not fast enough to save Ballard’s shot. Ballard’s 10th goal of the season staked the hosts to a 3-1 edge; it was Minnesota’s sixth five-on-three goal scored this season.

Minnesota tacked on an insurance goals at 7:25 and 2:14 of the third. The goal at 2:14 from MacKinnon with assists by Reinholz and Tallackson gave the Gopher fourth line 2-4=6 points in the game.

Sedevie took the loss for BSU, seeing his streak of four consecutive unbeaten starts come to an end. His season record evened at 4-4-2. Tonight’s game was the first time this season Sedevie allowed more than three goals in an appearance. He took a knee to the head, which snapped his head back, trying to stop a one-on-one breakaway with 1:49 to play in the contest and lay motionless on the ice for several minutes before being helped off by BSU’s trainer. He remained in the contest.

After rolling up 38 shots in last night’s win, Minnesota piled up 42 shots tonight - most by a BSU opponent this season for the second time in as many nights. For the series, Minnesota out-shot BSU 80-39. Bemidji State managed a season-low 17 shots in tonight’s loss, tied for the seventh-fewest in a game in BSU’s Division I era.

The Beavers fall to 0-6-0 all-time against the Golden Gophers with tonight’s loss. The loss leaves BSU at 15-9-2 on the season while Minnesota improves to 18-9-3. The Gophers have now won five consecutive games, nine of their last 10 and are 16-2-2 in their last 20 starts since Nov. 21, 2003. Next action for Bemidji State comes Feb. 13-14 when the Beavers wrap up the non-conference portion of their 2003-04 schedule with a weekend series at No. 8 St. Cloud State. Opening face-offs from the National Hockey Center are set for 7:05 p.m. Central time both nights.

NOTES: Bemidji State has scored a goal in 46 consecutive games, extending its Division I-era record... BSU was held to a single goal in back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 18-24, 2003 (Clarkson T, 1-1; Minn. State L, 1-3)... Minnesota has scored the game’s first goal in all six all-time meetings with BSU... Bemidji State’s second-period power-play goal snapped a streak of three consecutive games and 256:59 without a power-play goal... Minnesota’s 5-on-3 power-play goal in the third period is just the second 5-on-3 allowed by BSU this year; prev: 12/11/2003 at Ala.-Huntsville (Ryan Brown)... Brendan Cook’s six power-play goals have him tied for third-most in a season in BSU’s Division I era behind Sefan Bjork (8, 1999-2000) and Marty Goulet (8, 2002-03)... Andrew Murray’s assist in the second period gives him a point in each game of the series.