DATE: Nov. 19, 2004
Serratore earns 50th career win, Beavers kill Division I-era record 12 penalties in the victory

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. (Dwyer Arena) [stats][game notes] - Bemidji State picked up its second consecutive road victory over the Niagara Purple Eagles, killing a Division I-era record 12 penalties en route to a 5-3 victory in the College Hockey America opener for both programs.

Bemidji State committed 16 penalties for 40 minutes in the contest, and the teams combined for 14 penalties for 28 minutes in the first period alone. Niagara was whistled for seven penalties for 14 minutes. BSU’s 16 penalties led to 13 power-play opportunities for Niagara, second-most by an opponent in BSU’s Division I era, and most since Findlay had 15 power-play chances on Nov. 17, 2000.

But BSU’s penalty-killers were up to the task, holding Niagara to 1-for-13 with the man advantage. BSU’s 12 penalties killed set a single-game Division I-era record, surpassing the previous record of 10 set in the 2000 contest with Findlay.

The teams spent the first period committing penalties, eight by BSU and six by Niagara, and neither could find the time to score. The teams combined for 17 shots on goal in the opening period, 10 by Bemidji State, but the teams took a scoreless tie into the first intermission.

Brendan Cook (Reston, Manitoba) finally broke the seal at 12:30, taking advantage of a Brian Hartman interference penalty. He tallied his third goal of the season with assists from Luke Erickson (Roseau, Minn.) and Peter Jonsson (Astorp, Sweden).

Cook’s goal set off a flurry of three goals in a span of just 3:40. Niagara’s Sean Bentivoglio drew the Purple Eagles even just 26 seconds later, scoring even strength with helpers from Barret Ehgoetz and Ryan Gale.

But Ryan Huddy (Stony Plain, Alberta) needed just 3:14 to answer Bentivoglio, putting the Beavers ahead for good, 2-1, at 16:30 of the second.

BSU took the 2-1 lead into the third period, a lead it would need as the teams combined for five goals in the third stanza.

Jean-Guy Gervais (Winnipeg, Manitoba) staked the Beavers to a 3-1 advantage with an unassisted goal at 8:13 of the third, and the two-goal lead would hold. Niagara pulled within a goal, 3-2, on a Brian Hartman lamp-lighter at 15:19, but Erickson responded just 1:26 later with what would eventually become the game-winning goal. He netted his third goal of the season with helpers from Cook and Andrew Murray (Selkirk, Manitoba) to put BSU up, 4-2.

Niagara would not go away quietly. After Jonsson was called for hooking, putting the Purple Eagles on their 13th power-play chance of the night, Hartman pulled Niagara within a goal, 4-3, with his second lamp-lighter of the night. Niagara had a two-man advantage on the power play, having pulled goaltender Scott Mollison for an extra attacker.

Niagara kept Mollison on the bench for an extra attacker in an attempt to force across the tying goal, but Gervais picked up his second goal of the night against the empty net to give BSU the game’s final 5-3 margin.

Layne Sedevie (Bismarck, N.D.) was strong in net for Bemidji State, picking up his second victory in as many starts. He saved 25 of 28 shots faced in a 60:00 complete game, improving to 3-3-0 on the season.

Mollison took the loss for the Purple Eagles. He saved 22 of 27 shots faced and suffered the first loss of his collegiate career, falling to 2-1-0 on the season.

Bemidji State picked up its second consecutive win at Niagara’s Dwyer Arena after going 0-8-1 in its first nine road games in the series. The win improved BSU to 7-11-4 all-time against the Purple Eagles. BSU’s five goals scored are its most-ever in a road game against Niagara.

The victory was the 50th in the career of fourth-year head coach Tom Serratore. He improved to 50-48-16 in 114 games at BSU and is just the second coach in school history to win 50 or more games. Just 652 more and he’ll tie career leader R.H. “Bob” Peters.

The win improved Bemidji State to 4-3-0 on the season and gives the Beavers a victory in their 2004-05 CHA opener. Niagara drops to 5-7-0 overall and falls to 0-1-0 in CHA play. The teams wrap up their two-game series tomorrow afternoon; opening face-off from Dwyer Arena is slated for a 3:05 p.m. Eastern start.

--bsu--