DATE: Nov. 23, 2004
Teams combined for six power-play goals in shootout

PLYMOUTH, Mich. (Compuware Arena) [stats][game notes] - Wayne State’s John May scored his second goal of the night with one second to play in the second period to give the Warriors a 5-2 lead, and the Warriors held off a furious third-period Bemidji State comeback to send the Beavers to their first loss in five games, 6-4.

John Grubb drew first blood for the Warriors just 2:58 into the game, but Andrew Murray (Selkirk, Manitoba) would pull the Beavers even with a power-play goal at 12:03. He was assisted by Peter Jonsson (Astorp, Sweden), who has an assist in each of BSU’s last four games.

The 1-1 draw would be as close as BSU would get. John May put the Warriors back on top, 2-1, with a power-play goal at 12:05 of the first, and Mike Forgie gave the hosts a two-goal lead with another power-play marker 4:31 into the second period.

BSU clawed back to within a goal, 3-2, on the fourth marker of the season by Luke Erickson (Roseau, Minn.), who was assisted by John Haider (Forest Lake, Minn.) and Jonsson.

But Wayne State scored the game’s next two goals - a Steve Kovalchik lamp-lighter at 17:02 of the second which was the third Warrior power-play of the day, and May’s second goal of the night with one second to play in the second period - to grab a 5-2 lead and essentially put the game out of reach.

BSU attempted a rally in the third period, but would fall just short. Junior Jean-Guy Gervais (Winnipeg, Manitoba) tallied his fourth goal of the season at 1:16 of the third period to pull BSU back within two goals, 5-3.

The two-goal lead held until the final minutes of regulation, when BSU pulled its goalie for an extra attacker. Rob Sirianni (Edmonton, Alberta) scored the seventh extra-attacker goal in BSU’s Division I era to pull the Beavers within a goal, 5-4, but Nate Higgins scored on BSU’s empty net with six seconds to play in the contest for the game’s final 6-4 margin.

Layne Sedevie (Bismarck, N.D.) lost for the first time in 11 career starts against College Hockey America foes. He surrendered five goals in 39:46 of work before yielding to Matt Climie (Leduc, Alberta). Climie saved all five shots he faced in 17:49 of work, running his streak of consecutive scoreless minutes to 84:51.

Matt Kelly picked up the win for the Warriors. He saved 31 of 35 shots faced, giving him 76 saves in the two-game series.

Each team scored three times on the power play, with BSU going 3-for-7 with the man advantage while Wayne State went 3-for-6. Wayne State’s three-goal night snapped a streak in which the Bemidji State penalty killers went 42 of 43 over a five-game stretch.

Wayne State’s three power-play goals in tonight’s game were nearly equal to its total against BSU in the last five seasons combined. Entering tonight’s game, Wayne State had gone 4-for-61 against Bemidji State with the man advantage since the start of the 2001-02 season.

Bemidji State fell to 12-6-3 all-time against Wayne State and saw its series-best winning streak snapped at five. Wayne State’s five goals tonight surpassed its total in the previous three meetings between the programs in Detroit (four goals in three games). BSU falls to 5-3-2 all-time at Wayne State, with tonight’s loss being BSU’s first road loss in the series since Feb. 8, 2003.

Tonight’s loss was just BSU’s fourth in its last 29 regular-season games against College Hockey America opposition (23-4-2).

The loss dropped Bemidji State to 6-4-0 on the season, 3-1-0 in College Hockey America play. Wayne State improved to 8-5-1 overall and 2-1-1 in CHA play. BSU has played four games in the last five nights and is now off until Dec. 3, when it will travel to Lake Superior State for a two-game non-conference series. Games are scheduled for 7:35 p.m. and 7:05 p.m., repectively, Dec. 3-4 at Taffy Abel Arena.

--bsu--