DATE: Dec. 11, 2004
Niagara’s Barret Ehgoetz becomes CHA career scoring leader with four-point night

BEMIDJI, Minn. (John Glas Fieldhouse) [stats] - Last night, Bemidji State’s top line of forwards dominated in a BSU victory, but tonight Niagara turned the tables and saw its first line of forwards combine for 3-6=9 points as BSU dropped a 6-2 decision to the Purple Eagles in College Hockey America play.

BSU defenseman Nathan Schwartzbauer was assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind less than a minute into the contest, and Niagara immediately took advantage, scoring a delayed-penalty goal off the stick of Brian Hartman to grab the lead just 40 seconds after the opening faceoff. It would set the tone for the contest, and after essentially spending the game’s first five minutes on the penalty kill BSU was never able to recover.

Niagara’s one-goal lead held through the first period with BSU missing several scoring chances, most notably a shot by Andrew Martens (Jr., Friendswood, Texas) against an open net after a pass across the crease from Andrew Murray (Sr., Selkirk, Manitoba) which missed wide.

Then, as Niagara had opened with a goal in the opening minute of the first period, it would finish with a goal in the closing minute. Justin Cross scored his fifth of the season from Sean Bentivoglio and Matt Caruna with 15 seconds to play before the first intermission to stake the Eagles to a 2-0 lead at the break.

After peppering Niagara goalie Allen Barton for three goals in under 12 minutes in last night’s win, BSU could not solve the Eagle sophomore until Murray muscled a short-handed goal through him at 6:32 of the second period. BSU’s second short-handed goal in as many games pulled BSU within a goal, 2-1, but it was as close as the Beavers would get.

After Murray’s goal, Niagara’s first line took over. Right wing Ryan Gale scored on a power play at 19:55 of the second period to put Niagara ahead 3-1 with what would be the game-winner with assists from linemate Barret Ehgoetz and Ryan Carrigan. The power-play goal snapped a streak of 22 consecutive successful penalty kills by the Beavers against Niagara.

Rob Sirianni (So., Edmonton, Alberta) picked up his seventh goal of the season with an assist from Niko Suoraniemi (Fr., Angelholm, Sweden) at 8:36 of the third to pull the Beavers back within a goal, 3-2.

But NIagara first-line left wing Jason Williamson scored his third goal of the season with helpers from Ehgoetz and Gale to put the Eagles back on top by two goals, 4-2, at the 13:14 mark of the third.

BSU lifted goaltender Layne Sedevie (So., Bismarck, N.D.) with 2:48 to play in an attempt to claw back into the game, but Ehgoetz scored against the open net with helpers from Gale and Sean Bentivoglio to ice the game, 5-2.

Travis Anderson capped scoring for the game with a goal at 19:49 of the third to give the visitors the 6-2 victory.

The Purple Eagles were led by Ehgoetz, the defending CHA co-player of the year, who became the leading scorer in CHA history with a 1-3=4 point performance. He assisted on Hartman’s delayed penalty goal in the first minute and also had helpers on Gale’s power-play goal in the second periood and Williamson’s power-play goal in the third. He iced the game with an empty-net goal with 1:46 to play.

Ehgoetz improved his career numbers to 62-83=145 points, moving him past Andy Berg who scored 64-78=142 points for the Air Force Academy from 2000-03. Ehgoetz extended his own CHA career record for assists and now trails Berg’s league record for goals scored by just two.

Williamson scored a goal and Ehgoetz and Gale had a goal and three assists apiece for the nine-point night by Niagara’s top line.

Sedevie took the loss in goal, allowing five goals and saving 25 shots in 59:08 of work. He fell to 7-5-0 on the year and lost for just the second time in his last seven starts. He also lost for the first time in five career starts against Niagara and is now 4-2-0 all-time against the Purple Eagles. Sedevie’s defeat was just his second in 13 career starts against CHA foes (10-2-1).

BSU fell to 9-12-4 all-time against Niagara and saw its four-game regular-season winning streak in the series come to an end. BSU fell to 6-3-3 all-time against Niagara on home ice and lost for just the second time in the last five seasons.

The loss dropped Bemidji State to 8-6-0 on the season, 4-2-0 in CHA play, and leaves BSU trailing CHA leader Ala.-Huntsville by two points, 10-8. Niagara improved to 7-10-0 and 2-4-0 in league play. Bemidji State is back in action Dec. 17-18 when it hosts Western Michigan for a two-game non-conference series. Opening faceoffs are scheduled for 7:35 p.m. and 7:05 p.m., respectively.

--bsu--