BEMIDJI, Minn. (John Glas Fieldhouse) [stats] - For two periods, Bemidji State’s series finale with the Air Force Falcons wasn’t much of a game. Air Force held a 1-0 lead on a Seth Pelletier power-play goal at 6:45 of the second period, and in the first two periods of play the teams combined for 29 shots on goal - 19 by Bemidji State and just 10 by the Falcons.

But the final 10 minutes of regulation were filled with enough drama to more than make up for the game’s first 50 minutes. Myles Kuharski (Sr., Neepawa, Manitoba) got BSU on the board with his first goal in more than two months, firing a shot from the top of the left face-off circle which beat Air Force goaltender Ian Harper over the left shoulder at 4:22 of the third period to tie the score at a goal apiece.

Air Force recaptured the lead when Eric Ehn scored even-strength at 10:40, and BSU needed just 40 seconds to answer. Jake Bluhm (Fr., Red Wing, Minn.) scored his second goal of the season with helpers from Peter Jonsson (Sr., Astorp, Sweden) and Nathan Schwartzbauer (So., Wasilla, Alaska) to draw the game back even at two goals apiece.

Air Force would again retake the lead, this time on a Josh Print goal at 17:46 of the third period.

The 3-2 lead for the visitors held until the game’s final moments. BSU called time out with 1:40 to play in regulation and lifted goaltender Matt Climie (Fr., Leduc, Alberta) for an extra attacker. The move paid off, as Andrew Murray (Sr., Selkirk, Manitoba) hammered home a rebound with 59 seconds to play in regulation to tie the score for the third time in the period, 3-3.

The teams began the overtime period playing four-on-four after matching minor penalties to Brendan Cook (Sr., Reston, Manitoba) and Ehn with three seconds to play in regulation. It led to a fast-paced and up-tempo extra period, with Climie forced to make a nice pad save on Air Force’s Matt Bader to keep BSU in the game.

Cook broke free in the final 90 seconds of the extra period and got a shot off on Harper. Harper couldn’t control the rebound, and Jean-Guy Gervais (Jr., Winnipeg, Manitoba) forced the puck home to give BSU the victory at the 3:26 mark of overtime.

“That was one of the oddest games I’ve ever coached in,” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. “I feel we definitely stole the game. Air Force dicatated this game. They out-played us in the third period, and we out-scored them. The fans got their money’s worth in the third period.”

Murray’s extra-attacker goal in the third period gave him a point in each of his last nine games played, tying BSU’s Division I-era record for longest scoring streak. It was the eighth extra-attacker goal in BSU’s Division I era, but the first one scored in a game the Beavers went on to win. In fact, only two of the seven previous extra-attacker goals had even helped lead BSU to a draw.

The goal was the 41st of Murray’s career and gave him 102 career points scored. He extended his own BSU Division I-era career scoring record and moved past Garry Bock (1970-74) and Marc Lafleur (1995-99) into sole possession of 49th place on BSU’s all-time scoring chart. He also moved into a tie with Wayne State’s Jason Durbin for eighth place on the College Hockey America career scoring chart.

Freshman Matt Pope (Fr., Langley, British Columbia) assisted on Kuharski’s goal and the overtime game-winner by Gervais, giving him his first career multi-assist game.

Climie was solid in 63:05 of work, saving 22 of 25 shots faced and making critical saves to keep BSU in the game in the third period. He picked up the victory and improved his season record to 3-2-0, and won for the first time in three overtime games this season.

Harper saved 24 of 28 shots faced for the Falcons and fell to 1-1-0 on the season with the loss.

The victory was Bemidji State’s 10th in a row over Air Force and extended its unbeaten streak over the Falcons to 13. BSU has not lost to Air Force since Jan. 13, 2001. It improved to 17-5-2 all-time against the Falcons. Serratore remains undefeated (12-0-1) in 13 career games against his older brother, Air Force head coach Frank Serratore.

“We have got to get better, there’s no question,” Serratore said. “We need to find the same type of rhythm we had before Christmas. This was a big game tonight, gaining a point on Huntsville. We found a way to win, and good teams find a way to win. But we have got to start executing and playing smarter.”

With the victory, Bemidji State improved to 11-7-0, 6-2-0 in CHA play. CHA leader Ala.-Huntsville tied Wayne State, 3-3, earlier today leavin BSU just one point out of first place in the conference. Air Force fell to 9-9-2 , 3-5-0 in CHA play.

Bemidji State returns to the ice next weekend, welcoming college hockey newcomer Robert Morris to the John Glas Fieldhouse for the first time. Game times on Jan. 14-15 are scheduled for 7:35 and 7:05 p.m., respectively.

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