DATE: Jan. 14, 2005
Cook ties BSU Division I-era goal-scoring record; Beavers hold Colonials to eight shots on goal

BEMIDJI, Minn. (John Glas Fieldhouse) [stats] - Bemidji State senior wing Brendan Cook (Reston, Manitoba) moved into a tie for BSU’s career Division I-era goal-scoring lead, scoring twice to lead the Beavers to a 5-1 victory in their first-ever meeting with college hockey rookie program Robert Morris.

Cook scored even-strength just 26 seconds into the second period to put BSU ahead 2-1, a goal which proved to be the game-winner, and picked up his 17th career power-play goal with 3:20 to play in regulation for the game’s final lamp-lighter to tally career goals no. 46 and 47. He moved even with Marty Goulet, who scored 47 goals for the Beavers from 1999-2003 as a member of BSU’s first Division I recruiting class.

Cook’s 47 goals move him into a tie with Goulet for seventh place in College Hockey America history.

Cook’s goals would be more than enough for Bemidji State, as it held Robert Morris to just eight shots on goal - the lowest total by an opponent in BSU’s Division I era and the first time it held an opponent to a single-digit shot total. The Colonials managed two shots in the first period, four in the second and two in the third - with the two shots in the first and third periods tied for the second-fewest allowed an opponent in BSU’s Division I era. The previous mark was held by Wayne State, which managed just 11 shots on Dec. 6, 2003.

In fact, Robert Morris finished the game with more penalties - 12 - than shots on goal.

“We played a good puck-possession game,” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. “We kept the puck low to alleviate their rush. Our best defense was keeping the puck on offense.”

Andrew Murray (Selkirk, Manitoba) continued his recent tear, assisting on both Cook goals to run his scoring streak to a BSU Division I-era record 10 consecutive games. Murray picked up his eighth multi-point game of the season and now has 9-12=21 points during his 10-game scoring streak (2.10 ppg). Murray’s streak surpasses the previous record of nine consecutive games with a point scored, held jointly by Cook and Luke Erickson (Roseau, Minn.).

The pair of assists gives Murray 41-63=104 points for his career, extending his own BSU Division I-era scoring record. Murray’s 104 career points move dhim past Derek Olson of the Air Force Academy and Wayne State’s Jason Durbin into seventh place on the College Hockey America career leaderboards and vault him into a tie with Bill Weller (1967-70) and Jim Logan (1994-98) for 43rd place on BSU’s career all-time scoring list. His 63 career assists are a BSU Division I-era record and rank him eighth in CHA history.

“We had a pretty good effort by skating well and doing the little things,” Serratore said. “We always say that Friday nights on the road are tough. They’re going to come out hard tomorrow night and we need to be ready.”

Jean-Guy Gervais (Winnipeg, Manitoba) opened scoring for the Beavers, lighting the lamps for his eighth goal of the season at 5:48 of the first period. That lead held until Cook’s first goal early in the second period. Freshman Blaine Jarvis (Gladstone, Manitoba) put BSU ahead 3-0 with his second career goal at 6:10 of the second period, and freshman Jake Bluhm (Red Wing, Minn.) staked BSU to a 4-1 lead just 59 seconds into the third period. Cook’s power-play goal at 16:40 of the third capped the game’s scoring at 5-1 in favor of the hosts.

Freshman goaltender Matt Climie (Leduc, Alberta) earned his second consecutive start and won for the third time in three games for the Beavers. He allowed just one goal on a one-on-one breakaway to the Colonials’ Chris Kaufman in the second period and saved seven of eight shots faced in a 60-minute complete game.

Christian Boucher saved 30 of 35 shots faced for the Colonials and was impressive in the nets. He had 12 saves in the second period and 10 in the third, but saw his record fall to 4-9-3 on the season.
The teams combined for 22 penalties for 44 minutes, with the Colonials drawing 12 minors and the Beavers 10. Robert Morris was 0-for-8 on the power play, tied for the second-lowest single-game power play efficiency by an opponent in BSU’s Division I era. BSU went just 1-for-10 on the man advantage, with its nine failed power-play chances tied for second-most in its Division I era in a game it scored a power-play goal.

In its last seven games, BSU is just 4-for-34 (.118) with the man advantage.

With the victory, Bemidji State improved to 12-7-0, 7-2-0 in CHA play, and ran its winning streak to four consecutive games dating back to a win over Western Michigan on Dec. 18. Robert Morris fell to 4-12-3 overall and remains winless at 0-6-1 in CHA play. The Colonials saw a program-record three-game unbeaten streak come to an end. The teams wrap up their series tomorrow night at the John Glas Fieldhouse. Opening faceoff is slated for 7:05 p.m. central time on the BSU campus.

--bsu--