DATE: Mov. 11, 2005
Beavers score four unanswered goals in come-from-behind win

DETROIT, Mich. (Michigan State Fairgrounds) - Bemidji State’s Luke Erickson (Roseau, Minn.) scored on a five-on-three power-play opportunity in the second period, sparking a four-goal rally to lift the Beavers past Wayne State (Mich.), 4-1, in College Hockey America play.

Wayne State came out strong, out-shooting Bemidji State 12-6 in the first period and garnering the game’s first goal. Mark Cannon drew first blood, putting the hosts on top 11:44 into the first period with his first goal of the season.

The 1-0 lead would hold until early in the second period, when Erickson’s marker kicked off a four-goal BSU rally. Wayne State’s Greg Poupard and Tylor Michel were whistled for minor penalties at 4:43 of the frame, and BSU needed just over a minute to convert on the 5-on-3 power play.

Andrew Martens (Friendswood, Texas) fired on Wayne State netminder Will Hooper, and Tyler Scofield (Prince George, B.C.) cleaned up the rebound. He fed the puck to Erickson at the top of the left circle, and Erickson beat Hooper to draw BSU even at 5:48 of the second period.

BSU took the lead for good five minutes later. David Deterding (Alexandria, Minn.) was called for a penalty at 9:41 of the second period, and Lou Garritan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 45 seconds later on a short-handed unassisted marker, his first goal of the season, to put BSU on top, 2-1.

BSU picked up insurance by scoring two goals in the final 38 seconds of regulation. Jake Bluhm (Red Wing, Minn.) scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season against an empty Wayne State net, 40 seconds after Hooper was pulled for an extra attacker, to stake the Beavers to a 3-1 lead.

Ryan Huddy (Stony Plain, Alberta) scored 21 seconds later for the final 4-1 margin.

Matt Climie (Leduc, Alberta) was stellar in goal for Bemidji State, saving 25 of 26 shots faced to pick up his third victory of the season. He saved 11 of 12 shots in the first period, and was a perfect 14-for-14 in the second and third periods as BSU assembled its four-goal rally.

The win was the 15th of Climie’s career, and his 25 saves moved him to 498 for his career.

Hooper allowed three goals with 19 saves in 59:20 of work; he took the loss for Wayne State and fell to 0-3-0 on the season.

Wayne State out-shot Bemidji State 26-23, and the teams managed 10 shots in a period just twice - 12 by Wayne State in the first and 12 by Bemidji State in the second. BSU’s 23 shots on goal are tied for the fifth-fewest shots in a victory in BSU’s Division I era.

The teams combined for 24 penalties for 70 minutes, with each team drawing a five-minute major for checking from behind and subsequent game misconduct. In the third period alone, the teams combined for 11 penalties - seven on Bemidji State alone. BSU scored once on five power-play opportunities with one short-handed goal, while Wayne State went 0-for-8 with the man advantage against the CHA’s leading penalty-killing unit.

BSU improved to 15-6-3 in its all-time series with Wayne State with the win, 6-3-2 in road games. BSU has won each of the last three meetings in the series, and eight of the last nine since Dec. 5, 2003.

The victory improved Bemidji State to 6-1-0 and improved its CHA record to 2-1-0. Wayne State remains winless on the season at 0-6-1, 0-2-1 in CHA play. The teams wrap up their two-game series tomorrow with a 7:05 p.m. faceoff at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit.

NOTES: Jean-Guy Gervais committed his 77th career penalty, moving him into a tie with Marty Goulet for the BSU Division I-era career record... Lou Garritan scored his third career short-handed goal and his second career game-winner; three short-handed goals is third on BSU’s career Division I-era list... BSU killed eight Wayne State penalties tonight (WSU 0-for-8 on the power-play), tied for sixth-most in a game in its Division I era, and tied for fourth-most in a game in which it did not yield a power-play goal.

--bsu--