DATE: Dec. 3, 2005
Junior Luke Erickson sets BSU Division I era record with four goals

BEMIDJI, Minn. (John Glas Fieldhouse) - Bemidji State’s Luke Erickson (Roseau, Minn.) set the program’s Division I era record with four goals, helping the Beavers garner a dominant 8-1 victory and a College Hockey America series split with the Niagara Purple Eagles.

Erickson put BSU ahead 3-0 with a power-play goal late in the first period, picking up a rebound off a shot from freshman Tyler Scofield (Prince George, British Columbia) to score at the 19:25 mark of the first.

He picked up his second goal, again off a Scofield rebound, at 1:15 of the third, then added a power-play goal at 9:11 of the third to secure his first career hat trick. He capped off the four-goal game with his third power-play marker at 12:08.

Erickson’s four-goal game was the first at Bemidji State since Shane Kalbrener at Wisconsin-Stout on Jan. 17, 1998, and the first by a BSU player at the John Glas Fieldhouse since Aaron Novak against Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Jan. 9, 1998.

Erickson’s three power-play goals established another BSU Division I-era record; no BSU all-time individual record for power-play goals in a game currently exists.

Scofield, Erickson’s linemate on the left wing, contributed a career-high four assists with a helper on each of Erickson’s four goals. Scofield entered the contest with three points in his first 11 games played this season.

Sophomore Matt Pope (Langley, British Columbia) added a goal, giving BSU’s first line a total of 10 points in the game.

“We had great play from Erickson, Scofield and Matt Pope,” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. “Our guys were fuelled after last night’s loss and came out with a little something to prove.

“Luke got a lot of rebounds and happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

Ryan Huddy (Stony Plain, Alberta) scored 1:02 into the contest to set the tone for the blowout. Pope’s goal at 14:12 of the first put BSU ahead 2-0, and Erickson’s first marker on the power-play at 19:25 essentially put the game out of reach.

Jean-Guy Gervais (Winnipeg, Manitoba) scored his 50th career point with a goal to put BSU ahead 4-0 at 6:16 of the second, and Erickson would key a four-goal BSU third period to complete the rout.

Erickson’s second goal put BSU on top 5-0 at 1:15 of the third, and Niagara’s Kyle Rodgers broke up the shutotu at 5:52. After Erickson’s third and fourth goals, Ryan Miller (Fergus Falls, Minn.) scored his second goal in as many nights, and BSU’s fourth power-play goal of the game, at 19:04 of the third to complete the blowout.

Layne Sedevie (Bismarck, N.D.) improved to 6-0-0 on the season and won for the ninth time in his last 10 starts with a dominant effort in goal. He saved 35 of 36 shots faced, including 12-of-12 in the first period and 11-of-11 in the second, and allowed only one goal. He

BSU used a strong night from its power play units to ultimately put the game away. Niagara, which entered the series amongst the 10 least-penalized teams in the country, drew eight penalties for 16 minutes and BSU converted the opportunities into four goals on seven power-play chances. Three of Erickson’s four goals came on the power play.

“Niagara is one of the least-penalized teams in the league and is very disciplined,” Serratore said. “We were able to take advantage of their mistakes and give it to them on the power play.”

BSU drew just five minor penalties, and its penalty killers held Niagara to 0-for-4 with the man advantage.

Bemidji State improves to 10-13-4 all-time against Niagara, 7-4-3 in games played in Bemidji. The win also snapped Niagara’s two-game winning streak in Bemidji.

BSU improved to 9-3-0 on the season with the win, and moved to 4-2-0 with eight points in College Hockey America play. Niagara fell to 7-7-1 overall and 3-2-1 in CHA play. The win helped BSU overtake Niagara and move back into first place in CHA.

Bemidji State is back in action Dec. 9-10 when it hosts a non-conference series against Lake Superior State from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. BSU will be hosting the Lakers for the first time since Jan. 18-19, 1974, when the programs were bitter rivals at the NAIA level.

--bsu--