DATE: Dec. 31, 2005
Beavers unable to hold third-period lead in consolation game of Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup

BURLINGTON, Vt. (Gutterson Fieldhouse) - Rob Sirianni (Edmonton, Alberta) scored two third-period power-play goals in a span of just over three minutes to propel Bemidji State into a 3-2 lead over the Dartmouth Big Green in the consolation game of the Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup. But the Big Green picked up a power-play goal in the final two minutes to tie the score and then won on Nick Johnson’s sixth goal of the season 1:23 into overtime in a non-conference men’s ice hockey contest.

Bemidji State and Dartmouth traded goals in the first period, with the Big Green drawing first blood with an even-strength marker by David Jones at 3:16 of the first.

BSU pulled even just over 10 minutes later, picking up the second goal of the season from freshman Tyler Scofield (Prince George, British Columbia) at 13:56. Defensemen Riley Weselowski (Pilot Mound, Manitoba) and Andrew Martens (Friendswood, Texas) picked up the assists.

The teams combined for three penalties in the last 45 seconds of the first period, and Bemidji State took a five-on-four power-play into the intermission. The 1-1 draw was broken 24 seconds into the second period, as Mike Ouellette scored his eighth goal of the season, unassisted, to put the Big Green on top 2-1 with the short-handed marker.

The short-handed goal was the fourth allowed by the BSU power-play unit in the team’s last five games, including each of the last three. It is the first time BSU has allowed a short-handed goal in three consecutive games since Feb. 7-14, 2003.

The 2-1 Dartmouth lead held through a furious second period which saw the teams combine for 27 shots on goal - 17 by Dartmouth alone.

BSU would finally pull even at 7:59 of the third period when the Beavers took advantage of a five-on-three power play. Dartmouth’s Jarrett Sampson was called for slashing at 6:08, and 1:31 later the Big Green was caught with too many men on the ice to leave BSU with a two-man advantage. Sirianni converted with his seventh goal of the season at 7:59 with an assist from Scofield, balancing the scoreboard at 2-2.

Sirianni’s marker was BSU’s first goal with the man advantage since Dec. 16 against North Dakota and snapped a streak of 25 consecutive failed power-play chances.

Then, just 12 seconds after the Dartmouth bench minor had expired Sean Offers was called for high sticking at 9:51 to again put BSU on the power play. Sirianni converted with assists from Martens and Matt Pope (Langley, British Columbia) at 11:01 to give BSU a 3-2 lead.

Pope, whose assist helped give BSU the lead, was called for slashing at 16:47 to give the Big Green their fourth power-play opportunity of the evening. Garret Overlock scored his first goal of the season 1:24 into the power play to pull Dartmouth even and eventually force overtime.

The Big Green needed just 1:23 of the extra period to score and seal the victory. Nick Johnson lit the lamps for the sixth time this season with assists from Jarrett Sampson and Eric Przepiorka to give Dartmouth the 4-3 victory.

Layne Sedevie (Bismarck, N.D.) saved 35 of 39 shots faced, including 16 of 17 during the second period alone, but took the overtime loss and saw his season record fall to 6-2-1. He remains winless (0-2-1) in his last three starts. Sedevie has allowed nine goals in his last two starts after allowing just 12 in his first seven starts of the season.

Mike Devine picked up the win for Dartmouth. He saved 33 of 36 shots faced and improved to 5-4-0 on the year.

The teams combined for 15 minor penalties - 10 for 20 minutes by Dartmouth and five for 10 minutes by BSU - in the contest. BSU went 2-for-10 on the power play with Sirianni’s pair of third-period goals, while Dartmouth went 1-for-4 on the man advantage with the goal coming on Overlock’s equalizer in the final two minutes of regulation.

BSU saw its winless streak reach six games (0-4-2) dating back to an 8-1 victory over Niagara on Dec. 3. The six-game winless streak is BSU’s longest since an 0-5-1 stretch from Feb. 1-21, 2003.

Bemidji State dropped its first-ever meeting with Dartmouth, and fell to 3-5-5 in its Division I era against ECAC Hockey League opposition. BSU is winless in its last five meetings with ECAC foes (0-3-2) and has just one win in its last 11 matchups with the ECAC (1-5-5). Each of BSU’s last three games against ECAC foes have gone into overtime, and in total seven of BSU’s 13 all-time games against ECAC foes have needed an extra period to decide.

BSU saw its season record fall to 9-7-2 with the draw, and the Beavers fell to 2-6-2 in their last 10 games after a 7-1-0 start. Dartmouth improved to 6-8-0. Bemidji State is back in action Jan. 4-5, 2006 when it returns to College Hockey America play with a two-game series at Robert Morris.
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