DATE: November 17, 2006
Matt Climie saves 33 of 35 shots faced; Brandon Marino forces overtime with a third-period marker

BEMIDJI, Minn. (John S. Glas Fieldhouse) - Bemidji State’s Brandon Marino (Riverside, Calif.) picked up a power-play goal at 9:12 of the third period to force overtime in a 2-2 College Hockey America draw with the Niagara Purple Eagles.

Bemidji State spent seven of the game’s first 12 minutes on the penalty kill, as Rob Sirianni (Edmonton, Alberta) was issued a five-minute major and a subsequent game misconduct for checking from behind just 17 seconds after the opening puck was dropped.

BSU killed the major penalty and limited Niagara to just three shots on the power play, and Riley Weselowski (Pilot Mound, Manitoba) was called for hooking at the 9:20 mark of the period.

Niagara picked up the game’s first goal at the 13:12 mark of the first period, as Matt Caruana tallied his sixth marker of the season with help from Chris Moran. The net was dislodged behind BSU goaltender Matt Climie (Leduc, Alberta) nearly simultaneously with the goal, and the Purple Eagles were not officially awarded the goal until the referee briefly met with the goal judge.

The 1-0 lead lasted just 22 seconds. BSU balanced the scoreboard at the 13:34 mark when Luke Erickson (Roseau, Minn.) picked up his team-leading seventh goal of the season with an assist from Travis Winter (St. Cloud, Minn.) and Tyler Scofield (Prince George, British Columbia).

Niagara retaliated quickly, needing just under 90 seconds to recapture the lead, 2-1. Caruana held the puck behind the net and passed to Moran, who was staked out to Climie’s left inside the faceoff circle. Moran shoved the puck through Climie’s five hole at the 14:55 mark to put the visitors back on top by a goal.

The 2-1 lead held through the second period, as both defenses took over. After out-shooting Niagara 10-9 in the first period, Bemidji State managed just five shots on goal in the second period, and through the period’s first 15 minutes had just one shot. The Purple Eagles held a 10-5 shot advantage in the frame, but behind solid play by both goaltenders the one-goal edge held for the visitors.

The Beavers picked up the pace in the third period, putting up 12 shots on goal after combining for just 15 through the first two periods.

The increased shot production paid off, as BSU pulled even midway through the period. Niagara’s Nate Bostic was called for tripping at 8:40, and Marino shoved a puck past Niagara netminder Allen Barton from inside a pile of players at the top of the crease to balance the scoreboard at 3-3 at 9:12 of the third. He was assisted by Winter and Scofield, who picked up their second helpers of the evening.

Marino’s power-play goal forced overtime, as the 3-3 draw held through the end of regulation.

Climie saved 33 of 35 shots faced, including 16-of-16 in the third period and overtime, balancing his season record at 2-2-2.

Barton saved 27 of 29 shots for the Purple Eagles, seeing his record move to 2-0-1 with the draw.

Niagara out-shot BSU 35-29 in the contest, marking just the ninth time under Tom Serratore the Beavers have been out-shot at John Glas Fieldhouse.

The teams drew just six penalties each, six minors on Niagara and four minors and the Sirianni majors in the first period against BSU. Niagara went 0-for-5 on the power play as BSU’s penalty killers extended their streak of consecutive penalties killed to 17. BSU has not allowed a power-play goal in 153:57 of game time dating back to Game 1 of the Robert Morris series on Nov. 10.

BSU went 1-for-6 on the power play.

The draw left BSU’s all-time record against Niagara at 16-11-6, including a 7-4-4 advantage for the Beavers in Bemidji. BSU is 1-6-2 in its last nine regular-season matchups with the Purple Eagles.

Bemidji State (3-4-2 / 1-2-2 CHA) and Niagara (6-5-2 / 4-1-2 CHA) wrap up their two-game series tomorrow evening. Opening faceoff from BSU’s John S. Glas Fieldhouse is slated for 7:05 p.m. Central time.

NOTES: Bemidji State honored its 2006 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference champion football program prior to the contest... Travis Winter’s first-period assist extended his personal scoring streak to five... Tyler Scofield’s first-period assist extended his personal scoring streak to five... Luke Erickson’s first-period goal was the 46th of his career and his 114th career point; with his next point, he will tie Andrew Murray’s BSU Division I-era career record for points scored (115).

--beavers--