DATE: November 18, 2006
Beavers score twice in final 36 seconds of regulation to erase two-goal deficit and force overtime

BEMIDJI, Minn. (John S. Glas Fieldhouse) - Bemidji State’s Rob Sirianni (Edmonton, Alberta) fired a puck over the shoulder of Niagara goaltender Juliano Pagliero which tipped off the bottom of the crossbar and across the goal line with no time remaining in regulation, capping a wild finish which saw the Beavers score two goals in the final 36 seconds of the third period. The wild rally helped BSU erase a 3-1 deficit and stun Niagara, 3-3 in overtime, in a College Hockey America contest.

Sirianni’s goal was argued by Niagara, which contended the goal was scored after time had run out in the third period, and the marker was not awarded to the Beavers until after a lenghty on-ice meeting between the game officials.

Tyler Scofield (Prince George, British Columbia) helped BSU strike first, scoring BSU’s fourth short-handed goal of the season. Travis Winter (St. Cloud, Minn.) picked up a loose puck in the Beaver defensive zone and fed Scofield, who skating down the length of the ice. Scofield unleashed a one-timer from inside the circle to the left of Niagara netminder Juliano Pagliero, beating him glove-side and giving the Beavers the lead just 2:53 into the game.

Scofield’s short-handed goal helped him improve his scoring streak to a career-best six games, while Winter’s assist increased his career-long scoring streak to six games.

Ryan Miller (Fergus Falls, Minn.) was called for high sticking at 15:55 of the first period, and that penalty allowed Niagara to draw even. With assists from Les Reaney and Chris Moran, Ted Cook picked up his NCAA-leading ninth power-play goal of the season at 16:41 to tie the game at a goal apiece.

Following the pattern from last night’s game, both defenses tightened in the second period. The teams combined for just 17 shots on net in the second period, nine for Bemidji State and eight for Niagara, and the 1-1 draw held through to the second intermission.

Midway through the third period, the Purple Eagles appeared to take control of the game by scoring twice in a span of 14 seconds to grab a 3-1 lead.

Niagara broke the 1-1 deadlock at 8:25 of the third period, solving Climie on Reaney’s 11th goal of the season. Cook picked up the first assist for his second point of the game, and Tyler Gotto also helped for his third assist of the series.

The Purple Eagles pushed the lead to 3-1 just 14 seconds later. Matt Caruana won the draw against Miller following the Cook marker and fed Kyle Rodgers, who found Chris Moran for his third goal of the season at 8:39.

Bemidji State took a time out with 1:55 to play in regulation after an interference penalty against Niagara’s Sean Bentivoglio, and pulled Climie in favor of an extra attacker for the ensuing power-play opportunity. BSU capitalized on the opportunity, gathering the team-leading eighth goal of the season and sixth power-play goal of the campaign from Luke Erickson (Roseau, Minn.) to pull within a goal with 36 seconds remaining in regulation. Sirianni assisted on the marker.

Erickson’s extra-attacker goal - just the third extra-attacker goal in BSU’s Division I era which helped the Beavers eventually salvage a draw - was the 115th point of his career, moving him into a tie with Andrew Murray for BSU’s career Division I-era scoring record.

On the overtime-forcing goal, Riley Weselowski (Pilot Mound, Manitoba) fed Scofield, who took the puck over center ice and across the blue line into the Niagara zone. He fed Sirianni, who fired a shot over Pagliero’s shoulder, off the crossbar and into the net as time expired in the third. The game was halted several minutes as the officials conferred as to whether the goal was scored after time had expired in the third period, and after the discussion BSU was awarded the goal and the game went to overtime.

BSU out-shot Niagara, 4-1, in the overtime period, but the 3-3 draw held as BSU secured the unlikeliest of draws.

Climie saved 24 of 27 shots faced in 63:34 of work, and saw his season record move to 2-2-3.

Pagliero saved 27 of 30 shots faced in the 65-minute complete game, moving to 4-4-2 on the year.

After being shut out for the first time this season in Game 1, Niagara’s sophomore duo of Reaney and Cook combined for 2-2=4 points tonight, including Reaney’s game-winning goal in the third period.

Niagara still captured the season series with Bemidji State with tonight’s victory, posting a 1-0-3 record against the Beavers in four games. It marks the first time since the 1999-2000 season BSU failed to post a regular-season victory over the Purple Eagles. BSU moves to 11-16-7 all-time against Niagara, and holds a 7-4-5 edge in games played in Bemidji. BSU is 1-6-3 in its last 10 regular-season matchups with Niagara.

Bemidji State moved to 2-4-3 overall with tonight’s loss and 1-2-3 in CHA play, while Niagara moved to 6-5-3 and 4-1-3 in CHA play. BSU is off next weekend and returns to the ice Dec. 2-3, 2006 with a two-game College Hockey America series at Wayne State (Mich.).
--beavers--