DATE: January 19, 2007
Beavers rally from 2-0 first-period deficit; Fighting Sioux break 2-2 draw with 3:26 to play in regulation

BEMIDJI, Minn. (John S. Glas Fieldhouse) - North Dakota’s Erik Fabain scored an even-strength goal at the 16:24 mark of the third period, breaking a 2-2 tie and sending the Bemidji State men’s ice hockey team to a 3-2 non-conference defeat.

North Dakota built a 2-0 lead after one period, but BSU rallied with a pair of unanswered goals and evened the scoreboard at 2-2 early in the third period before Fabian lifted the visitors to the one-goal win late in the period.

The Fighting Sioux picked up the game’s first goal, their first of two first-period markers, at the 10:08 mark. Matt Watkins fired a shot on BSU goalie Matt Climie (Leduc, Alberta), but the shot was saved and the rebound picked up by Chris Porter. Porter circled behind the net and found Brad Miller on the edge of the crease to Climie’s left, and Miller pushed the puck past Climie to give the Fighting Sioux the game’s first goal.

Cody Bostock (Salmon Arm, British Columbia) was called for holding at 15:01 of the period, and that penalty helped the Fighting Sioux extend their lead to 2-0. Jonathan Toews and T.J. Oshie found themselves in the middle of a pack of players outside the BSU crease, and both were able to put shots on Climie. But it was Toews who ultimately put the puck away, scoring his seventh goal of the season to put the Fighting Sioux on top, 2-0.

Shots on net in the first period were 14-10 in favor of the Sioux, but North Dakota controlled play in the period and held a 31-14 advantage in total shot attempts, including those wide of the goal and those blocked by the BSU defense.

The Beavers used a power-play opportunity of their own to cut the Fighting Sioux lead to 2-1 late in the second period. Kyle Radke was whistled for interference at 4:04 of the second, and Tyler Scofield (Prince George, British Columbia) took advantage just over a minute later. Rob Sirianni (Edmonton, Alberta) found Scofield, who picked up his fourth goal of the season - and third in BSU’s last six games - to pull the Beavers within a goal at the 5:19 mark.

The 2-1 score held into the third, as Climie turned aside all 13 North Dakota shots he faced in the second period.

Riley Weselowski (Pilot Mound, Manitoba) helped the Beavers balance the scoreboard just 23 seconds into the third period. Blaine Jarvis (Gladstone, Manitoba) and Sirianni fed Weselowski for his second goal of the season, with Sirianni capping his third multi-assist game this year, to help the Beavers even the scoreboard at 2-2.

The draw held until the final four minutes of the period, when Fabian took a pass from Darcy Zajac and scored his second goal of the season to give the Fighting Sioux the lead for good, 3-2, at the 16:24 mark of the frame.

The Beavers attempted to pull Climie for an extra attacker in the game’s final minute, but the Fighting Sioux kept the puck in the BSU zone and the Beavers managed to get Climie off for only the final 16 seconds of regulation.

Supported by a defense which blocked 28 shots on the night, Climie turned in a solid night in goal in the losing effort for the Beavers. He turned aside 33 of 36 shots faced, including 12 of 14 in the first period and a perfect 13-of-13 in the second, but Fabian’s third-period marker sent him to his second consecutive loss and dropped his season record to 9-4-3. Climie is 0-2-0 in his last two starts after going 8-0-2 in his previous 12.

Philippe Lamoreaux out-duelled Climie, saving 29 of 31 shots faced while working 59:43. Lamoreaux garnered the victory, evening his season mark at 9-9-1.

The game featured 17 minor penalties, eight against North Dakota and nine against BSU. The Fighting Sioux went 1-for-6 on the power play, scoring on Toews’ second-period marker, while the Beavers went 1-for-5 with the man advantage, scoring on Scofield’s lamp-lighter in the second period.

The loss dropped Bemidji State to 1-12-1 in 14 all-time meetings with North Dakota and extended its winless streak in the series to 12 (0-11-1) dating back to its only win in the series on Feb. 7, 1970. BSU fell to 5-4 against Western Collegiate Hockey Association foes this season, while North Dakota remained undefeated all-time against members of College Hockey America, improving to 14-0-1.

Bemidji State (12-8-3) and North Dakota (12-11-2) wrap up their two-game non-conference series, and BSU caps a 10-game non-conference schedule against WCHA foes, tomorrow night in Grand Forks, N.D., as the Beavers and Fighting Sioux cap a home-and-home series. Opening faceoff from the Ralph Englestad Arena is slated for 7:07 p.m. Central time.

--beavers--