DATE: February 2, 2007
Jake Bluhm scores at 11:39 of third period to force overtime as BSU runs CHA unbeaten streak to record 10 games

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Von Braun Center) - Bemidji State’s Jake Bluhm (Red Wing, Minn.) picked up his second goal of the season at 11:39 of the third period to pull the Beavers into a 5-5 draw with the Ala.-Huntsville Chargers, and the teams skated to a scoreless overtime period as BSU extended its unbeaten streak in College Hockey America play to a school-record 10 games. Cody Bostock (Salmon Arm, British Columbia) had two goals and an assist for BSU in the winning effort.

The 5-5 draw helped BSU improve to 7-0-3 in its last 10 CHA contests dating back to a Nov. 10, 2006 loss to Robert Morris. The 10-game unbeaten streak surpasses BSU’s previous record of nine consecutive CHA starts without a loss, set on two occasions - 8-0-1 runs from Feb. 22 - Dec. 6, 2003 and Jan. 10 - Feb. 28, 2004. The draw ended BSU’s streak of consecutive victories over CHA foes at six, which had been the second-longest streak in school history.

The Beavers rallied from a two-goal first-period deficit to grab a 4-3 lead with just over three minutes to play in the second period. The Chargers retook the lead by scoring two goals in the final 85 seconds of the second period, a lead which held until Bluhm’s third-period equalizer.

UAH’s David Nimmo got the Chargers on the board first, picking up his 10th goal of the season less than five minutes after the opening faceoff. BSU’s Garrett Roth (Cary, Ill.) was called for interference at 3:29 of the period, and with help from Mike Salekin and Grant Selinger, Nimmo converted on the power-play opportunity at 4:25.

The Chargers pressed their lead to two goals just under 10 minutes later, as Shaun Arvai and Kevin Galerno supported Scott Kalinchuk’s third goal of the season at the 13:32 mark of the period.

That lead held until late in the first, until the Beavers put up two goals in a span of 1:05 to pull the game even at two goals apiece. Tyler Lehrke (Park Rapids, Minn.) found the back of the net for the fifth time this season with help from Matt Pope (Langley, British Columbia) and Riley Weselowski (Pilot Mound, Manitoba) at the 16:18 mark. Bostock’s goal came at the 17:23 mark to pull the Beavers even.

Shane Holman (Hibbing, Minn.) was called for goaltender interference with 10 seconds left on the first-period clock, and the ensuing power play would allow the Chargers to recapture the lead. Nimmo again would be the one to take advantage for the hosts, as Brett McConnachie and Arvai found the Charger center for his second goal of the night and his 11th of the season just 43 seconds into the second period.

However, the Beavers would repeat the first-period formula and put up two quick goals late in the frame to take their first lead of the night. Travis Winter (St. Cloud, Minn.) helped the visitors take advantage of a slashing penalty against Matt Sweazey, scoring his ninth goal of the season at the 14:35 mark of the period to tie the score at three with just four seconds remaining on the ensuing power play. Tom Train was called for roughing just 30 seconds following Winter’s marker, and Bostock’s second lamp-lighter of the evening staked BSU to a 4-3 advantage at the 16:55 mark of the period.

True to the back-and-forth nature of the contest, the Chargers assembled their own rally and put up two even-strength goals in the final 85 seconds of the second period to take a 5-4 lead into the third. Tyler Hilbert picked up his fifth goal of the year at the 18:35 mark to tie the game at four, and McConnachie helped the Chargers take a 5-4 lead into the break with his 10th goal of the year at 19:03.

Bluhm’s equalizer, with an assist from Holman, came at 11:39 of the third period, and the teams skated to a scoreless overtime to preserve the 5-5 draw.

Matt Climie (Leduc, Alberta) turned aside 24 of 29 shots faced to pick up his seventh career tie in goal and see his season mark move to 9-5-4.

Marc Narduzzi saved 27 of 32 shots for the Chargers in a 65:00 complete game, watching his season mark move to 6-13-1.

The draw was just the second in 42 all-time meetings between the Beavers and Chargers, and the first-ever in Huntsville. BSU saw its all-time record against Ala.-Huntsville move to 15-25-2, which includes a 4-17-1 mark on the road. The only previous tie in the BSU/UAH series came in a 3-3 deadlock on Feb. 20, 2004 in Bemidji. The Beavers ran their unbeaten streak in the Ala.-Huntsville series to four (3-0-1) dating back to March 3, 2006, and snapped a three-game road losing streak against the Chargers..

BSU snapped a four-game losing streak with tonight’s tie, but saw its winless streak reach five games dating back to a Jan. 12 loss at Michigan Tech. BSU’s season record moved to 12-9-4 and 7-2-4 against CHA, while Ala.-Huntsville saw its record move to 7-16-2 and 4-8-1 in CHA play. The teams wrap up their two-game series tomorrow evening with a 7:05 p.m. opening faceoff from Huntsville’s Von Braun Center.

NOTES: The 10-goal scoring total is tied for the third-most ever in a game between the Beavers and Chargers; the teams combined for a series-record 14 goals in a 10-4 Charger victory on March 11, 2000 and for 12 goals in a 7-5 Charger win on Dec. 11, 2003...

--beavers--