GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The Bemidji State University women’s hockey team traveled to Grand Forks, N.D. in search of it first post-season victory today as the 2003 WCHA Final Five kicked off with the play-in game between the No. 4 seed Ohio State and the No. 5 Beavers.

With just 48.9 seconds remaining in the first overtime period, The Buckeyes’ Jeni Creary found the back of the net to end Bemidji State’s season early.

In a season where Bemidji State leads the nation in overtime games ending in a tie, it was only fitting that at the end of regulation the Beavers were knotted with Ohio State at 3-3. In the longest game in WCHA history at 79:11, the Beavers were out shot 44-24 and spent a majority of the time in their own zone.

The Buckeyes put the Beavers down just 19 seconds into the game when Jana Harrigan stole the puck from a BSU defender on the right side of the net and flipped the puck just over the Bemidji State goaltender, Anik Coté, for the unassisted goal and the 1-0 lead.

But the Beavers would come back before the end of the period. At the 17:46 mark, Caesare Stimson would take the puck into the Buckeye zone and score an unassisted goal to knot the game at 1-1. Just 1:04 later (18:50), Lill Raynard and Stimson would find the streaking Amber Fryklund for a wrister over the Buckeye goaltender, April Stojak, for the 2-1 lead.

A lead going into the second period was something new to Bemidji State. In the four other meetings between the Buckeyes and Beavers this season, the Buckeyes took a leads into the second period.

The second period was quiet until the 8:05 mark when Amber Fryklund found Jenny Schnickel for a slap shot from the point. Lill Raynard was in front of the net and tipped the puck just past Stojak for a BSU power play goal and a 3-1 lead over the Buckeyes. The assist was the 20th of the season for Fryklund, equaling her total from 2001-02.

Ohio State would begin to reel the Beavers in 18:47 into the period, when Jeni Creary took the puck off Coté’s pad after a Jennifer Desson shot and put it past the goaltender with 1:13 left in the period.

The Buckeyes started the third period much like they did the first scoring just 32 seconds in. Meaghan Mulvaney’s unassisted goal to tie the game at 3-3 was the seventh of her season.

At the seven-minute-mark, Fryklund had BSU’s best chance of the period to reclaim the lead when she stole the puck from an Ohio State defender at the blue line and skated it in for a shot, but Stojak stifled the senior to keep the game locked at 3-3. But neither team was able to find the back of the net in the remainder of the period sending these teams to an extra period for the third time in five games this season. But this time the stakes are raised. The winner goes on to face Minnesota-Dultuh tomorrow and the loser goes home.

With the WCHA tournament relying on a winner coming out of the game, the overtime rules were changed. The teams would play 20 minute periods until someone scored a goal. It was only the second time a WCHA tournament game had gone to an extra period to find a winner. In 2001, the University of Minnesota-Duluth defeated the University of Wisconsin 6-5 in overtime.

Ohio State was dominant in overtime recording 11 shots to the Beavers 1 in the first 17:42, and with just 48.9 seconds to play in the first 20-minute period of overtime, Jeni Creary flipped a wrister over Coté’s shoulder for the winner.

After the game head coach Bruce Olson commented, “I was the type of game I knew we needed coming in. A low scoring goaltender’s contest and that is what it came down to.”

Anik Cote had 40 saves, logging 79:11 in the net, breaking the all-time goaltenders record of minutes played in a game.

The loss ends the Beavers season at to 9-17-7 on the season and 5-14-6 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association competition.

Scoring Goal Assist
1st 00:18 OSU Jana Harrigan (12) (unassisted)
1st 17:46 BSU Caesare Stimson (7) (unassisted)
1st 18:50 BSU Amber Fryklund (16) Lill Raynard (16), Caesare Stimson (8)
2nd 08:05 BSU Lill Raynard (11) Jenny Schnickel (4), Amber Fryklund (20)
2nd 18:47 OSU Jeni Creary (21) Jenny Desson (14)
3rd 00:32 OSU Meaghan Mulvaney (7) (unassisted)
OT 19:11 OSU Jeni Creary (22) Meaghan Mulvaney (11), Jennifer Desson (16)

Saves
W - OSU April Stojak (79:11) - 21 (9-13-2) L - BSU Anik Coté (79:11) - 40 (5-11-2)

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