Nov. 7, 2004
[box score]
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Sophomore Kelly Hart (Ajax, Ontario) and junior Carly Napier (Toronto, Ontario) each tallied two points and freshman goalie Emily Brookshaw (Webster, Wis.) made 34 saves in helping Bemidji State (2-8-0, 1-7-0 WCHA) snap an eight-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over North Dakota (3-7-0, 3-7-0 WCHA) at Ralph Engelstad Arena Sunday afternoon. The Beavers first Western Collegiate Hockey Association win of the season also marked the first time BSU has defeated UND since Nov. 17, 2002, in Grand Forks.
Bemidji State jumped ahead 1-0 at 5:16 of the first period when freshman Jessica Pullar (Elk River, Minn.) took a sharp pass from Kelly Hart right in front of the UND net and buried her second goal of the season on the power-play. Pullar’s marker extended her point scoring streak to three games, which is a team-high. Hart’s assist was the fourth of her sophomore campaign. Sophomore Nikki Eckebrecht (Hamilton, Ontario) was also credited with her second helper of the year.
The Beavers extended their lead to 2-0 at the 17:21 mark of the opening period as Kelly Hart took a cross-ice pass from Tara Hiscock (Bemidji, Minn.) and skated in all alone on a breakaway and beat UND goalkeeper Jenna Burdy glove side to give Hart her team-best fourth lamplighter of the year and second point of the game. The assist by Hiscock was the second of her freshman year. Sophomore Helena Tageson (Malmo, Sweden) tacked on her second assist of the season on Hart’s score.
North Dakota’s Cara Wooster single-handedly brought her team back in the game in the second frame, as she notched a pair of goals at 3:07 and 5:37 to even the score at 2-2.
BSU quickly responsed to UND’s comeback, however, as the visitors exploded with two goals in 17 seconds. Junior Carly Napier blocked a shot by Fighting Sioux defender Devon Fingland and skated the puck from her own blue line across the ice where she converted the second breakaway tally of the contest at the 6:33 mark of the second period. Napier’s marker was her first of 2004-05. Sophomore Kate Robinson (Shanty Bay, Ontario) netted her third goal of the year at 6:50 when she took a pass from freshman Jaime LeDuc (International Falls, Minn.) and slipped the puck past Burdy. LeDuc’s helper was the first of her career in a Green and White uniform.
The Fighting Sioux substituted Amber Hasbargen into the game after Burdy had allowed four goals on nine shots.
North Dakota was afforded several favorable scoring chances in the final period of regulation as the home team fired 13 shots on goal, while given two 5-on-3 power-play opportunities. UND was unable to capitalize, however, and was held scoreless throughout the period. In a last ditch effort to get back on the scoreboard North Dakota pulled Hasbargen with 1:07 left in the contest, but the attempt proved futile as Emily Brookshaw stopped each of the Fighting Sioux’s scoring chances.
Junior Aimee Collins (Pilot Mound, Manitoba) collected her second goal as a Beaver with an empty-net score with 15 second left on the clock to secure a 5-2 triumph for the Green and White. Nikki Eckebrecht scored the last empty-net goal by Bemidji State on Dec. 12, 2003, at home against St. Cloud State.
Surprisingly, the Fighting Sioux achieved a 36-22 shot advantage in the game, including a 13-5 clip in the third period. Both of BSU’s wins this season have come in games in which its opponent generated more shots. The Beavers were outshot 47-14 in their season-opening win at Mercyhurst on Oct. 9).
Brookshaw earned her first collegiate win at Bemidji State by capturing 34 saves, which marked her second-highest save total of the year. The freshman netminder stopped 38 shots in her first career start at Wisconsin (Oct. 17).
UND goalkeeper Jenna Burdy made five saves before being pulled, while Amber Hasbargen secured 13 saves.
The Beavers are back at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse next weekend for a pair of games against WCHA-rival Minnesota State. The Green and White challenge the Mavericks on Friday, Nov. 12 and Saturday, Nov. 13 at 2:05 p.m. both days.
Notes: Sunday’s five-goal outburst was the highest goal output of the the season for Bemidji State and after putting up four goals on Saturday, the Beavers set another season-high for goals in a series with nine. BSU improves to 3-6-1 all-time versus UND and 3-3-0 at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Carly Napier and Kate Robinson scored the fastest two goals in program history Sunday by lighting the lamp twice in 17 seconds, a feat that bested the old mark set by Kerri McEwen on Nov. 13, 1999, when she scored two goals in 44 seconds against Wisconsin. Kelly Hart notched her second multi-point performance of the season, a team-high, with a goal and an assist.
