Jan. 14, 2005
[box score]
ST. CLOUD, Minn. - Despite squandering a 3-0 lead, the Bemidji State women’s hockey team (5-16-2, 1-15-1 WCHA) managed to earn a 4-4 tie against St. Cloud State (6-13-2, 4-11-2 WCHA) at the National Hockey Center Friday night. The Beavers are now winless in their last five games versus the Huskies.
BSU’s offensive attack was clicking in the first 22 minutes of the game, as the Beavers jumped out to a 3-0 lead, with one goal in the first period and two markers in the second stanza. Sophomore Nikki Eckebrecht (Hamilton, Ontario) netted her seventh tally of the season off helpers from sophomores Helena Tageson (Malmö, Sweden) and Kelly Hart (Ajax, Ontario) at the 19:32 mark of the opening frame.
Tageson lit the lamp for the fourth time of the year at 2:31 of the second period when she connected on Hart’s second assist of the game and team-leading 13th of the season and junior Sarah Zuelke’s second assist. Junior Carly Napier (Toronto, Ontario) scored her team’s third consecutive goal less than a minute later after burying a pass from rookie Tara Hiscock (Bemidji, Minn.).
St. Cloud State turned on the offensive pressure after BSU’s third goal, however, as the Huskies knotted the scored at 3-3 in a 17-minute span. Denelle Maguet and Kelly Stewart notched even-strength goals at 4:33 and 16:40 of the second period, while Hailey Clarkson chipped in a power-play goal just 19 seconds into the third stanza.
Hart put the Beavers back on top with 4:53 left in the contest with her sixth goal of her second season and third point of the evening. Hiscock tabbed her second assist of the game and ninth helper of the year, while Eckebrecht was credited with her eighth assist of the season as well.
The Huskies pulled netminder Lauri St. Jacques with 45 seconds left in the game to gain the extra skater and the move paid off, as former Univ. of Minnesota player Kristy Oonincx beat junior goalkeeper Jill Luebke (Neenah, Wis.) with her 10th lamplighter of the 2004-05 campaign at the 19:34 mark to force overtime.
Each team managed just one shot in the extra session and neither club lit the lamp, concluding a 4-4 marathon, in which SCSU outshot BSU 38-25.
Luebke finished with 34 saves for the Beavers and St. Jacques turned aside 21 shots for the Huskies.
Bemidji State went 0-for-4 on the power-play, while St. Cloud State went 1-for-6 with a player advantage.
The two teams will play the rematch Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. at the National Hockey Center.
Notes: Kelly Hart’s three-point effort was the first of her career and also marked her team-best fourth multi-point performance of the season and eighth career multi-point game... Tara Hiscock and Nikki Eckebrecht each turned in their third multi-point game of the season... Helena Tageson also earned her her first multi-point game of the season... BSU has been held without a power-play goal in its last three games, including its last 12 opportunities with a player advantage... Bemidji State is now 0-0-2 in overtime games this season...
