BEMIDJI, Minn. (John S. Glas Fieldhouse) - Minnesota State University, Mankato netted a third-period power-play goal and rode a strong performance by their goaltender Mike Zacharias to a 1-0 victory over the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team to complete the non-conference series sweep, Saturday at the John Glas Fieldhouse.

Zacharias was stellar in net setting aside all 22 of BSU shot attempts to earn his third shutout of the season. He made 11 saves in the first, seven in the second and turned away four in the third to earn the win and improve to 6-3-3 in 2007-08.

The teams used the first period to feel each other out. A total of 18 shots, 11 for BSU and seven for the Mavericks, were fired on net, with the Bemidji State defensive unit blocking nine shots.

The Mavericks had the best scoring opportunity during the first stanza when Zach Harrison picked up a BSU turnover and skated into the zone with nothing other than Orlando Alamano (Jr., G, Fresno, Calif.) between him and the net. Alamano met Harrison at the top of the crease, made the save and pushed the puck off to the left side of the net for one of his 22 saves in the contest.

The second period was more of the same, but it was BSU this time that had the best opportunity to light the scoreboard.

With 7:50 to go the period, the Beavers took a 3-on-2 into the Maverick zone. Matt Pope (Sr., C, Langley, British Columbia) snapped a shot off the leg of the MSU goaltender. Joey Moggach (So., Brandon, Manitoba) cleaned up the rebound and neatly placed into the back of the net from just outside the right pipe. But while the celebration ensued, the officials gathered and the goal was disallowed citing Moggach for a kick in.

The teams entered the third period locked at 0-0, but Geoff Irwin recorded the difference-maker with 7:27 on the clock. He scored his third goal of the season on the power-play getting help from Joel Hanson and Ryan Galiardi.

The power-play marker snapped a 15-period streak during which the BSU penalty kill unit has held opponents scoreless on the man advantage. Since the string began, the Beavers successfully squashed 19 consecutive power-play chances.

One goal was all the Mavericks would need, thanks to Zacharias who played his second consecutive solid game in the net for MSU.

The shutout of Bemidji State is the first since a 4-0 loss to University of Wisconsin, March 25, 2006 in the NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinal game--the third longest streak of the sort at the school, spanning 50 games.

Seeing his first action since Nov. 2nd, Alamano was also sharp all night making a number of spectacular saves to keep BSU in the contest. In all, he totaled 22 stops and allowed just the power-play marker, logging 58:34 between the pipes in the loss. He falls to 1-2-0 on the year.

After rolling at a 35-percent clip on the power-play in the five games leading into the series, BSU went 0-for-12 this weekend and mustered a grand total of just 11 shots on goal while up a man.

For just the first time this season, the Beavers were out shot by their opponents. Holding a four-shot advantage after the first period, 11-7, the rolls were reversed after two with Mankato evening the shots at 18-18. But in the third, MSU seemed to keep the puck in the Beavers’ zone for a good portion of time and earned a 10-4 advantage on the shot board to push the game totals to 28-22.

The last time the Beavers were out matched in the shot category was Feb. 3, 2007 (43-27) in a 3-1 victory over University of Alabama-Huntsville. BSU continues to hold a 563-409 (+154) advantage in shots on goal.

With the victory, Minnesota State, 7-6-3 on the season, not only sweeps BSU at home for just the second time since the beginning of the 2001-02 campaign, it also closed the gap in an all-time series to 44-31-13.

Bemidji State, now 8-8-2 overall, will break for the holidays, returning to competition Jan. 4-5 when they enter a home-and-home, non-conference set with University of Minnesota Duluth. The series is slated to open Friday (Jan. 4) at 7:07 p.m. at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) while the finale is set for a 7:05 p.m. drop of the puck the following night (Jan. 5) at the John Gals Fieldhouse.

--bsu--