BEMIDJI, Minn. (John S. Glas Fieldhouse) - Matt Pope (Sr., C, Langley, British Columbia) registered his second two-goal game of the season, but College Hockey America’s leading scorer, Ryan Cruthers potted a pair of his own in the third period to force a 2-2 stalemate in the opening game of the conference series.

In a two-game set that could have major implications in the race for the 2007-08 conference championship, a tie was most certainly not on the first-place Beavers’ list of goals for the weekend. Although the Colonials, currently in third, didn’t make up any ground and second place Niagara is locked in non-conference play this weekend, the draw is still tough to swallow. The feeling is compounded due to the fact that the team let a third-period lead slip away for the second time in as many weeks.

Pope sent the Beavers into the third period up 1-0 after he potted his first goal of the night with 1:05 remaining in the second stanza. He rounded up a loose puck, passed it off to line mate Brandon Marino (Jr., F, Riverside, Calif.) who, in turn, found the senior on the left post. After an unsuccessful swat off the side of the net, Pope made good on the rebound for his second power-play goal of the season.

Cruthers locked the score at 1-1 just 2:39 into the third chipping the puck past BSU’s Matt Climie (Sr., G, Leduc, Alberta) from the right doorstep. Sean Berkstresse and Jason Towsley were credited with assists on the goal.

Midway through the period, Pope would again spark the Beavers offensively. Marino took a shot from the slot that was kicked to the side by Christian Boucher. Pope was there to clean up the loose puck recording his ninth goal of 2007-08 to put BSU up 2-1. Assists were assigned to both Marino and Blaine Jarvis (Sr., F, Gladstone, Manitoba). But the lead would be short-lived. Just 2:16 later, Cruthers would strike again with help from Berkstresse and Towsley. His 15th lamplighter of the season knotted the score at 2-2 while taking the wind out of the Beavers’ sail.

The Beavers held off a late RMU charge a man down late in the game to force overtime, but both teams struggled to generate any potential scoring chances during the extra frame and the teams would settle for the draw.

The tie stretched BSU unbeaten streak in overtime games to 11 games--a mark that reaches back to a March 11, 2006 victory over Alabama-Huntsville. BSU is 3-0-8 during that run.

The teams played to a 0-0 tie after 20 minutes of play. BSU dominated the opening 10 minutes of the game holding the puck in its offensive zone and minimizing Colonial looks at the net. The Beavers registered a season-high 19 shots during the period and held RMU to just five shots on net. The Colonials failed to register a single shot on net during the first 12:58 of the game.

Pope’s power-play marker helped the Beavers to go 1-for-7 on the man advantage while for the CHA’s best penalty-kill unit posted its 15th shutout of the season holding the Colonials scoreless on four power-play opportunities.

BSU peppered the RMU goaltender with a season-best 42 shots on net in the game to own a 42-30 advantage in shots on goal.

Through 25 games of the 2007-08 campaign, BSU has now out shot its opponents in 21 and holds a 779-610 (+169) lead in shots on net.

Climie turned away 28 RMU shots in 65:00 minutes played while allowing two goals. He moves to 9-4-3 on the season.

Boucher recorded 40 saves in the tie stretching his record to 10-5-2 overall.

Bemidji State, now 11-11-3 overall and 8-2-3 in league play, looks to increase its lead in the CHA standings tomorrow as it hosts the same Robert Morris squad (10-8-3 / 5-2-2) for a 7:05 p.m. series finale.

--bsu--