BEMIDJI, Minn. - It may have taken 116 games, but it was well worth the wait.

In her final game at John Glas Fieldhouse, Jaime LeDuc (Sr., International Falls, Minn.) scored her first collegiate goal to help lead the Bemidji State women’s hockey team to a 3-2 loss Saturday afternoon against Ohio State University on her day, Senior Day.

The Buckeyes jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 29 seconds into the contest when Erin Keys found the back of the net off assists by Morgan Marziali and Hayley Klassen. There was a scrap in front of the net after Emily Brookshaw (Sr., Webster, Wis.) made an impressive save, and Keys was able to pick up the loose puck and sneak it by the BSU goaltender.

Instead of giving up and allowing the Buckeyes to skate out of Bemidji with an easy win, the Beavers made OSU earn the victory.

The scoring began for BSU when LeDuc controlled the puck behind the Ohio State goal, and, at the 14:10 mark, sniped a pass through the Buckeye defense to linemate Carissa Ketcher (Fr., Mound Westonka, Minn.), who easily beat the goaltender for her first collegiate goal. It was LeDuc’s first assist of the season, and now every BSU freshman has scored a goal this year.

Bemidji State was ready to skate into the first intermission with all the momentum and a 1-1 tie. That was until Tessa Bonhomme was able to sneak one by Brookshaw with just 1:25 left in the period off assists by Marziali and Klassen to give Ohio State the lead heading into the break.

The Beavers scratched and clawed their way through the second period, getting multiple solid looks at the net without being able to light the lamp. Then, after Monica Rawlings (Jr., Maplewood, Minn.) made a crucial error by being called for a holding penalty, the Buckeyes jumped on their chance as Shannon Reilly netted a power-play goal at the 13:40 mark off assists by Lisa Chesson and Bonhomme to give OSU the 3-1 advantage.

Then, at the 17:12 mark of the second period, Rawlings was taking a faceoff in the right circle of the OSU zone. She won the draw, and the puck went through the legs of Ketcher, off the boards and onto the stick of Lexy Parenteau (Fr., Franconia, Minn.). Without hesitation, Parenteau rifled a shot just wide of the OSU goaltender, Liana Bonanno, on the left side. Bonanno was unable to cradle the shot, and the puck hit off the head of LeDuc, falling harmlessly to the ground. Bonanno was caught too far out of her net trying to stop Parenteau’s shot, and LeDuc was able to take the puck and bash it into the back of the net for the first time in her career.

The BSU bench erupted and all LeDuc’s teammates celebrated the goal that was 116 games in the making.

That goal seemed to be the spark the Beavers were looking for, as they cranked up the pressure in a third period that saw them get numerous great opportunities on net.

Their best chance was in the last few minutes, when they kept firing shot after shot at Bonanno with no luck. Eventually, after pulling Brookshaw and still being unable to notch a goal, Bemidji State simply ran out of time and ended the game with a 3-2 loss.

Brookshaw saved 34 shots and allowed the three goals in net for Bemidji State, and Bonanno gave up the two goals and saved 25 en route to another victory over BSU.

Ohio State (16-15-3, 11-14-3 WCHA) outshot the Beavers 37-27, but Bemidji State took the faceoff battle 38-37. Julie Rising (Fr., Millbrae, Calif.), Franny Dorr (So., Roseville, Minn.), Erin Cody (Fr., Roseville, Minn.), Rawlings and Annie Bauerfeld (Fr., Woodbury, Minn.) all had winning percentages on their faceoffs.

All this scoring from LeDuc came on a day when the five graduating seniors were honored before the game. LeDuc, Brookshaw, Haley Balcom (Sr., Elk River, Minn.), Tara Hiscock (Sr., Turtle River, Minn.) and Jessica Pullar (Sr., Elk River, Minn.) all played in their final game at the Glas.

Bemidji State (4-27-3, 1-25-2 WCHA) will travel to Duluth, Minn., Feb. 29-Mar. 2 for a best of three-game series with the No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota Duluth in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs. The Beavers are the No. 8 seed and will face the No. 1-seeded Bulldogs. UMD is 4-0 against BSU this season.

 

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