LEWISTON, N.Y - Two goals in the final four minutes of the second period lifted Niagara University past the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team Sunday, in the 2008 College Hockey America Tournament Championship game. The 3-2 Niagara victory ends the Beavers’ campaign while it punches the Purple Eagles’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

The Beavers held a 2-1 lead with 12:33 gone in the second period, but Chris Moran forced the puck past BSU goaltender Matt Climie (Sr., Leduc, Alberta) at the 16:28-mark only for Kyle Rogers to follow with a power-play marker two minutes and forty-seven seconds later it put BSU behind, 3-2, heading into the final 20 minutes. The Beavers battled until the end, but failed to capitalize on solid scoring opportunities in the third and, in turn, saw the season come to a close.

“We just didn’t have that mojo today,” commented BSU head coach Tom Serratore. “Our puck possession and fore checking weren’t what they normally are and we didn’t sustain the kind of pressure you need to win on the road.” He added, “I thought our guys showed a lot of resiliency and fought until the end and that is all you can ask.”

Just as in the Saturday’s semifinal game, the Bemidji State power-play proved to be an early spark for the Beavers. Before three minutes rolled off the clock, BSU was up 1-0 on a Brandon Mario (Jr., F, Riverside, Calif.) goal. Chris Peluso (So., D, Wadena, Minn.) started the play with a shot from the point and was redirected by Travis Winter (Jr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.) who was parked in front of the net. Although NU’s goaltender Juliano Pagliero stopped the initial shot, Marino was there to clean up rebound, potting his third goal of the season.

BSU blue liner Graham McManamin (So., Anchorage, Alaska) was whistled for tripping at the 9:42 mark, putting the Beavers a man short for the second time in the game and it would take NU just 32 seconds to take advantage. CHA Tournament Most Valuable Player Ted Cook tied the game at one goal apiece at the 10:19 mark with help from Kyle Rogers and Matt Caruana.

The McManamin penalty offered the Purple Eagles a huge swing of momentum. In addition to getting NU back in the game, the Beavers struggled to regain their aggressive attack and registered just one shot in the final 10 minutes of the frame and the teams skated off the ice at the end of one period with score tied 1-1.

Tyler Lehrke (Park Rapids, Minn.) put the Beavers back on top midway through the second frame neatly placing the second goal of his sophomore campaign in the upper left corner of the net. Matt Francis (Jr., F, Surrey, British Columbia) was credited with the lone assist on the play.

In the final seven minutes of the period, BSU would not only see Niagara level the score at 2-2 on a Moran even-strength goal, but when the penalty bug bit BSU again with 55 seconds to play in the stanza, it stung, as Rogers fired the eventual game-winning slap shot past Climie to put BSU in a one-goal hole with a period to play.

The third period provided ample opportunity, but Bemidji State was unable to reel in the hometown Purple Eagles. In the period, the Beavers had a delayed penalty, five-on-three opportunity for 1:31, out shot the hosts 9-5 and received an extra surge when what would have been Niagara’s fourth goal was called back with 4:16 to play, but the Beavers could not break the seal Pagliero had on the goal.

The loss bring the collegiate careers of five BSU seniors to an end. Jake Bluhm (Red Wing, Minn.), Climie, David Deterding (Alexandria, Minn.), Blaine Jarvis (Gladstone, Manitoba), Matt Pope (Langley, British Columbia) and Riley Weselowski (Pilot Mound, Manitoba) skated off the ice for the last time wearing the Green and White sweater Sunday.

“We talk a lot about hanging banners and we have such a wonderful tradition at Bemidji State,” said Serratore. “These guys have been a part of four championships; two tournament championships and two regular-season championships. They achieve a lot of success here. They are a wonderful group of guys.” He added, “One of the toughest things in coaching is to say goodbye to your seniors. They have invested a lot of sweat equity into the program. But now it is time for somebody else. That’s is just the way it goes.”

The Beavers are now 13-18-8 in 39 meetings with the Purple Eagles and are 5-1-1 versus NU in the CHA tournament, including a 2-1 mark versus the team in the CHA Tournament title game.

The Beavers close the 2007-08 season with an overall record of 17-16-3 extending its streak of consecutive seasons at or above .500 to six under Serratore. The 2007-08 CHA regular-season champions posted a 13-4-3 mark in league play, had a trio of players named All-CHA, landed a league-record 18 student athletes on the CHA All-Academic team, possessed the league rookie of the year in Read and Serratore earned his third CHA Coach of the Year before falling just shy of the NCAA Tournament.

2008 College Hockey America All-Tournament Team
Chris Margott, Robert Morris, Jr., F, Farmingdale, N.Y.
Tyler Scofield, Bemidji State, Jr., F, Prince George, British Columbia
Cody Bostock, Bemidji State, Jr., D, Salmon Arm, British Columbia
Kyle Rogers, Niagara, Jr., F, Erie, Pa.
Dan Sullivan, Niagara, Jr., D, Scarborough, Ontario
Juliano Pagliero, Niagara, Jr., G, Dalroy, Alberta

Tournament MVP
Ted Cook, Niagara, Sr., F, Hogansburg, N.Y.

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