BEMIDJI, Minn. - Erin Cody (So., Roseville, Minn.) and Erin Johnson (So., Farmington, Minn.) each tied their career highs with three points and two points, respectively, but it wasn’t enough as the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team gave up a late lead and lost in a shootout after tying Ohio State University 3-3 Friday afternoon at John Glas Fieldhouse.

BSU’s record is now 5-17-3 overall and 2-16-1 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while OSU’s record now stands at 6-16-3 overall and 4-13-2-2 in the WCHA.

The Beavers were outshot in every period, but were able to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

After nearly an entire period of scoreless hockey, Cody got the home green and white on the board with 28 seconds remaining in the opening frame. A Buckeye forward possessed the puck at their blue line and she attempted to clear. The disk hit Jackie Robertson (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) and fell to the ice right in front of Cody who had just fallen to the ground.

She recovered, puck on her stick, and began racing towards the OSU net. She had a defender on her side but was able to outskate her and blow the puck topshelf by the glove of the Ohio State netminder. Robertson assisted on her third goal of the season, and she now has career highs in both assists and points (4) this year.

Lauren Williams (Fr., Eagan, Minn.) was whistled for slashing 2:15 into the second period and it looked like OSU might notch a game-tying goal. That idea didn’t come to fruition, however, as BSU’s two leading scorers combined on a sweet shorty.

Just 30 seconds into the Buckeye power play, the puck had found its way behind the OSU net and on the stick of one of the defenders. She skated out and sent a blind behind-the-back pass behind the net only to find the stick of a well-positioned Cody.

She took the puck and skated in front of the net, passing it through the slot to Johnson, who nudged the disk into the back of the net on the stick side.

The goal equaled Bemidji State’s short-handed production from all of last year with four shorty’s this season. Cody has a hand in all of them, and is tied for the conference lead with four short-handed points (2g-2a=4p) this year. Johnson scored her fifth goal of the 2008-09 campaign and recorded her first-career shorty.

After a few minutes of scoreless hockey, Ohio State would finally get on the board 9:05 into the second when Morgan Marziali scored off an assist by Hayley Klassen. A little less than two minutes later at the 11:03 mark, the Buckeyes tied the game when Klassen notched a power-play marker with help from both Shannon Reilly and Laura McIntosh.

It didn’t take the Beavers long to respond, however, as Cody scored her second goal of the game just 18 seconds later.

A Buckeye had the puck near the half wall in OSU’s zone, and she was being harassed by both Johnson and Franny Dorr (Jr., Roseville, Minn.). The puck was eventually stolen by Dorr who carried it along the goal line near the net. She sent a pass through the slot to Cody, who somehow managed a shot with three members of the visiting squad near her. The first shot was initially saved and Cody slid the rebound five-hole for her team-leading 11th goal of the season. Dorr assisted on her second goal of the year.

Cody now has three goals in three games this season against OSU, and she is the first Beaver to score double-digit goals in a single season since three players hit the mark during the 2005-06 season.

BSU entered the contest with Ohio State 5-0 when leading after two periods and 0-3 when scoring a short-handed goal, so something had to give.

Unfortunately for the home fans celebrating Alumni Weekend, a 19-4 shot advantage for OSU in the third period would prove fatal to Bemidji State’s chances of victory.

The Beavers did everything they could to stop a goal from entering their net, but the Buckeyes pulled their goalie with 1:25 remaining in the game, and with just 44 seconds left Reilly tied the game off assists from Klassen and Natalie Spooner.

After an overtime period that saw just two shots (both from OSU), the two teams entered into a deciding shootout.

The first round saw misses by both Kim Theut and Cody. Then Spooner scored what would eventually be the winning shot in the second round after Johnson and Montana Vichorek (Fr., Moose Lake, Minn.) both missed.

Despite the shootout loss, the Beavers snapped a six-game losing streak to the Buckeyes, and now have five points in conference play.

Bemidji State was outshot 47-23, and the home team was 0-for-2 on the power play while Ohio State went 1-for-5 with a man advantage.

BSU netminder Zuzana Tomcikova (Fr., Bratislava, Slovakia) recorded 44 saves in a career-high-tying 65 minutes of action, moving to 4-14-2 on the season after allowing three goals. OSU’s goalie, Liana Bonanno, saved 20 shots and allowed three goals in 64:19 of action. She moved to 5-12-2 this year.

Cody recorded her third-career two-goal game, and she also notched her second-career three-point game. All of these feats have been achieved this season. She also has now recorded seven points in seven career games against Ohio State (4g-3a=7p).

Her three points give her 20 for the season, which are the most by a BSU player since the 2006-07 season when Kelly Hart had 21. Cody tied for the team lead with 10 points last year.

Both her and Johnson improved their team lead to nine assists apiece, which are the most by a player since 2006-07. Vichorek registered a game- and career-high nine blocks.

The two teams will duke it out again at 2:07 p.m. Saturday in the Glas to decide who will take the series.

--bsu--