BEMIDJI, Minn. - Annie Bauerfeld (So., Woodbury, Minn.) and Montana Vichorek (Fr., Moose Lake, Minn.) each recorded their second-career two-assist games and the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team rolled to a 3-1 win over Ohio State University Saturday afternoon at John Glas Fieldhouse.

The win gave BSU the weekend series as the home team finished with three points, while only conceding two to OSU. The Beavers move to 6-17-3 overall and 3-16-1 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The Buckeyes fall to 6-17-3 and 4-14-2 in the conference.

Bemidji State has been on fire in 2009, having now improved its record to 5-2-1 in the new year.

For the second-straight day, it was the Beavers who would get on the board first.

Erin Johnson (So., Farmington, Minn.) scored a power-play marker just 3:27 into the game. The play began with excellent puck control by BSU. Eventually the disk found its way to the stick of Vichorek who was holding the zone at the left point. She sent a pass into the left faceoff circle to Bauerfeld, who took a shot towards the net. The rebound went to the right side of the net, and Johnson was able to lift the puck over OSU netminder Liana Bonanno, who had fallen on her stomach after the initial shot from Bauerfeld. Johnson’s goal was her sixth of the year.

Another Buckeye went into the penalty box at the 7:04 mark, and it only took BSU’s leading scorer Erin Cody (So., Roseville, Minn.) 20 seconds with a man advantage to give her team a quick 2-0 lead.

Vichorek again was holding the zone for Bemidji State, and she sent a pass along the boards to Bauerfeld who was waiting at the half wall. She sent a pass down near the goal line to Cody, who immediately skated towards the net and rifled a shot that hit off Bonanno’s skate and went five-hole for her 12th goal of the year.

After entering the first intermission without giving up a goal, the home green and white added extra insurance 7:53 into the second.

OSU was skating with the puck in their zone when it was stolen by Kimberly Lieder (Fr., Eagan, Minn.). She took off in the other direction and, when she got to center ice, sent a pass to Lexy Parenteau (So., Franconia, Minn.) who was just in front of her racing towards the blue line.

Parenteau carried the puck deep into OSU territory and passed the disk through traffic in front of the net to Nicole Rawlings (Jr., Maplewood, Minn.), who was waiting inside the opposite faceoff circle. She ripped a shot toward the net, and Bonanno didn’t have a chance to get her glove up in time as the puck went sailing into the back of the cage for Rawlings’ first goal of the season. Lieder recorded her first-career point and Parenteau assisted on her third goal of the season. Parenteau now has equaled all of her marks from last year (1g-3a=4p).

Rawlings scored her first goal since netting a marker Oct. 13, 2006 against St. Cloud State University.

Despite another strong performance by Bemidji State, the team wearing the green and white was unable to pitch the shutout as Hayley Klassen scored a 5-on-3 goal 6:26 into the third. Laura McIntosh and Kim Theut assisted. Despite that goal and the added pressure of an extra attacker late in the game, it didn’t matter as the BSU defense stepped up its collective game and shut down the Buckeyes for the 3-1 win.

BSU started the contest 2-for-2 on the power play and finished 2-for-7. The two power-play markers are the most in a single game since Feb. 9, 2008. OSU was just 1-for-5 with a man advantage. Bemidji State outshot Ohio State 33-30, and this was the first time outshooting the Buckeyes since Jan. 6, 2007, a span of eight games.

Johnson went 17-3 on faceoffs, and was part of a dominating Beaver squad that finished 35-24 on draws.

Cody recorded her second game-winning goal of the year, and she now has 12 points in her last 12 games (7g-5a). Her five power-play markers this season are one shy of the school record for most in a single season. That number is also currently third-most in the WCHA this year.

Johnson has seven points in her last seven games (3g-4a), and Bauerfeld has seven points in her last six games (3g-4a). Bauerfeld has three two-point games in that span. Johnson, Cody and Vichorek are all tied for the team lead with nine assists.

Vichorek now has 10 points this year (1g-9a), and she is the first BSU defender with double-digit points since the 2005-06 season.

This was only the third time in Bemidji State history that the Beavers were able to win a home series against the Buckeyes. The last series win at the Glas came Nov. 1-2, 2002.

BSU is now 12-24-6 all-time against OSU, and is also now 3-5-3 at home this season.

Natalie Spooner, OSU’s leading goal scorer, came into the weekend with 17 goals, which was fifth-best in the WCHA. BSU’s stout defense shut her out for the entire weekend.

Beaver rookie netminder Zuzana Tomcikova (Fr., Bratislava, Slovakia) moved to 5-14-2 with 29 saves and only one goal allowed in 60 minutes of work. She lowered her goals against average to 2.76 and increased her save percentage to .927. Bonanno had 30 saves, but gave up the three goals in 58:14 to fall to 5-13-2 this year.

Bemidji State will take all its recent momentum into Ralph Engelstad Arena where the University of North Dakota awaits for two huge conference tilts Jan. 30-31. Game times are set for 7:07 p.m. and 2:07 p.m., respectively.

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