MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -
Marlee Wheelhouse (Fr., Crookston, Minn.) scored her first-career goal and added an assist on the game-winner, and goaltender
Alana McElhinney
(Fr., Calgary, Alberta) recorded her first-career victory to help lead
the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team to its first
sweep and its first two-game win streak of the season in a 3-1 win over
Robert Morris University Saturday afternoon at RMU Island Sports
Center.
The sweep of the Colonials was the
first of the season for the Beavers, and the first sweep of an opponent
since taking down Vermont Dec. 29-30 of last year. This was also the
first road sweep for Bemidji State since the team beat the University
of North Dakota at the Ralph Engelstad Arena Dec. 16-17, 2006.
BSU improves its record to 3-15-2 on the year, while Robert Morris drops to 8-11-1.
Bemidji
State took control of play early by scoring the first goal 6:30 into
the contest. Wheelhouse scored her first-career marker off assists by Ashley Leopold (Jr., Afton, Minn.) and Lexy Parenteau (So., Franconia, Minn.).
The Beavers entered the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
Robert Morris tied the game 10:54 into the second when Kylie Rossler scored off assists from Alissa Dorman and Jessica Riley.
Bemidji State responded a little more than three minutes later when Erin Cody (So., Roseville, Minn.) scored a power-play marker, her team-leading eighth goal of the season, off assists by Erin Johnson (So., Farmington, Minn.) and Wheelhouse.
The 2-1 lead would be sufficient to win the game, but the Beavers added an insurance goal 4:52 into the third when Carissa Ketcher (So., Mound, Minn.) scored her first goal of the season and the second of her career off assists from Nicole Rawlings (Jr., Maplewood, Minn.) and Brooke Collins (Sr., Pilot Mound, Manitoba).
The
Colonials went with an extra attacker for the final 1:47 but it would
not matter as Bemidji State would not be denied, winning 3-1 and
earning the series sweep.
Parenteau recorded her first assist and second point of the season, while Leopold added her third helper of the season.
Cody’s
eight goals this season are the most by a BSU player since two players
had nine in 2006-07. Her team-leading 14 points on the year are four
more than she had all of last year, and she also scored her
second-career game-winning goal.
Johnson’s
assist was her sixth of the season, and she is now tied with Cody for
the team lead in that category. She is also second on the team with
nine points.
Rawlings helped on her second
goal of the season, while Collins’ assist was her third of the
year. Leopold, Parenteau, Rawlings and Ketcher all recorded points in
both games of the series.
McElhinney saw her
first action since Nov. 15, and she saved 22 shots while only allowing
one goal in 60 minutes to move to 1-3-1 on the year. RMU goaltender,
Brianne McLaughlin, allowed three goals and saved 20 shots to fall to
7-8-1 on the year.
BSU went 1-for-4 on the
power play, and RMU was shut out on its man-advantage opportunities,
going 0-for-6. Both teams had 23 shots.
This
was the sixth-straight game the Beavers were able to light the lamp
after being shut out in four games prior, and this was the first time
of the season BSU scored multiple goals in three-straight games.
Bemidji State has also now recorded power-play goals in three-straight
games.
The Beavers will be in action next
weekend when WCHA foe Minnesota State University, Mankato comes to John
Glas Fieldhouse. Games will be played Jan. 9-10 and faceoffs are set
for 7:07 p.m. and 2:07 p.m., respectively.
--bsu--