BEMIDJI, Minn. - Annie Bauerfeld (So., RW, Woodbury, Minn.) and Nicole Rawlings (Jr., LW, Maplewood, Minn.) each scored late third period goals to bring back the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team to a 3-3 tie with St. Cloud State University Friday night at John Glas Fieldhouse. Kaylee Keys (Fr., C, St. Paul, Minn.) ended a six-round shootout with the go-ahead goal, and the Beavers took two points off the Huskies, giving them 11 this season.

Bemidji State (6-20-5, 3-19-3-2 WCHA) has now partaken in three shootouts in its last four series’. St. Cloud State (13-14-4, 10-12-3-2 WCHA) lost its first shootout of the year, and both teams are now 2-1 in shootouts this season.

The Beavers outshot the Huskies 41-27, and this marks just the second time in the 44-game history between the schools that BSU has put 40+ shots on goal. The only other time occurred Feb. 11, 2000, with Bemidji State taking 43 shots. This was also the first time this season BSU has put up 40+ shots on a Western Collegiate Hockey Association opponent.

Erin Johnson (So., LW, Farmington, Minn.) put BSU ahead 8:58 into the contest with her eighth goal of the season. She intercepted a pass at SCSU’s blue line and skated along the boards deep into the zone. She centered the puck and Franny Dorr (Jr., C, Roseville, Minn.) took a point-blank shot from the slot that deflected off to the right of St. Cloud State’s netminder, Ashley Nixon.

Dorr took another shot off the rebound and her and Bauerfeld fought for the puck with Nixon who had slid out of her crease. Dorr took control and sent a pass between the net and Nixon. The puck deflected off a Huskie defender and went right to Johnson in the slot. She had a wide open net with Nixon being out of position, and she rattled the cage for a well-deserved marker.

After 11 minutes of scoreless hockey, the two teams skated into the first intermission with the Beavers holding a slim 1-0 advantage.

It took just 3:46 for SCSU to tie the game, and the road squad scored two more goals at both the 9:52 and 11:14 marks to take a 3-1 lead. Megan McCarthy scored the first goal, followed by a tally from Michelle Moen and a power-play marker from Sammy Nixon. Felicia Nelson, Brittany Toor, Courtney Josefson, Jaclyn Daggit and Moen each recorded assists on the three goals.

Bemidji State had entered the final period down 20 times this season, and had lost 19 of those contests. But this team has shown lately that it won’t ever give up and is also not the same team that was held pointless in the first half of the year.

It took 11:16 into the third to cut the 3-1 deficit in half, but Rawlings did just that. Kimberly Lieder (Fr., RW, Eagan, Minn.) was carrying the puck behind the SCSU net, and she sent a pass to Montana Vichorek (Fr., D, Moose Lake, Minn.) at the point. She rifled a shot that deflected off Nixon. The rebound went to a well-positioned Rawlings, who was right in front of the net ready to put it home.

With less than three minutes to play, Bauerfeld notched the game-tying goal off an assist to Keys. Keys stole the puck directly in front of the SCSU goal, and she took a shot that deflected to Bauerfeld. The sophomore winger trickled a shot five-hole and the game was tied.

Neither team was able to score in the final minutes of regulation or the five-minute overtime session, and a shootout was called upon to decide who would take the two points.

Holly Roberts missed the first attempt for SCSU, and Erin Cody (So., RW, Roseville, Minn.) gave the green and white the early 1-0 lead as she went top-shelf over Nixon’s glove. Nelson scored and Johnson missed in the second round, and both McCarthy and Bauerfeld scored in the third round to send the shootout to extra rounds. Moen and Vichorek missed in the fourth, and Caitlin Hogan scored to put SCSU ahead in the fifth.

Marlee Wheelhouse (Fr., D, Crookston, Minn.) had to score to keep the shootout going, and that’s exactly what she did. After Josefson was stifled, Keys followed the path set forth by the other three Beavers who scored previously by putting the puck top shelf over Nixon’s glove.

BSU netminder Zuzana Tomcikova (Fr., Bratislava, Slovakia) moved to 5-17-4 after she saved 24 shots and allowed three goals. Nixon saved 38 shots and also allowed three goals, moving to 9-11-3 on the season. Both goalies played all 65 minutes.

Bemidji State will play its final home game of the season Saturday against the Huskies. The first faceoff is set for 2:07 p.m.

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