LEWISTON, N.Y. (Dwyer Arena) --   It’s been a long time coming.  

Freshman Brance Orban (F, Lethbridge, Alberta) has put in his time at practice, watched his teammates contribute and waited patiently for his turn to prove he belongs.  Saturday, Orban got his chance and he made the most of it.

In his first collegiate start, Orban, who found himself flanking the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team’s top line along side the Beavers’ top scorer Matt Read (Jr., F, Ilderton, Ontario) and Ian Lowe (Jr., F, Bradwardine, Manitoba), not only held his own, he led the Beavers to a 4-3 College Hockey America victory over Niagara University at Dwyer Arena in Lewiston, N.Y.  Orban notched a pair of goals, including the game winner, while adding an assist.

“Brance is a smart player,” commented BSU head coach Tom Serratore. “We put him in there with a couple other smart players in Matt Read and Ian Lowe for Jordan George (Fr., F, Madison, Wis.) and Brance filled in just great.”

For the second consecutive night, the Beavers skated out to a 2-0 lead getting goals from a pair of unlikely contributors.  Junior Dan MacIntyre (D, Fort Frances, Ontario) got the Beavers on the board 16:30 into the game firing a shot through traffic from the point for the first goal of his career.  Tyler Lehrke (Sr., F. Park Rapids, Minn.) and Chris McKelvie (Sr., F, New Brighton, Minn.) were credited with assists on the even-strength goal.

Just 12 seconds later (16:42), Orban found the back of the net with help from Read to put the Beavers up 2-0.

A power-play opportunity in the final 90 seconds of the period set the Beavers up in position to take a three-goal lead to the locker room after 20 minutes of play, but a turnover in the neutral zone cost the Beavers that chance and Paul Zanette beat Dan Bakala (So., G, Calgary, Alberta) for a short-handed goal with 67 seconds to play in the first period.  The teams skated off the ice for the beak with the Beavers leading 2-1.

Twenty-four hours after opening the second period flat only to watch an early lead stolen from them, the Beavers exploded into the second period Saturday.  It took Read just 1:57 to grab his team-leading 13th goal of the season as Orban collected the first assist of his career at BSU.

BSU killed a 5-on-3 lasting 1:14 midway through the second, but the Purple Eagles would capitalize on a man advantage late in the period to stay within striking distance, 3-2.

Leading by a goal, Bemidji State opened the third period just as it did the second.  Orban posted his second tally of the evening with help from Brady Wacker (Fr., D, Jansen, Saskatchewan) just 1:42 into the stanza.  The goal, putting BSU up 4-2 would be a big one for the Beavers.  It would stand as the game-winner after Ryan Oldis recorded his 12th goal of the season with just 6:09 left in regulation.

Bakala and the Beavers held off a late charge by NU for a 4-3 win to salvage a series split.

Bakala posted 26 save, including 14 in the final frame, to collect his 12th victory of the season.  He is now 12-3-2.

Chris Noonan turned away 27 BSU shots, but allowed four goals and was tagged with the loss.  He falls to 4-7-0 on the season.

The win allows the Beavers to climb to within a game of taking control of the all-time series with Niagara.  NU owns a  21-20-8 advantage since the series began in 1999.  The Purple Eagles may hold 14-8-3 record over the Beavers when playing at Dwyer Arena, the site of the final CHA Tournament Mar. 12-13, 2010, but BSU has won four of its last five on the NU’s home ice.

Bemidji State (15-5-2; 9-1-0) turns away from CHA play this week for a home-and-home series versus No. 10 University of Minnesota Duluth (16-7-1; 12-5-1 WCHA).  Friday’s match up is set for a 7:35 p.m. start at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse in Bemidji, Minn.  The teams will then travel east to Duluth, Minn. Saturday for a 7:05 meeting at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.

--bsu--