BEMIDJI, Minn. (John S. Glas Fieldhouse) -- The John S. Glas Fieldhouse has been the site of countless historic events since its erection in 1967 and Friday evening it was host to yet another. Behind two-goal efforts from Jordan George (Fr., F, Madison, Wis.) and Ian Lowe (Jr., F, Bradwardine, Manitoba), the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey program recorded its 500th victory in its hallowed hockey barn with a 5-1 triumph over Robert Morris University.

The Beavers, who are in their 43rd and final season calling the Glas home and are just months from moving into the new 4,300-seat, state-of-the are Bemidji Regional Events Center, have logged 683 games on their current home ice and have compiled a record of 500-143-41. That’s a winning percentage of over 76-percent or an average of nearly 12 home games per season. Talk about home ice advantage.

BSU got out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play and would not look back. The Beavers would sandwich the Colonials’ only marker of the night with two more goals before registering an empty-netter to bring the score to a final at 5-1.

No. 6 Bemidji State improves to 18-5-2 overall and are the first team in the country to claim its 18th win this season. The Beavers also saw their lead in the College Hockey America standings swell to 12 points over second-place RMU as they climbed to 10-1-0 in league play.

George posted his 10th goal of the season just 1:24 into the first when Lowe and Ryan Cramer (Jr., F, International Falls, Minn.) found the rookie on the right post for an easy tap in 63 seconds into the Beavers’ first power-play opportunity of the weekend. Just over 12 minutes later (13:56), Lowe added a goal of his own to send BSU to the locker room grasping a 2-0 lead.

In an up-and-down, fast-paced first period, BSU goaltender Dan Bakala (So., G, Calgary, Alberta) posted 13 of his 32 saves as the shots were locked at 13-13. Bakala would go on to push his season’s record to 15-3-2 and extended his winning streak to four games with the victory.

Just as he did to open the game, George got the Beavers out the gates quickly as the second stanza got underway, netting his second goal of the night just 34 seconds into the period. Linemates Lowe and Matt Read (Jr., F, Ilderton, Ontario) were credited with assists on the play.

At the 8:04 mark, James Lyle got the best of Bakala firing a shot from the right face off circle into the back of the net to reel the Beavers to within two goals, 3-1, but Bemidji State would respond to extend their lead to three goals five minutes later (13:10). Tyler Lehrke (Sr., F, Park Rapids, Minn.) crashed the net and pounded a Chris McKelvie (Sr., F, New Brighton, Minn.) rebound past Brooks Ostergard, the RMU goaltender, for his fifth goal of 2009-10.

The score remained locked a 4-1 through 19 minutes of the third frame, but when Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley elected to pull his goalie with just over a minute to play, BSU would need only 35 seconds to make him pay. Lowe picked off a pass in front of the Beavers’ net, chipped the puck past the Colonial defensive pair and chopped at the puck sliding into the offensive zone from his belly for his first empty-net goal of the season.

The game would end with RMU holding a slight lead in shots, 33-32.

The Beavers scored the game’s only special teams goal of the night, finishing 1-for-5 on the man advantage, while BSU held the Colonials scoreless on six chances.

With the 5-1 victory, BSU has now defeated RMU in five consecutive games, tying a series record set between Jan. 14, 2005 and Jan. 7, 2006--Bemidji State’s first five contests versus the Colonials. The Beavers are 17-8-2 when facing RMU and raise their record versus Robert Morris in the Glas to 11-2-1 since the series began in 2005.

The Beavers (18-5-2; 10-1-0 CHA) and Colonials (7-14-4; 3-5-2 CHA) return to action tomorrow evening as BSU hosts the RMU for the final time at the Glas. Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. start will be proceeded by a special ceremony honoring Bemidji State’s senior class of Kyle Hardwick (Sr., D, Warroad, Minn.), Lehrke, McKelvie and Chris Peluso (Sr., D, Wadena, Minn.).

--bsu--