ST. CLOUD, Minn. (National Hockey Center) -- Brad Hunt (Sr., D, Ridge Meadows, British Columbia) became the sixth defenseman in the history of the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey program to eclipse the 100-point mark Saturday netting the game-winning goal to lead the Beavers to a 3-1 victory at St. Cloud State University.
Defense and special teams stood tall for the Beavers in a game riddled with penalties. The BSU penalty-kill snuffed out all five of the Huskies’ power-play opportunities, allowing just five shots on goal in 9:06, which included a five-minute major, while the power-play unit recorded a goal in three chances.
On the back end, Dan Bakala (Sr., G, Calgary, Alberta) bounced back from an early exit Friday, to stop 33 of 34 SCSU shots on goal to gain the win and improve to 4-5-1.
After a track meet-type, 65-minute, 6-6 tie in the series opener, the teams picked up right where they left off to open the finale.
St. Cloud State opened the scoring at the 3:25 mark of the game, when Nick Oliver snuck the puck through traffic and into the back of the BSU net.
Just as they had twice the night before, the Beavers regrouped and rallied to even the score. This time the SCSU lead would last only 47 seconds.
Jordan George (Jr., F, Madison, Wis.) erased the one-goal deficit with his team-leading 10th goal of the season, and third of the weekend, after taking a pass from Aaron McLeod (Jr., F, Ottawa, Ontario) in the slot and dropping a backhand over the shoulder of SCSU goaltender Ryan Faragher. Junior blueliner Matt Carlson (Jr., D, Grand Forks, N.D.) was also credited with an assist on the play marking the first point of his junior season.
The Beavers would take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission thanks to the eventual game-winning goal by Hunt. Jeff Jubinville (So., F, Edmonton, Alberta) won an offensive zone face off to Hunt at the top of the right circle. The senior skated to the top of the slot, wound up and like he has so many times during his career, unleashed a laser through traffic and past Faragher.
Things got ugly for the Beavers in the second period. Owning the narrowest of leads, 2-1, the Beavers were whistled for three penalties, which included a five-minute major and game misconduct. The BSU penalty-kill unit successfully held the SCSU power-play crew without a goal for 5:25, but failed to generate any offensive push as the team was out shot 10-1 in the frame.
Clinging to a 2-1 lead, the Beavers found themselves short a man for the first 3:35 of the third period, but caught a break when Cam Ried was penalized of cross-checking forcing the teams to 4-on-4 for the bulk of the remaining Brady Wacker (Jr., D, Jansen, Saskatchewan) major.
The Beavers took advantage of another break at the 15:48 mark when Nic Dowd was sent to the box for hooking setting the Beavers up with their third power-play opportunity of the evening. Sixty-one seconds into the man advantage, Brance Orban (Jr., F, Lethbridge, Alberta) scooped up a loose puck in the BSU defensive zone and found Radoslav Illo (So., F, Bystrica, Slovakia) streaking up the ice. Illo netted his second goal in as many night, completing the 2-on-1 with a slapshot goal.
The Beavers were out shot 34-14 in the game. BSU’s 14-shot victory stands as the lowest shot total in a win since it was out shot 42-14 at Colorado College Dec. 29, 2006.
BSU owns a 45-39-4 advantage in the all time rivalry and with a win and a draw, earned a series win in St. Cloud for the first time since back-to-back victories Dec. 9-10, 1983.
Bemidji State (6-8-2; 4-6-2 WCHA) returns home to Sanford Center for their final six games of the calendar year. The homestand begins as the Beavers host University of Denver (6-5-3; 4-3-3 WCHA) in Bemidji, Minn. for the first time. The WCHA series versus the Pioneers is set to get underway at 7:37 p.m. Dec. 9 with the series finale slated for 7:07 p.m. Dec. 10.
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