Box Score BEMIDJI, Minn. (Sanford Center) - With six seniors playing their last home game the Bemidji State women’s hockey team beat No. 9 University of Minnesota Duluth 2-0, earning a series split and beating the Bulldogs at home for just the second time in program history. Zuzana Tomcikova stopped 20 UMD shots to record her 10th victory of the season and her 18th career shutout. Emily Erickson (R-Jr., F, Coleraine, Minn.) and Tess Dusik (So., F, Oak Bluff, Manitoba) were responsible for BSU’s two goals snapped a seven-game winless streak dating back to its victory over Ohio State University Jan. 14 at Sanford Center.

The Beavers improve to 15-15-3 (9-14-2) with the victory over the Bulldogs. The win marks BSU’s fifth victory over a ranked opponent this season. BSU has upended UMD twice (ranked No. 6 and No. 9), University of North Dakota (No. 6), Providence College (No. 9) and University of Minnesota (No. 2). The Bulldogs fall to 16-13-1 (13-12-1 WCHA) on the year with the loss.

BSU looked to go down 1-0 in the first period as Jamie Kenyon looked to have tipped in a shot that was originally saved by Tomcikova from UMD defenseman Emma Stauber. However, the goal was waved off since a Bulldog player was in the crease at the time of the shot. So the game remained knotted at 0-0 and would remain that way heading into the first intermission.

Bemidji State came out of the first break with an intensity that hasn’t been seen since BSU’s 1-0 loss to No. 1 Wisconsin Jan. 28 at Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. in front of 12,000 fans. The Beavers were unable to lift the lid early with near misses from Erickson and Natasha Kostenko (Fr., F, Fannystelle, Manitoba).

After dominating the period early, two penalties from Kimberly Lieder (Sr., D, Eagan, Minn.) and Erickson put the weight on the shoulder’s of BSU’s penalty kill unit which held the UMD offense at bay. Right after killing off Erickson’s penalty, the redshirt junior skated out of the box when Abby Williams (R-Jr., F, Alexandria, Minn.) flipped the puck up the ice from the blue-line finding Erickson who out-skated three Bulldog players and won a one-on-one against Minnesota Duluth netminder Jennifer Harss. The goal was Erickson’s 15th of the year. A. Williams tallied her eighth assist of the year on the goal.

BSU would add to its lead late in the third period as Sadie Lundquist (Jr., F, Cloquet, Minn.) won a battle on the boards finding Dusik who put the puck past Harss for her seventh goal of the season. Dusik had not had a goal since Jan. 14 against Ohio State. The assist for Lundquist was her 20th of the season.

The Beavers victory over UMD is only their third over the team in program history and its second of the season, marking the first time BSU has picked up two wins over the NCAA women’s hockey powerhouse in the same year.

Tomcikova’s 20 saves on the afternoon helped lift her past Allison Rutledge to move into fourth place in NCAA history for saves with 3,410 stops. Tomcikova only allowed one goal in two games on the weekend.

Harss picked up the loss in net for the Bulldogs after notching 30 saves and allowing two goals.

The Beavers dominated shots on goal with 32 to UMD’s 20. Erickson and Montana Vichorek (Sr., D, Moose Lake, Minn.) led the way with five shots apiece. The Bulldogs were paced by Haley Irwin’s six shots on net.

The victory sends the Bemidji State senior class off with a win in its final home game in Bemidji. The Beaver senior class has the most wins by any four-year class in BSU history with 47. The group consisting of Lieder, Alana McElhinney (G, Calgary, Alberta), Tomcikova, Vichorek, Marlee Wheelhouse (D, Crookston, Minn.) and Lauren Williams (F, Eagan, Minn.), also will end up in the top 10 in several career categories. Tomcikova holds all the major records between the pipes for BSU. Vichorek, Wheelhouse and Lieder are among BSU’s top players in several defensive categories including; points by a defenseman, goals by a defenseman and assists by a defenseman. In addition, Wheelhouse is on track to break the school record set by Annie Bauerfeld for consecutive games played. She needs only four games played to surpass Bauerfeld and will have at least that many with two games at St. Cloud State University and two games for playoffs.

The Beavers will wrap up the regular-season next weekend at St. Cloud State with games Feb. 17 and 18. Both games will commence at 2:07 p.m.