BEMIDJI, Minn. (Sanford Center) -- Led by Sam Warning's goal and two assists, the University of Minnesota men's ice hockey team had 10 players contribute to the scoring as the No. 5 Golden Gophers defeated Bemidji State University, 6-3, in the Beavers' 2013-14 home opener.
Bemidji State took advantage of early power-play opportunities to open the scoring just 3:35 into the first period. On the heels of 13 seconds of 5-on-3 time, Danny Mattson (F, So., Minneapolis, Minn.) tapped in his first goal of the season, and BSU's first marker on the man advantage, to put the Beavers up 1-0. Ruslan Pedan (D, Fr., Moscow, Russia and Jeff Jubinville (F, Sr., Edmonton, Alberta) were credited with assists on the play.
The BSU one-goal advantage would be short-lived. Sixty-one seconds after BSU lit the lamp, the Golden Gophers reeled the Beavers back in on a Travis Boyd goal.
Minnesota would net a power-play marker midway through the frame, off the stick of Ben Marshall, to take a 2-1 advantage into the first intermission.
Cory Ward (F, So., Las Vegas, Nev.) knotted the score at 2-2 5:37 into the second period on his second tally of 2013-14 with help from Mattson.
Following Warning's goal, Minnesota took a 3-2 lead into the third period.
Just 44 seconds into the final stanza, Hudson Fasching flipped in a rebound off the pad of BSU goaltender Andrew Walsh (Jr., Dawson Creek, British Columbia) to put Minnesota up 4-2.
Radoslav Illo (F, Sr., Bysrica, Slovakia) would reel Minnesota to within a goal on a slapshot from the top of the right faceoff circle on the power play, but Minnesota and Nate Condon answered with an even-strength goal 52 seconds later to put the game out of reach.
The Gophers would add an empty-net goal at the 18:10 mark to bring the score to its final resting place, 6-3.
The Beavers would finish the game netting two power-play goals in five opportunities. BSU's penalty-kill unit held UM to 1-of-3 on the man advantage.
Walsh stopped 31 of 36 shots faced as the Gophers gained a 37-21 edge in shots on goal. Walsh falls to 0-2-1 on the season.
BSU dips to 0-2-1 on the season and will attempt to salvage a split in the nonconference series tomorrow the teams wrap up the two-game set at Sanford Center. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:07 p.m.
For more information on the Bemidji State men’s hockey program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers or @BSUMHockey), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) or sign up for the TXTUpdates from BSUBeavers.com text-messaging system through the "Multimedia" pull down menu on the main page of BSUBeavers.com.
Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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