BEMIDJI, Minn. (Sanford Center) -- Kyle Bauman logged his sixth goal of the season and Michael Bitzer turned aside 17 of the 18 shots he faced Friday as the Bemidji State University men's hockey team battled Lake Superior State University to a 1-1 draw. Myles Fitzgerald scored in the second round of the shootout to garner the Beavers an extra point in the Western Collegiate Association standings.

After a scoreless first period of play, the Beavers scored the first goal of the game 2:53 into the second period when Kyle Buaman got his sixth goal of the season to trickle into the back of the net. Justin Baudry and Charlie O'Conner were credited with assists on the play.

The Lakers would answer less than six minutes later when Bitzer made the save on a shot from Diego Cuglietta, but was unable to corral the rebound and J.T. Henke crashed the net and tapped the puck past Bitzer from a scrum in front of the crease.

Locked 1-1 through 60 minutes of play, the Beavers and Lakers played a five-minutes scoreless overtime period despite LSSU's Aidan Wright being taken to the penalty box with 1:12 left in the extra period to supply BSU with its fourth power-play opportunity of the evening. The game would officially go on the books as a tie, but new to the WCHA in 2016-17, the three-point games must be decided, so the teams went to a five-minute 3-on-3 exhibition. Again the teams were unable to find the back of the net, pushing the game a sudden death shootout.

After LSSU would miss the net in the first round and Gerry Fitzgerald was stymied by the Lakers' goaltender, Bitzer came up with a big save in round two and M. Fitgerald would make good on his attempt to tilt the game in BSU's favor.

BSU was 0-for-4 on the man advantage marking four consecutive games and 14 opportunities without a goal. On the flip side, the Beavers' penalty-kill continued to be a strong point. BSU snuffed out all three of the Lakers' power-play chances, marking a string of 12 consecutive opponent power play opportunities killed.

Bemidji State (12-5-2; 12-1-2-2 WCHA) will attempt to win the series tomorrow when the same two teams meet at 7:07 p.m.

--bsu--