DULUTH, Minn. – Bemidji State University women’s hockey senior Abby Halluska scored with 49 seconds left in overtime to send the BSU Women’s Hockey Team to the Minnesota Cup championship game Sunday. The Beavers (12-8-1, 6-6-0-0 WCHA) defeated St. Cloud State University 1-0 in the extra period to continue a program-record nine-game winning streak.

Redshirt junior Lauren Bench continue her stellar play in net into the new year by posting a 23-save shutout for her third shutout of the season and improves to 9-6-0 on the season. Bench has now won seven consecutive games when she has been between the pipes for the Beavers.

Bemidji State out-shot the Huskies (4-14-2, 0-12-0-0 WCHA) 39-23 in the game with St. Cloud State’s Emma Polusny making 38 saves for SCSU.

Juniors Lydia Passolt and Kiki Radke earned the assists on Halluska’s game-winning goal. For Halluska it is her second game-winning goal of the season after recording her first at Union College Dec. 13 with just 1:33 remaining in that game.

Bemidji State will face either Minnesota State University, Mankato or No. 10 University of Minnesota Duluth Sunday, Jan. 5 for the Minnesota Cup trophy. Puck drop for the championship game will either be 1:07 p.m. or 4:07 p.m.

Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooden region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, BSU 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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