MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. (St. Thomas Ice Arena) – Sam Solensky scored twice, while Owen Sillinger and Alex Ierullo each added a goal and an assist to lead the Bemidji State University men's hockey team to a 5-2 victory in its first Central Collegiate Hockey Association matchup with the University of St. Thomas.

A total of seven BSU players worked their way into the scoresheet. Led by Solensky's career-best two goals, Tyler Jubenvill logged his first collegiate goal, and Aaron Myers netted his first two-assist night as a Beaver.

Bemidji State was first to light the lamp. The CCHA's reigning Player of the Month Owen Sillinger gave BSU a 1-0 lead to open the second period when he scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season at the 12:30 mark with help from Eric Martin and Ierullo.

A the 11:47 mark of the second period, Ierullo scored a goal of his own to extend the Beavers' lead to 2-0. Solensky scored his second goal of the season at the 15:45 mark to send Bemidji State into the second break owning a 3-0 lead. The goal would stand as the first game-winner of his career.

Solensky was back in the thick of things to open the third period, scoring just 2:41 into the frame.  The goal sparked a four-goal third period, which included a pair of goals by the Tommies during the final four minutes of regulation. Sam Renlund got UST on the board at the 16:14 mark. After Martin fed Jubenvill for the Beavers' fifth goal with 2:08 to play, St. Thomas again pulled to within three goals of the Beavers with 53 seconds on the clock when Aaron Swanson beat Enright to bring the scoring to a close.

The BSU penalty-kill unit recorded its fourth straight game without allowing a power-play goal, holding UST to 0-for-4, while the Beavers' power-play unit was held without a goal in three attempts snapping a string of four straight games with a goal on the man advantage. 

Gavin Enright totaled 18 saves in 59:58 of play while surrendering two goals. The sophomore improved to 4-4-0 on the season.

The Beavers improve to 9-6-0 overall and 7-2-0 in CCHA play. The Beavers seek their third series sweep of the season tomorrow when they again battle the Tommies. Opening faceoff is set for 7:07 p.m. at the St. Thomas Ice Arena.

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 Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, respectively, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

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