BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Men's Hockey team rallied from down one goal heading into the final period to earn a 2-2 tie with University of St. Thomas Saturday night and earned the extra point in Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings with a shootout victory.
 
Down 1-0 at the start of the third period, the Beavers (6-4-4, 4-1-3 CCHA) scored 1:17 into the final frame to even the score the Tommies (4-13-1, 3-8-1 CCHA). Bemidji State then took the lead 12 minutes later but with 1:20 seconds remaining, St. Thomas tied the game and forced overtime with BSU.
 
St. Thomas' Mack Byers started the scoring at 13:35 of the second period after both teams failed to find the back of the net in the opening frame.
 
Senior Will Zmolek later tied the game with a power-play goal, his second of the season and first with the man advantage, after firing a wrist shot from the point that made its way through multiple defenders.
 
12:22 had then gone by before fifth-year senior Ross Armour was on the fortuitous side of Tommie goaltender Aaron Trotter mishandling the puck and scored his third goal of the season to put BSU up one with 6:21 to play.
 
The Beavers then held onto the one-goal lead for much of the remaining time but St. Thomas would be on the fortunate side with 1:20 to play when Mack Byers batted a bouncing puck that trickled its way past BSU netminder Mattias Sholl and into the back of the net.
 
The two teams would then play the three-on-three overtime to find a victor but neither team could best each other's goaltender and the game would be recognized as a time and head to the shootout to decide the extra point in CCHA standings.
 
After Sholl stopped the Tommies' first shooter, Mitchell Martan and Elias Rosén each scored for the Beavers and then Sholl stopped Jake Braccini to earn the 2-1 shootout victory.
 
Bemidji State carried possession for most of the game and out-shot St. Thomas 31-18 in the game and its penalty kill was dominant denying all four power-play chances for the tommies and holding them to just two shots on goal with the man advantage.
 
Bemidji State's power-play finished the game 1-for-2 on its chances while Sholl finished the game with 16 saves and Trotter totaled 29.
 
Bemidji State continues play at Sanford Center next weekend and hosts Lake Superior State University for the two team's first meeting of the 2022-23 season Dec. 9-10.
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey 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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