BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team continues Western Collegiate Hockey Association play this weekend and returns to Sanford Center for the first time since Dec. 3. The Beavers (4-19-1, 1-17-0 WCHA) play host to another top-ranked opponent this weekend in No. 3/4 University of Minnesota.
 
The Beavers battle the Gophers (18-3-2, 15-1-2 WCHA) for their second meeting of the regular season after Minnesota earned a series sweep back in October. BSU and UM will play a two-game, league series beginning Friday, Jan. 20 at 3:01 p.m. Game two will follow Saturday with a 2:01 p.m. puck drop.
 
Each game will be streamed online at B1G+ with play-by-play provided by the Beaver Radio Network.  Saturday's game will be televised on FOX9+ with Kelly Schultz and Amber Fryklund providing play-by-play and color commentary. A Beaver Radio Network broadcast will also be available for each game and can be found on the radio dial at 94.3 FM or online at www.beaverradionetwork.com.
 
Bemidji State Notes

• The Bemidji State-Minnesota series began during the inaugural season of Bemidji State Women's Hockey in 1998-99.
• The Gophers have dominated the all-time series with an 88-9-7 record against the Beavers.
• Minnesota is on a 16-game win streak versus Bemidji State with BSU's last win occurring Dec. 2, 2017 (W, 4-2).  Assistant coach Emma Terres-Sobieck was the captain of that 2017-18 team that last defeated the Gophers.
• When playing in Bemidji, Minn., Bemidji State is just 3-41-3 against Minnesota. The Beavers' last home win against the Gophers came on Oct. 8, 2016, a 2-0 shutout victory.
• Minnesota earned the series sweep over the Beavers in their first meeting of the 2022-23 season back on Oct. 7-8. The Gophers earned a 6-0 shutout in game one and then followed with a 4-1 victory in game two.
• If the season ended Jan. 19, Bemidji State would travel to Ridder Arena to face the Gophers for the first round of the WCHA Playoffs. Minnesota holds first place in the standings with 47 league points while the Beavers are eighth.
• The Beavers and Gophers have met a total of six times in the WCHA Playoffs with Minnesota winning four first round series matchups and one WCHA Final Faceoff semifinal matchup. The Beavers defeated Minnesota in the semifinal round in the 2015 WCHA Final Faceoff enroute to their lone championship game appearance.
• Senior Reece Hunt leads active skaters with six career points (3g-3a) in 12 games versus Minnesota while senior Paige Anderson follows with two points (1g-1a) in nine career games.
• Junior Hannah Hogenson is the lone BSU goaltender to see active versus the Gophers and is 0-6-0 in six starts and has posted a 4.84 goals against average and .891 save percentage.
• Bemidji State looks to end its six-game losing skid this weekend but will face its second consecutive nationally ranked opponent.
• The Gophers travel to Bemidji, Minn., as the third-ranked team in the USCHO.com top-15 national poll and fourth-ranked team in the USAToday/USAHockeyMagazine top-15 national poll.
• Nine of the Beavers' 13 series so far this season have been against top-15 nationally ranked opponents including seven against opponents ranked in the top five.
• Bemidji State is 3-7-0 when playing at Sanford Center this season while the Gophers are 5-1-2 when playing on the road.
• Bemidji State's last win was Nov. 26, a 4-1 victory over Sacred Heart University at the Nutmeg Classic. BSU is just 1-12-0 in its last 13 games.
• The Beavers traveled to No. 6/7 University of Minnesota Duluth in last weekend's action falling to the Bulldogs in both games of their WCHA series by scores of 1-8 and 0-5.
• Sophomore Abbie Thompson made just the third start of her career, second of the season, in game two versus the Bulldogs and stopped a career high 29 shots in the loss. It was her first start since Sept. 24, 2022.
• Minnesota continued its perfect run on home ice last weekend with a sweep over University of St. Thomas at Ridder Arena.
• Bemidji State has had its issues scoring the puck this season and are last in the conference in goals for (29) as well as goals against (111).
• BSU is seventh in the WCHA with a power-play percentage of .137 (7-of-51). The Beavers went 0-for-4 while on the power play in last weekend's series.
• The Beavers also rank seventh in the league with a penalty-kill percentage of .803 (57-of-71). The Beavers' penalty kill unit held UMD to one goal on four chances last weekend.
• Bemidji State leads the WCHA in blocked shots and have totaled 354 as a team this season. It averages 14.8 blocks per game which is second in Division I.
• Bemidji State is led on offense by sophomore defenseman Adriana Van De Leest who has totaled seven points (7a) in 21 games.
• She is followed by Reece Hunt (3g-3a) and Shelby Breiland  (2g-4a) who have each totaled six points.
• Hunt, sophomore Claire Vekich and freshman Raeley Carney pace the team with three goals each while Hunt leads the team with 53 shots on goal.
• The Beavers have seen 15 different goal scorers this season including nine with two or more goals.
• Bemidji State is sixth in the conference with a team face-off win percentage of .503. Senior Paige Anderson leads the team and is 10th in the conference with 177 face-off wins and is .506 percent on the draw.
• Junior Hannah Hogenson leads BSU netminders and has played in 83.5 percent of the teams minutes in goal this season. She is 3-17-1 with a 4.19 goals against average and .864 save percentage. She leads the conference and is eighth in DI with 585 saves.

For more information on the Bemidji State women's hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter or Instagram (@BSUBeaversWHKY), or like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers).
 
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, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
--bsu--