BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team held No. 3/4 University of Minnesota to just a one-goal lead through the first 40 minutes but the Gophers scored two goals in the third period to pull away from the Beavers Saturday afternoon at Sanford Center.
 
Junior Hannah Hogenson turned aside 38-of-42 shots for the Beavers who fall to 4-21-1 (1-19-0 WCHA) while sophomore Claire Vekich scored a power-play goal late in the second period.
 
Minnesota (20-3-2, 17-2-2 WCHA) opened the scoring 14:17 into the first period when Josefin Bouveng scored an unassisted goal for her eighth goal of the season.
 
The Gophers would head into the first intermission with the one-goal lead and late in the second period Abbey Murphy extended their lead to 2-0 with her 16^th goal of the season with just 2:44 remaining in the period. It seemed as if the Gophers would go into the second intermission up two but a Beavers power play with less the two minutes remaining gave BSU an offensive opportunity and Vekich capitalized after finding a loose puck in front of goaltender Skylar Vetter to bat home her fourth goal of the season.
 
The play was generated after Vekich won an offensive draw back to sophomore Makenna Deering who fired the puck from the point where Vekich corralled the loose puck.
 
The period would end with BSU trailing by just one but just 23 seconds into the third period Abigail Boreen scored her 17^th goal of the season to retake the two-goal lead for the Gophers. Minnesota would add a goal from Grace Zumwinkle with just 59 seconds left to seal the 4-1 victory and series sweep.
 
Bemidji State totaled 19 shots on goal while Minnesota totaled 42 with Hogenson making 38 saves. She falls to 3-19-1 with the loss.
 
The Beavers went 1-for-2 while on the power play while its penalty kill turned away all three power-play opportunities for the Gophers.
 
BSU will now hit the road once again and travel to St. Cloud State University for a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn. The Beavers and Huskies will battle for a two-game slate beginning Friday, Jan. 27.
 
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).
 
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