BEMIDJI, Minn. - The Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team held a 1-0 lead over No. 7/8 University of Minnesota Duluth late in the third period Friday night at Sanford Center, but the Bulldogs scored two goals in the final five minutes to rally to a 2-1 victory over the Beavers in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play.
Junior goaltender
Abbie Thompson stopped 42-of-44 shots to keep the Beavers ahead late in the game while senior captain
Taylor Nelson tipped-in a goal in the first three minutes. However, goals from Clara Van Wieren and
Reece Hunt in the final five minutes earned the Bulldogs the 2-1 comeback victory.
Nelson wasted little time to score her second goal of the season after she deflected a shot from
Makenna Deering just 2:55 after the opening faceoff.
The Beavers then relied on its junior goaltender in Thompson to stymie the Bulldogs and she proved to be up to the task turning aside Minnesota Duluth's first 39 shots of the game and held them scoreless through 54:39 of play. The Bulldogs finally broke through with a goal from Van Wieren with 5:21 to play and then former Beaver
Reece Hunt scored the game-winning goal just 2:53 later to complete the comeback victory.
In her first game back between the pipes after stopping 60 shots, Thompson returned to turn aside 42-of-44 shots Friday night. She leads the WCHA with 234 saves on the season.
The Beavers fall to 0-8-1 and 0-5-0 in conference play and will attempt to salvage the series split with the Bulldogs (5-2-0, 3-2-0 WCHA) tomorrow afternoon for game two at 2:01 p.m.Â
For more information on the Bemidji State women's hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X or Instagram (@BSUBeaversWHKY), or like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers).
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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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