BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team returns from its bye week this weekend and ends its six-game homestand by hosting Minnesota State University, Mankato at Sanford Center.
 
The Beavers (0-11-1, 0-8-0 WCHA) host the Mavericks (2-9-0 0-8-0 WCHA) for a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series beginning Friday, Nov. 17 at 6:01 p.m., and concluding Saturday at 3:01 p.m.
 
Each game of the series will be streamed online at B1G+ with play-by-play provided the Beaver Radio Network. A Beaver Radio Network broadcast will also be available for each game on the radio dial at 94.3 FM or online at www.beaverradionetwork.com.
 
Bemidji State Notes

• The Beavers close out a six-game homestand this weekend and looks for their first wins of the season before a week off for Thanksgiving break.
• Bemidji State snaps a run of four consecutive opponents ranked nationally by facing the unranked Mavericks. The Mavericks opened the season receiving votes in the national polls but have fallen out after a nine-game losing stretch.
• Five of the eight member teams in the WCHA are ranked in the national top-15 polls.
• Bemidji State last played on Nov. 3-4 and fell twice to No. 2 Ohio State University at Sanford Center.
• Bemidji State is fueled by its top line of Taylor Nelson, Gabbie Smith and Hailey Armstrong.
• The three have combined for 15 of the team's 28 points this season and eight of the team's 10 goals.
• However, the line has come across a scoring drought and has not produced a goal in three games (Oct. 21).
• Smith (1g-3a) center's the line with Nelson on the left and Armstrong on the right. Nelson leads the team with six points off two goals and four assists while Armstrong follows with five points off five goals to lead the team in goal scoring.
• Smith has taken 41 percent of the team's face-offs and is third in the WCHA with 254 total face-offs. She has won 109 of those draws for a 42.9 win percentage which ranks 11th in the conference.
• Armstrong's five goals pace the team and is tied for 15th in the WCHA.
• Junior Makenna Deering powers the Beavers' blueline leading the group with three points off three assists and is tied for ninth in the league with 19 blocked shots.
• Freshman Riley Reeves leads the team with 30 blocked shots which is the most in the WCHA and tied for fifth in Division I.
• Junior Abbie Thompson has been the workhorse in between the pipes for the Beavers starting nine of the Beavers' 12 games this season.
• She has stopped the most shots in the WCHA (290) and 14th in Division I.
• The Forest Lake, Minn., native has posted a 4.20 goals against average and .890 save percentage.
• Minnesota State travels to Bemidji looking to snap a nine-game losing streak and has had eight days off from its last competition (Nov. 9) in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game.
• The two teams will meet for the 102nd and 103rd meetings in the all-time series this weekend and Bemidji State holds the all-time series record at 46-40-15.
• However, the Mavericks have won the last three meetings and went 3-1-0 in last year's season series.
• Bemidji State is 23-17-10 when hosting the Mavericks.
• Head coach Jim Scanlan is 19-17-3 in 10 seasons coaching against the Buckeyes.
• 2023-24 is the 26th season of Bemidji State Women's Hockey. In 26 seasons, the Beavers are 271-523-79 (.360).
• Head coach Jim Scanlan is in his 10th season at the helm of the Bemidji State Women's Hockey program. He is 118-183-22 (.413) in his coaching career. He is one of 22 head coaches in Division I Women's Hockey with 100 career victories and is sixth among active WCHA coaches in victories.
• During the off-season, Scanlan announced the return of two former Beavers to his coaching staff for the upcoming season. Amber Fryklund makes her return as Associate Head Coach after pursuing a teaching career while former defenseman Alexis Joyce makes her coaching debut and was named an Assistant Coach.
• They join Sarah Bobrowski (Assistant Coach) as the four leaders of the program for the season.
• Senior Taylor Nelson was voted by her teammates to lead the 2023-24 Beavers on and off the ice and will dawn the "C" on her sweater. She will be assisted by fellow seniors Khloe Lund and Gabbie Smith who will serve as alternates and wear the "A".
• The Beavers have 24 student-athletes rostered for the 2023-24 season with 14 forwards, six defensemen and four goaltenders.
• BSU returns 15 athletes from last year (10 forwards, three defensemen, two goaltenders) and lost 10 athletes (4 forwards, five defensemen, one goaltender) to graduation or the transfer portal.
• Scanlan has added nine newcomers to the squad with four forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.
• Junior Genevieve Hendrickson (2g-5a) and senior Khloe Lund (1g-6a) are the top scorers returning with each posting seven points in 30 games last season.
• Nelson and sophomore Raeley Carney are the top returning goal scorers after each scored three goals.
• Junior Abbie Thompson is the top returning goaltender after starting six games last year and posted a 2-4-0 record with a 4.68 goals against average and .844 save percentage.
• Bemidji State's nine newcomers to the team are Olivia Dronen, Ana Davis, Talya Hendrickson, Kate Johnson, Shelby Sandberg, Riley Reeves, Hailey Armstrong and Eva Filippova.
• The Beavers look to add goal scoring from some of the highest scoring players in the state of Minnesota. Talya Hendrickson and Kate Johnson helped Warroad High School to back-to-back Class A State Tournament championships with Talya, younger sister of BSU forward Genevieve Hendrickson, recording the second most points in both classes with 101 (38g-63a) and Johnson third with 98 (38g-60a). The pair combined for 572 points in their Warroad careers.
• The 2023-24 BSU Women's Hockey roster consists of 16 Minnesotans, one Alaskan, one North Dakotan, one Wisconsinite, four Canadians and the program's first Russia native in freshman goaltender Eva Filippova.

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).
 
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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