MANKATO, Minn. – Bemidji State University Women's Hockey freshman
Morgan Smith scored her first collegiate hat trick and the first hat trick by a Beaver freshman since 2003 (Jenn Sadler) but Minnesota State University, Mankato defeated the Beavers 5-3 Saturday afternoon to complete the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series sweep.
Smith scored all three goals for the Beavers (3-14-1, 2-12-0 WCHA) for the program's first hat trick since Reece Hunt on Feb. 8, 2020. Senior
Makenna Deering and redshirt freshman
Isa Goettl assisted on two of Smith's goals while sophomore
Hailey Armstrong and freshman
Izy Fairchild each assisted on one.
Four times the Mavericks (8-9-1, 4-9-1 WCHA) got to a two-goal lead over the Beavers but Smith pulled BSU back within one with all three of her goals. However, MSU held-off a late push by the Beavers and sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 36 seconds remaining.
Minnesota State got off to a hot start when Jamie Nelson scored twice within the first 15 minutes. The Beavers struck before the period's end when Smith scored her third goal of the season while on a late BSU power play with 1:05 left in the frame.
The power-play goal was the first for the Beavers since Nov. 1.
Minnesota State retook a two-goal lead in the second period when Claire Vekich netted a power-play goal 5:28 into the middle frame.
But Smith struck again while on a Beaver power play with 7:46 to play in the second period.
The goal would be the first time since Nov. 18, 2023 the Beavers scored two power-play goals in a game and Smith would be the first Beaver to score two power-play goals in a game since
Raeley Carney did so on Sept. 24, 2022.
The second period ended with the Beavers still one goal back of the Mavericks but again MSU pushed its lead to two with a goal from Mackenzie Bourgerie 11:58 into the third period.
Bemidji State didn't quit and 1:36 later, Smith completed her first collegiate hat trick with an even-strength goal to claw the Beavers back within one. However, with just 36 seconds remaining, Vekich netted her second of the game with an empty-net tally clinching the 5-3 victory and series sweep.
Freshman netminder
Kaitlin Groess made 24 saves in between the pipes but falls to 3-10-0.
The Beavers will now have another long stretch without games for the Holiday break. Bemidji State returns Jan. 1 and will face-off with University of Minnesota for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Face-Off Classic in Lakeville, Minn.
For more information on the Bemidji State men's and women's hockey programs, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X or Instagram (@BSUBeaversMHKY/@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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