BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team hosts back-to-back home Western Collegiate Hockey series this weekend and prepare to host No. 6 University of Minnesota Duluth Feb. 7-8.
 
The Beavers (5-23-1, 2-18-0 WCHA) are looking to carry momentum into their series with the sixth-ranked Bulldogs (15-11-2; 10-10-2 WCHA) after a split with (RV) Minnesota State University, Mankato last weekend. Game one against the Bulldogs is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 7 at 6:02 p.m. with game two Saturday at 3:02 p.m.
 
Each game will be streamed online on B1G+ with play-by-play provided by the Beaver Radio Network. The Beaver Radio Network broadcast is also available for each game online at www.beaverradionetwork.com or on the radio at 94.3 FM The Legends.
 
Bemidji State Notes

• Bemidji State meets No. 6 Minnesota Duluth for the second of their regular season series.
• The Beavers host their first back-to-back home series of the season after hosting (RV) Minnesota State last weekend.
• Just six games remain in the regular season and four of the Beavers' remaining six games are at home.
• Four of the Beavers' five wins have been at home and they hope to bolster their 4-7-1 record at Sanford Center.
• The Beavers are looking to carry momentum into their series with UMD after earning a split with the Mavericks.
• Bemidji State started the series with a 3-2 overtime win over MSU but the Mavericks rebounded with a 5-1 victory Saturday.
• Senior defender Makenna Deering scored twice in Friday's win including the game-winning overtime goal and was named the WCHA Defender of the Week for just the second time in her career.
• The Beavers are eighth in the WCHA standings with eight points (3-19-0) while Minnesota Duluth is fourth with 36 points (10-10-2) entering the weekend.
• Bemidji State is 22-94-4 all-time against the Bulldogs and are 10-41-1 when facing UMD at home.
• The Beavers host the Bulldogs for the first time since Oct. 28, 2023 after the last two series have been played at AMSOIL Arena.
• Minnesota Duluth is on a 15-game winning streak versus BSU dating back to Jan. 23, 2021.
• The Beavers last win against UMD was Jan. 22, 2021 a 1-0 overtime win in Bemidji.
• The two teams met earlier this season on Nov. 22-23 in Duluth with the Bulldogs earning a 8-1 victory and 2-0 victory.
• Senior Shelby Breiland scored the Beavers' lone goal in the series, her lone goal on the season.
• Sophomore Eva Filippova played 77 minutes in net for the Beavers and stopped 48-of-52 shots for a .923 save percentage.
• Deering leads all skaters at BSU with two career points (2a) against the Bulldogs while Filippova has made five appearances and posted a .944 save percentage and 2.21 goals against average against UMD.
• The Beavers are led by its underclassmen with seven of their top-10 scorers either freshmen or sophomores.
• Freshman Morgan Smith paces the Beavers with 16 points (8g-8a) while sophomore Hailey Armstrong and redshirt freshman Isa Goettl are close behind with 15 points each.
• Smith and Armstrong are each tied for the team lead with eight goals while Goettl's nine assists leads the team.
• Six of Smith's eight goals have come on the power play which is tied for the third most in a single season in Bemidji State's history and is the most power-play goals in a season since the 2011-12 season.
• Smith's 16 points are the most points in a season for BSU since the 2021-22 season.
• Smith also leads the Beavers with nine power-play points (6g-3a) while Goettl (2g-4a) and Deering (1g-5a) follow with six.
• The Beavers are seventh in the WCHA with a power-play percentage of .167 (12-of-72).
• Bemidji State continues to be one of the top teams in the nation at blocking shots leading the WCHA and second in Division I with 487 blocked shots.
• Five of the league's top 11 shot blockers are Bemidji State Beavers including sophomore Riley Reeves who leads the league and is fourth in the nation with 74 blocked shots.
• Freshman Kaitlin Groess is the Beavers' leading netminder posting a 3-14-0 record with a 3.44 goals against average and .900 save percentage in 17 games this season.
• She has split time during the second half of the season with sophomore Eva Filippova who is 1-7-0 with a .893 save percentage and 3.54 goals against average.
• Filippova earned her first win of the season last weekend and has been hot posting a .911 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average over her last three starts.
• Senior Alyssa Watkins was voted by her peers to captain the team during the season and is the 40th team captain in the program's history. She is joined by senior Genevieve Hendrickson and junior Mya Headrick who will serve as alternate captains.
• The Beavers' roster consists of 17 Minnesotan's, 19 from the U.S., five from Canada, and three from Europe.
• 2024-25 is the 27th season in Bemidji State Women's Hockey history and the program is 280-565-81 (.346) in 924 games played.

For more information on the Bemidji State women's hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X or Instagram, or like them on Facebook.
 
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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