BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team plays its last home game until February 20 this weekend by hosting No. 13 Minnesota State University, Mankato for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series.
 
After hosting the Mavericks (11-13-2, 5-13-2 WCHA) Friday night at Sanford Center, the Beavers (5-18-3, 2-17-1 WCHA) and Mavericks then face-off Saturday evening at Yanmar Arena in Grand Rapids, Minn., to compete in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Face-Off Classic. Puck drop for game one is slated for 6:02 p.m. at Sanford Center with game two scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. in Grand Rapids.
 
Each game will be streamed exclusively online on B1G+ with play-by-play provided by the Beaver Radio Network. A 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 returns home to play its final home game until Feb. 20, the final weekend of the regular season.
• The Beavers have a split home series hosting the Mavericks Friday night at Sanford Center then travel to Grand Rapids to face the Mavericks in the U.S. Hockey Museum Hall of Fame Face-Off Classic.
• The Beavers are 4-4-0 in eight opportunities to play in the Face-Off Classic since it debuted in women's college hockey during the 2008-09 season.
• Of the 15 Face-Off Classics, Bemidji State has appeared in eight of them, most of any team to participate (Minnesota-7, St. Cloud State-6, Minnesota State-3, Minnesota Whitecaps-2, Wisconsin-2, Lindenwood-1, Minnesota Duluth-1, St. Thomas-1).
• The Beavers faced-off against Minnesota in last year's Face-Off Classic held at the Lakeville Hasse Arena and fell to the Gophers 1-4.
• The Beavers and Mavericks will battle for the Hall of Fame Game Trophy which will be presented to the winning team by Babbitt, Minn. native Buzz Schneider, a member of the 1980 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Gold Medal winning team.
• The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum (www.ushockeyhall.com) opened in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of ice hockey in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials, and teams.
• This will mark the second time in program history the Beavers will have played in Grand Rapids after facing Robert Morris at the IRA Civic Center on Nov. 17, 2007.
• The Beavers will also be hosting special themes during Friday's series opener at Sanford Center.
• The Beavers will be honoring National Girls and Women In Sports Day (Feb. 4) to help inspire and celebrate and bring national attention to the promise of girls and women in sports.
• #NGWSD2026 is a national day co-founded and powered by the Women's Sports Foundation, supported by its team of champion athletes. Annually, schools and community-serving organizations host over 300 grassroots events across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. with an estimated reach of 200,000 girls and women.
• Friday night the Beavers will also be partnering with Sophie's Squad and join together in an effort to raise awareness for mental health issues and removing the stigma associated with seeking help for athletes.
• Bemidji State starts their series with the Mavericks looking to end a six-game losing streak  and seven-game winless streak.
• The Beavers will face its third consecutive top-15 nationally ranked opponent in the 13th ranked Mavericks.
• Nine of the Beavers' 14 series this season have been versus top-15 nationally ranked opponents.
• Bemidji State is 2-14-0 against nationally ranked opponents this season.
• Bemidji State is looking to rebound after previously traveling to face No. 1 University of Wisconsin last weekend where they were swept by the Badgers.
• The Beavers fell 10-3 and 6-1 in each game of their WCHA series against the Badgers but showed promise after scoring three goals against the defending national champion Badgers for the first time since Jan. 11, 2020.
• The Beavers were fueled by its top line of Morgan Smith, Isa Goettl and Hailey Armstrong who combined to score all four of the team's goals in the series.
• Morgan Smith led the Beavers factoring in on all four goals in the series with two goals and two assists.
• Isa Goettl followed with a goal and two assists while Hailey Armstrong added a goal and assist.
• Defender Carmen Bray snapped a 10-game streak without a point by collecting an assist.
• BSU goaltender's Kaitlin Groess and Ava Hills combined to make 93 saves in the series including 48 from Hills.
• Eight WCHA games remain before the WCHA Playoffs begin Feb. 27.
• Bemidji State narrowly leads the all-time series versus Minnesota State with a 48-47-16 all-time series record.
• Friday will mark the 112th time the two teams have faced-off against one another dating back to their series start in 1999.
• The home team has been favored in the all-time series with BSU holding a 25-19-10 record at home while the Mavericks are 28-23-6 in Mankato.
• Saturday will mark the first time the two teams have met at a neutral site but previously played on the Hockey Day Minnesota Rink at Hockey Day in Minnesota in Bemidji on Jan. 19, 2019.
• Morgan Smith leads all BSU skaters with seven career points (4g-3a) in six games against the Mavericks.
• In their last series back on Oct. 31-Nov. 1, goaltender Ava Hills stopped 67-of-71 shots as BSU earned a point with a shootout loss in Mankato.
• Second-year head coach Amber Fryklund is 1-4-1 coaching against the Mavericks.
• Sophomore Morgan Smith leads the team with 21 points (11g-10a) through 26 games surpassing the 20-point mark she set during her freshman campaign.
• She has tied a career-high with 11 goals and set a career-high with 10 assists and is the first Beaver since Clair DeGeorge (2018-200 with back-to-back 20-point seasons.
• She is also the first Beaver sophomore to start her collegiate career with consecutive 20-point seasons since Clair DeGeorge (2017-19).
• Smith is one of five Beavers with 20-points in their first two seasons of collegiate women's hockey joining DeGeorge (2017-20) Kelly Hart (2003-07), Caesare Stimson (2000-02) and Alicia Kinsman (1999-02).
• Junior captain Hailey Armstrong follows smith with 17 points and leads the team with 12 goals and has posted back-to-back seasons with 10 or more goals.
• She has skated in 99 career games and totaled 31 goals in her collegiate career which is tied for 16th most at Bemidji State.
• Armstrong also three game-winning goals leading the team this season and seven during her career which is tied for the fourth most in program history.
• Redshirt sophomore Isa Goettl is third on the team with 16 points but has the hottest stick as of late. She leads the team with a five-game point streak and has seven points (2g-5a) over the last five games.
• Morgan Smith follows with a four-game point streak and has six points (3g-3a) over the last four games.
• The Beavers' goals per game average of 1.77 this season is the best since the 2019-20 season (1.92).
• Junior Carmen Bray leads the Beavers' blueline with seven points off seven assists.
• Sophomore Kaitlin Groess leads BSU netminders with 17 of the team's 26 starts. She has posted a 4-12-2 record, 4.18 goals against average and .876 save percentage.
• Senior Ava Hills has made nine starts and is 1-6-1 with a 4.42 goals against average and .893 save percentage.
• Bemidji State leads the WCHA and is 12th nationally with 375 blocked shots.
• Freshman defender Katy Comstock leads the WCHA and is tied for 12th nationally with 56 blocked shots despite her 5-foot-0-inch stature.
• The Beavers are in year two under the leadership of head coach Amber Fryklund and one win shy of tying last season's win total of six.
• She has brought in 11 newcomers to the green and white including transfers Carmen Bray (St. Cloud State) and Elly Klepinger (Minnesota).
• Junior Hailey Armstrong captains the Beavers during the 2025-26 season and will be assisted by Smith and senior Raeley Carney.
• Eight freshmen join the team in Senja Leeper (Minnetonka HS), Lola Macuiba (Shawnigan Lake School), Kasey Senden (Hill-Murray HS), Addie Morris (Benilde-St. Margaret's), Paige Smith (Edmonton Jr. Oilers), Maddie Kaiser (Balmoral Hall Prep), Katy Comstock (Warroad HS) and Ashlyn Hazlett (Minnetonka HS).

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 hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).