ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team fell to University of St. Thomas, 2–1, in their Western Collegiate Hockey Association series opener at Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Friday evening. The Tommies stole victory away from the Beavers after Rylee Bartz scored the game-winning goal with 55.4 left to play.
 
Junior Shelby Sandberg scored the equalizing goal early in the second period for her second goal of the season for the Beavers lone tally in the game while sophomore goaltender Kaitlin Groess made 28 saves in a losing effort. Junior Olivia Dronen collected an assist, her second of the season.
 
The first period began with Bemidji State winning the initial faceoff, but UST quickly responded. At 19:26, Nora Sauer scored the opening goal for the Tommies, assisted by Ellah Hause and Cara Sajevic. Despite several attempts from Bemidji State, including shots by Carmen Bray and Raeley Carney, their efforts were thwarted by the Tommies' defense and goaltender Dani Strom. Groess made several saves for Bemidji State, keeping the score at 1-0 in favor of UST by the end of the period.
 
Bemidji State broke the deadlock early in the second period when Sandberg scored at 16:31, assisted by Dronen. The period saw multiple missed opportunities from both Bemidji State and the Tommies, with shots from players like Maddie Brown and Haley Maxwell being saved by Groess. Bemidji State maintained offensive pressure with several faceoff wins, notably by Carney and Isa Goettl, while Strom made crucial saves for the Tommies to keep the score tight. The period concluded with the score tied at 1–1.
 
In a tightly contested final period, St. Thomas secured a 2-1 victory over Bemidji State with a decisive goal from Bartz with just 55.4 left to play. The period saw an initial offensive surge from Bemidji State, with Carney winning key faceoffs and Bray forcing saves from Strom. However, the Tommies' defense held firm, blocking multiple attempts, including efforts from Goettl and Talya Hendrickson. With less than a minute remaining, Bartz broke the deadlock, assisted by Brown, stealing the win for the home team.
 
The Beavers will attempt to bounce back tomorrow afternoon in game two at 2:02 p.m.
 
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).
 
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