Bemidji State University

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Freshman Davina Davis scored her second goal of the season, and sophomore Sophia Villanueva made 27 saves as the Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team battled No. 9 St. Cloud State University in a 2-1 loss Friday evening in St. Cloud, Minn.
 
a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } The Beavers struck first with a power-play goal 9:08 into the opening period. Davina Davis found the back of the net for her second goal of the season, giving Bemidji State a 1-0 lead. Kate Johnson and Lola Macuiba earned assists as the Beavers finished 1-for-1 on the power play.
 
The Huskies responded 16 seconds later when Sofianna Sundelin tied the game at 1-1. Regan Bulger then gave St. Cloud State its first lead with the eventual game-winning goal at 16:01.
 
Villanueva helped keep the Beavers within one after stopping 15 of the Huskies' 17 shots during the opening period. She turned aside all seven shots she faced in the second as Bemidji State and St. Cloud State played a scoreless middle frame.
 
The Beavers generated seven shots on goal during the second period, including two from Kasey Senden. Autumn Cooper, Izy Fairchild, Talya Hendrickson, Elly Klepinger and Olivia Dronen also tested Huskies goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö, but Bemidji State entered the third period trailing 2-1.
 
Bemidji State increased its pressure in the final period and outshot the Huskies 11-5. The Beavers pulled Villanueva for an extra attacker with 1:52 remaining and produced several late chances. Maddie Kaiser placed two shots on goal, while Carmen Bray added another attempt during the closing 92 seconds.
 
After Bemidji State called its timeout with six seconds remaining, Fairchild put one final shot on goal with one second left, but Kyrkkö made the save to preserve the Huskies' one-goal victory.
 
Villanueva played 58:08 and stopped 27 of the 29 shots she faced. The Beavers' penalty kill held St. Cloud State scoreless on its only power-play opportunity, while Bemidji State went 1-for-1 with the player advantage.
 
The Huskies finished with a narrow 29-26 advantage in shots on goal, but Bemidji State held an 18-12 edge over the final two periods. The Beavers blocked 11 shots and were assessed only one penalty in the game.
 
Shelby Sandberg paced Bemidji State with four shots on goal, while Fairchild recorded three. Davis, Macuiba, Senden, Hendrickson, Kaiser and Cooper each finished with two. Morgan Smith won a team-high 13 faceoffs.
 
Bemidji State moved to 1-6-0 overall and 0-5-0 in WCHA play, while St. Cloud State improved to 7-2-0 overall and 5-0-0 in the conference. The teams will play the series finale tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 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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