BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs begin this weekend and the eighth-seeded Bemidji State University Women's Hockey team travels to top-seeded University of Wisconsin for a best-of-three quarterfinal series at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wis.
 
The Beavers (6-25-3, 3-24-1 WCHA) travel to face the Julianne Bye Cup winning Badgers (29-3-2, 23-3-2 WCHA) for the first round of the WCHA Playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Beavers and Badgers will play a best-of-three series at LaBahn Arena beginning Friday, Feb. 27 at 6:02 p.m. Game two will be held Saturday at 3:02 and if needed, game three will be played Sunday at 2:02 p.m.
 
Each game will be streamed exclusively online on B1G+ with play-by-play provided by Badger Athletics. 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 finished eighth in the WCHA standings earning nine points in league play with a 3-24-1 conference record.
• The Beavers finished the regular season with a 6-25-3 record overall matching last seasons win total in the first season led by head coach Amber Fryklund.
• Wisconsin claimed all four meetings against the Beavers during the regular season outscoring the Beavers 30-6 in the season's series.
• The Beavers and Badgers have met eight times in postseason play, including four in the WCHA Final Five/Faceoff.
• Wisconsin is 8-0 all-time against the Beavers in postseason play.
• The Beavers ended the regular season last weekend at home hosting No. 2 Ohio State University falling in both games against the Buckeyes 7-1 and 6-3.
• Bemidji State has lost six straight games entering the start of the WCHA Playoffs.
• The Beavers scored the most goals against the Buckeyes since Jan. 11, 2020 in game two of their series.
• Raeley Carney, Hannah Graves and Shelby Sandberg each led the Beavers with two points each in the series.
• The Beavers also blocked a season-high 26 shots in game two and finished the weekend with 44 as a team.
• Bemidji State hits the road where it is 1-14-3 this season.
• The Beavers face the top-ranked Badgers for the third time this weekend, marking their 12th series versus a nationally ranked opponent.
• Bemidji State is 3-19-0 this season against nationally ranked opponents.
• Wisconsin is 102-7-5 all-time against the Beavers and are 52-4-2 when hosting BSU at home.
• The Beavers last win in Madison was Jan. 16, 2015 a streak of 27 games (0-26-1)
• BSU broke through the Badgers defense in their last series scoring four goals, the most in a series against UW since Jan. 10-11, 2020.
• Sophomore Morgan Smith leads active skaters with four career points (2g-2a) in 10 games against the Badgers.
• Smith also leads the team with 26 points (12g-14a) during the regular season surpassing the 20-point mark she set during her freshman campaign.
• She set career marks in points (26), goals (12) and assists (14) this season and is the first Beaver since Clair DeGeorge (2018-20) 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).
• She has the most points in a single season for the Beavers since Haley Mack totaled 28 in 2019-20.
• Junior captain Hailey Armstrong also reached the 20-point mark for the first time this season and has 15 goals and six assists in 34 games.
• It is the first time since 2019-20 that BSU has had two 20-point scorers in a single season.
• Armstrong leads the team with 15 goals, ranks t-14th in the WCHA and is tied for the 11th for most goals in a single season at BSU.
• She has scored the most goals in a season for the Beavers since Haley Mack also scored 15 in 2019-20.
• She has skated in 107 career games and totaled 34 goals in her career tying Caesare Stimson (2000-07) for 12th all-time at BSU.
• Armstrong also has 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 17 points off seven goals and 10 assists. She has also recorded career-highs in points (17), goals (7) and assists (10) this season.
• The Beavers' goals per game average of 1.65 this season is the best since the 2019-20 season (1.92).
• Junior Carmen Bray leads the Beavers' blueline and is sixth on the team with 11 points off 11 assists. She has found her scoring touch as of late and has four assists over her last six games.
• Sophomore Kaitlin Groess leads BSU netminders with 20 of the team's 34 starts. She has posted a 4-15-2 record, 4.41 goals against average and .872 save percentage. She has started the last three games for the Beavers.
• Senior Ava Hills follows with 14 starts and is 2-10-1 with a 4.14 goals against average and .895 save percentage.
• Bemidji State leads the WCHA and is 12th nationally with 493 blocked shots.
• Freshman defender Katy Comstock leads the WCHA and is tied for 14th nationally with 69 blocked shots despite her 5-foot-0-inch stature.

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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