University of Minnesota Athletics
Scouting Report: Bemidji State
7/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - Before the back-to-back defending national champion Gophers kick off the 2016-17 season, GopherSports.com is taking a closer look at the opponents Minnesota will face in the upcoming season. Up this week is Bemidji State.
About the Series: Minnesota vs. Bemidji State
The Gophers enter the 2016-17 season with an all-time record of 64-6-7 against Bemidji State. Minnesota has won the last four games against the Beavers; the last meeting ended with a 2-1 overtime victory for the Gophers. Minnesota won all four of the match-ups against Bemidji State during the 2015-16 season.
Scouting the Beavers
Bemidji State finished the 2015-16 with an overall record of 22-11-3 (17-9-2 WCHA). BSU took third in the WCHA regular season standings but was upset by Minnesota Duluth in the WCHA quarterfinal round. The Beavers dropped 5-1 and 2-1 (OT) decisions to the Bulldogs in the best-of-three series and did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Seniors Kaitlyn Tougas (8g-21a), Ivana Bilic (3g-19a), and Kristin Huber (9g-20a) led the Beavers in points last season; this year, BSU must fill the void left by its top three leading scorers along with six other 2015-16 seniors. Brittni Mowat led the Beavers in net last year as she posted a 22-11-2 overall record, a .938 saves percentage, and a 1.68 goals against average as a junior in 2015-16.
Senior Madison Hutchinson will serve as the Beavers' team captain for the 2016-17 season, along with assistant captains Carley Esse, Lauren Miller, and Mowat. The Beavers have announced the addition of seven newcomers: Lauren Bench (G, Eagan, Minn.), Abby Halluska (F, Delano, Minn.), Briana Jorde (D, Thief River Falls, Minn.), Jacqueline Kaasa (F, Hudson, Wis.), Haley Mack (F, East Grand Forks, Minn.), Heather Olson (D/F, Bemidji, Minn.), and Kaitlin Radke (F, Hastings, Minn.). BSU opens the 2016-17 season on the road at Syracuse for a non-conference series on Sept. 30 and Oc.t 1.
Last Meeting
The Gophers and Beavers last met on the road in Bemidji, Minn., last January. Minnesota swept the Beavers on the road, winning 2-1 in game one and 2-1 in overtime in game two. In game one, Cara Piazza broke a 1-1 tie in the first minute of the third period to seal the win after Sydney Baldwin and BSU's Ciscely Nelson exchanged goals in the first period. Amanda Leveille made 16 saves as the Gophers outshot the Beavers, 27-17. Game two saw the Gophers rally from a 1-0 deficit to secure the overtime win. Lee Stecklein scored the game-winning goal just 47 seconds into overtime after Dani Cameranesi tied the game at 1-1 on a power-play goal with 6:39 remaining in regulation. Leveille made 28 saves, then a season-high effort, in the win.
Beavers Look to Build on 2015-16
Head coach Jim Scanlan led the Beavers to a program-record 22 victories, a program-record 17 conference wins, and the program's first-ever 20-win regular season in 2015-16. The 2016-17 season marks the 17th year of women's hockey at Bemidji State, and the program's third under the direction of Scanlan.
Next Meeting
The Gophers are set to face the Beavers in the team's first road series of the 2016-17 season with the Maroon & Gold traveling to Bemidji, Minn., Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8. Both games have a 3:07 p.m. CT puck drop, and the series also marks Minnesota's WCHA-opener for the year. The teams then meet at Ridder Arena on Saturday, Nov. 26 and Sunday, Nov. 27.
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