SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – While frigid winter weather saw local wind chills drop as low as -45 degrees, the Bemidji State Beavers did not let the weather conditions cool them down, as they made an early two goal lead stand in picking up their fifth straight win with a 3-0 win over Lake Superior State.
The Beavers (10-6-5, 7-4-4 WCHA) are now unbeaten in their last eight games. They have not lost since December 1, when they fell 3-1 to Bowling Green.
“Our back was against the wall a month ago and our guys responded,” said Beavers head coach Tom Serratore. “We have nine road games and four home games remaining, so for the rest of the season we’re going to be on the road. We went 4-0-2 in our last six home games, and now we’re building on that.”
In picking up his fourth shutout of the year, Beavers goaltender Michael Bitzer stopped all 21 shots he faced.
On Bitzer, Serratore said “He’s just a winner of a person. He’s a goalie who takes his craft very seriously. He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist and a 1st Team All American. We rely heavily on him and he’s been very good over the course of the last month. If we want to do anything this year, he has to be the backbone of our team.”
Bemidji State wasted no time getting on the board, as they took a 1-0 lead just 1:04 into the game. Dylan McCrory collected a rebound that went off the skate of Kyle Bauman and put it past Laker goaltender Nick Kossoff, who was out of position from stopping the initial shot.
Lake Superior (5-14-4, 3-9-3 WCHA) was unable to gain any momentum from its 3rd place finish in the Three Rivers Classic. The Lakers fell 5-0 to host Robert Morris before beating Arizona State 4-1 in the consolation game.
“It’s a tough loss, said Lakers head coach Damon Whitten. “If you don’t score goals, you’re not going to win hockey games. Against Bemidji, it’s going to be a low scoring game, so if you only give up two, you have a chance against that team. Overall, I like their defensive structure. Your big guys have to lead you in these games, and have to find ways to create offense and score goals. Give them credit, plus we all know how good Bitzer is, but the chances were there.”
The Lakers have now been shutout in each of their last three Friday games.
“We need to spend more time in the offensive zone and get to the net for some second chance opportunities,” remarked Whitten. “They box out and play heavy in their zone; our forwards have to get to the front of the net to create those opportunities.”
The Beavers made the score 2-0 when a long shot from the point by Zach Whitecloud was tipped behind Kossoff by Charlie Combs just seconds after going on the man advantage.
“It was nice getting a lead right away,” said Serratore. “It was a big goal a minute into the game and we piggybacked that with a second goal right away. It put us into a good position with a two goal lead.”
The third period saw Lake Superior bring offensive pressure, outshooting the Beavers 11-5 in the final stanza. Bitzer, a 2017 Hobey Baker Award finalist, and one of the premier netminders in the WCHA, kept the Lakers off the board the rest of the way.
An empty netter from Gerry Fitzgerald sealed the deal for the Beavers, as they picked up the 3-0 win.
For Lake Superior, Kossoff made 22 saves on 24 shots in defeat.
Bemidji State had a sluggish start to the year, especially when compared to last season, which saw them run away with the league title. The Beavers were 5-6-2 overall before embarking on their unbeaten streak.
On finishing up the season, Serratore reiterated the need to play strong down the stretch, remarking that his team needs to continue its strong road play.
