Box Score BEMIDJI, Minn. – Michael Bitzer stopped 26 of 27 shots and the host Beavers scored the game's last five goals en route to a 6-1 victory over the No. 16/RV Alaska Nanooks on Friday night at the Sanford Center to open up Western Collegiate Hockey Association play.
Alaska (5-2-0, 0-1-0 WCHA) will look to bounce back quickly against Bemidji State (2-3-0, 1-0-0 WCHA) as the two teams will face off again, tomorrow, at 4:07 p.m. AKT.
Bemidji took the lead just four and a half minutes into the game as Matt Prapavessis slipped one past
Davis Jones to give the Beavers the lead. The Nanooks knotted the game up at the 11:53 mark of the first as
Nolan Kaiser scored his second goal of the season, with assists to
Tyler Morley and
Colton Parayko.
Though both teams tested the other's goaltender, neither was able to find a breakthrough for the rest of the period, and they went to the locker rooms tied at one. Alaska led the period in shots, 8-7.
As the second period got underway, it was again Bemidji who created the better chances. The Beavers were rewarded for their efforts with a goal just four minutes in, as Nate Arentz fired a shot past Jones.
Though Alaska fiendishly searched for an equalizer, it was Bemidji's Brendan Harms who would score, with just six seconds left on the clock in the second period.
In the third period, the Nanooks failed to capitalize on several great opportunities. After Gerry Fitzgerald went to the box for interference, Alaska went on the power play with a chance to pull within one. However, the Beavers would increase their lead with Charlie O'Connor's shorthanded goal at the 7:06 mark.
Alaska was handed an even greater opportunity moments later, as Bemidji's Markus Gerbrandt was sent to the box with a five minute major for a ghoulish hit as a result of him charging. Unfortunately, the Nanooks could not find a way through Bitzer, who made several key saves.
Philip Marinaccio and O'Connor would tally the game's next two goals to seal the 6-1 win for the Beavers.
The Nanooks fickle efforts on the power play continued, as tonight they were 0-7 with the man advantage. For the season, Alaska is now 3-34 (.009 pct.) on the power play.
Alaska will play Bemidji again tomorrow before migrating back to Alaska for a two-game series against Bowling Green on November 7-8 at the Carlson Center.
