MEN'S HOCKEY: Vaisanen scores first, but UMD takes over to dominate Beavers
Jan. 8—DULUTH — The Bemidji State men's hockey team had another lead over Minnesota Duluth within its grasp on Saturday in Duluth.
The Beavers went up early on UMD with Jere Vaisanen's goal at 1:15 in the first period. The next four scores went to the Bulldogs, though, powering the home team to a dominant 5-2 win.
It took nearly 10 minutes, but Minnesota Duluth (9-10-1, 4-6 NCHC) countered Vaisanen's goal with Darian Gotz's at 11:02 in the first period. Forty-four seconds later, Kyle Bettens gave UMD a 2-1 lead.
Jesse Jacques built a 3-1 cushion on the power play at 8:07 in the second, and Luke Mylymok added another man-advantage score at 17:57.
Carter Jones cut the deficit to 4-2 with a goal 14 seconds before the end of the penultimate period, but Luke Loheit's empty-netter at 17:44 in the third pushed it back to three goals and sealed the outcome.
Gavin Enright finished with 24 saves in net for Bemidji State (9-6-5, 7-2-3 CCHA), while the Bulldogs' Zach Stejskal stopped 22.
BSU returns to action against Bowling Green on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13-14, in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Minnesota Duluth 5, Bemidji State 2
BSU 1 1 0 — 2
UMD 2 2 1 — 5
First period — 1, BSU GOAL, Vaisanen (Roed, Jones), 1:15; 2, UMD GOAL, Gotz (James, Loheit), 11:02; 3, UMD GOAL, Bettens (Pierce, Olson), 11:46.
Second period — 4, UMD GOAL, Jacques (Mylymok, Kaiser), 8:07, PP; 5, UMD GOAL, Mylymok (Kaiser, Gallatin), 17:57, PP; 6, BSU GOAL, Jones (Roed, Vaisanen), 19:46.
Third period — 7, UMD GOAL, Loheit (unassisted), 17:44, EN.
Saves — Enright (BSU) 24; Stejskal (UMD) 22.
