WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Hogenson stops 45, but Beavers held scoreless by U of M
Jan. 20—BEMIDJI — A little bit of home cooking didn't do a whole lot of good for the Bemidji State women's hockey team on Friday at the Sanford Center.
The Beavers returned to their hometown rink for the first time since Dec. 3, but a contest back among the comforts of home didn't fix what has ailed them. BSU conceded seven goals to No. 3 Minnesota, failing to match with any of their own in a 7-0 defeat.
"(The key is) just being disciplined," BSU head coach Jim Scanlan said. "That's just part of it. We've got to come back tomorrow and keep battling. I mean, we're definitely a fragile team. Things go south, and it's tough to come back. But I thought our bench was really good today. Their spirits were up, they kept encouraging each other."
Bemidji State (4-20-1, 1-18 WCHA) managed just 16 shots on goal, well short of 52 for the Gophers (19-3-2, 16-1-2 WCHA). Goaltender Hannah Hogenson was under siege for most of the afternoon, and while she racked up 45 saves, U of M just kept digging in.
Grace Zumwinkle scored first for Minnesota at 4:19 in the first period, then Taylor Heise doubled it at 8:32 on the power play.
But the Gophers really burst out of their hole in the second frame. Peyton Hemp got a goal at 2:48 on the power play, then Abbey Murphy made it 4-0 at 5:08. Zumwinkle picked up her second at 9:15, and Heise scored shorthanded at 10:35.
"The second period was where it kind of got away," Scanlan said. "Getting through the first, we were within a shot to make it 2-1 and had a couple chances, but didn't work out. And ultimately, their top players certainly stepped up and made some plays for them."
The Beavers conceded one more power play late in the third period, as Abigail Boreen lit the lamp at 17:56 to seal the final 7-0 margin. That marked BSU's third man-advantage score conceded in the game, and coupled with Heise's shorthanded goal, Bemidji State gave up four scores at uneven strength.
"Minnesota's got a heck of a hockey team," Scanlan said. "They're loaded with a lot of talent, a lot of high-end players. They're tough enough to play 5-on-5. When you give them seven power plays, including a 5-on-3, a four-minute (penalty) at the end of the game, it just puts a lot of pressure on your penalty kill, certainly on your goalie. And that hurt us. Being undisciplined, you just can't play like that against a team like this."
In light of the challenge she confronted, Scanlan singled out the play of Hogenson in net as a positive, noting how the junior goaltender continued to compete despite the circumstances of the contest.
"I thought Hannah Hogenson was outstanding," Scanlan said. "I thought she gave us a chance. And at times, our penalty kill was really good. But again, that's a lot of firepower you're putting on the ice, that extra man. ... (But Hogenson) gave us a chance today. She was in the zone, and played extremely well. So I'm just really, really proud of how she played today."
Skylar Vetter started in net for Minnesota and turned away 12 shots. Olivia King replaced Vetter during the third period and corralled four.
The Beavers conclude their series with the Gophers at 2:01 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, back at the Sanford Center.
Minnesota 7, Bemidji State 0
UM 2 4 1 — 7
BSU 0 0 0 — 0
First period — 1, UM GOAL, Zumwinkle (Boreen, Heise), 4:19; 2, UM GOAL, Heise (Kaiser, Zumwinkle), 8:32, PP.
Second period — 3, UM GOAL, Hemp (Kaiser, Zumwinkle), 2:34, PP; 4, UM GOAL, Murphy (M. Wethington), 5:08; 5, UM GOAL, Zumwinkle (A. Wethington, M. Wethington), 9:15; 6, UM GOAL, Heise (Skaja, Ostertag), 10:35, SH.
Third period — 7, UM GOAL, Boreen (Heise), 17:56, PP.
Saves — Hogenson (BSU) 45; Vetter (UM) 12; King (UM) 4.
