BOYS HOCKEY: Warroad shuts out Bemidji 3-0

BEMIDJI – The Bemidji boys hockey team was shut out for the third time this season in its 3-0 loss to Warroad Tuesday night at the Sanford Center.

“We have got to play better hockey, that is the bottom line,” Bemidji head coach Wade Chiodo said. “We are not supporting the puck or doing the little things right, and that makes it tough to generate offense.”

Warroad controlled the pace early on and it did not let up. The Warriors (5-1) spent most of the first eight minutes of the game on the attack.

They got on the board first with a goal from Jared Berthune just after the nine minute mark, with an assist from Kobe Roth.

Just three minutes later, Warroad got a second goal from Brandon Newhouse to earn a quick 2-0 lead.

Quincy George and Casey Anderson both were credited with assists on the goal.

Bemidji (2-4) saw its first opportunity of the power play with exactly two minutes remaining in the first period, but was unable to score and trailed 2-0 at the end of one period.

The Lumberjacks saw another power play opportunity just 1:30 into the second period, but again, they were unable to capitalize on the Warriors penalty.

“At that point of the game, it was more important to start playing the way we are capable of playing,” Chiodo said. “I do not know if that was a pivotal point or not. Bottom line is that we are just not penetrating anywhere on the ice.”

Bemidji’s best scoring opportunity of the night came late in the second period when Matt Serratore fired a shot past Warroad goaltender Justin King, but the shot bounced off of the right post and underneath King. The referees discussed the play and determined it was not a goal.

Warroad held its 2-0 lead throughout the second period and led in shots 21-13.

Things did not get much better in the third period for Bemidji, as it picked up an early penalty to put Warroad on the power play.

It took the Warriors just 12 seconds to get a goal from Roth to put them ahead 3-0 with just over 12 minutes left.

The Lumberjacks went on another power play later in the period and put eight shots on net in the period, but King and the Warriors kept all eight shots out of the net to complete the shutout.

King finished with 21 saves on the night. Bemidji goaltender Gabe Heifort stopped 26 shots.

Bemidji will look to bounce back when it travels to play Thief River Falls at 7:30 Thursday.

“We have got to play with heart and energy,” Chiodo said. “That is the first thing you have to understand when you walk out onto the ice.”

Warroad 2 0 1 – 3

Bemidji 0 0 0 – 0

First Period – 1, War, Berthune (Roth) 9:06; 2, War, Newhouse (George, Anderson) 12:26.

Second Period – No scoring.

Third Period – 3, War, Roth (Berthune, Smieja) 4:47.

Shots – War 29 Bem 21

Saves – War, King, (21-21); Bem, Heifort (29-26).

Penalties-minutes – War 4-8; Bem 3-6.