Two hockey teams in desperate need of a win, come to grips tonight at Nymore Gardens when Bemidji hosts Coleraine.
It will be the final game of the year for the Jacks. Coleraine closes with Eveleth-Gilbert Saturday.
After a 9-5-1 start, Bemidji has lost eight of its last nine starts to fall to 10-13-1.
The Raiders have dropped their last four to sink to 6-17 and will battle E-G for last place in the Iron Range Conference Saturday. Each has won only one conference game.
Not only have the Raiders been losing but have been well lathered of late, losing 9-0 to Hibbing and 9-1 to Grand Rapids and Denfeld.
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As always, attitude will play a large factor in the non-Range game for the Raiders.
Bemidji is hoping for another strong offensive effort. It hit a season-high six goals Tuesday at Detroit Lakes.
Unfortunately, the defense gave up eight, a figure topped only by the 12-0 Moorhead rout in December.
The win lifted DL to 13-6-2 and followed a 4-4 tie with Thief River Falls Saturday.
Coach Roger Mischke will give his full tournament squad extensive playing time tonight.
Pete Goldberg will open in goal with Derek Dudgeon set to enter midway through the game.
Noah Nemgar will center his brother Jesse and Dylan Wizner.
Ryan Johnson will be flanked by Brandon Daniels and Chris Curb with Alex Schulz skating with Matt Boyer and Casey Reierson.
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The fourth unit will see Riley Colley, Casey Nelson and Ryan Jensen.
Defensive pairs are Ryan Sullivan and Cody Gregg, Justin Hunt and Josh Ehrhorn and Greg Larson with Kyle Nohre.
Bemidji won last year's game at Coleraine 8-4.
Bemidji never led at DL Tuesday, falling behind 2-0 at the start, tying the game at 2-2 but yielding its second power play goal before the first period ended to trail by one.
The Lakers made it 5-3 after two and sent in the first two goals of the third period to take command, holding off Bemidji's late comeback.
Three of the winners' goals came on the power play with Bemidji drawing seven of the 15 whistles.
Bemidji's power kill unit continued to have problems allowing three goals in six attempts and eight in 21 over the past three games.
Cody Einerson, Chase Halvorson and Joe Schiller had two goals each for the Lakers.
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Noah Nemgar had his first hat trick of the year while Curb added his third two-goal game. Jesse Nemgar had the sixth goal.
Einerson put the Lakers on the board after only 39 seconds and Tyler Swenson added a power play goal three minutes later.
Noah Nemgar and Curb put Bemidji goals back to back in a 45 second span to tie the count but Schiller's first goal on a 5 on 3 power play at 14:15 gave the Lakers a lead they never lost.
Jack Kippen connected 26 seconds into the second period and Halvorson had his second goal with eight seconds left to increase the lead to 5-3. Noah Nemgar scored between those two goals.
Halvorson and Schiller put goals back to back to open the final period for a 7-3 lead and all but seal Bemidji's fate.
Noah Nemgar and Einerson traded goals for an 8-4 advantage before Jesse Nemgar and Curb ended the scoring.
Almost five minutes remained after Curb's tally but the Jacks were not to score again.
Aaron Carter worked most of the first two periods with Goldberg coming on to finish. Each allowed four goals.
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The B Team, a 3-0 winner at DL, will open tonight's card at 5:15 with the varsity set to start at 7:30.
The Jacks will host Apollo Tuesday night in their first tournament game. The winner goes against Roseau or Monticello in the semifinals Feb. 24, likey at Roseau, with the title game March 1 at Thief River Falls. Moorhead is top seeded. Second seeder Roseau is defending champiion.
Bemidji 2 1 3---6
Detroit Lakes 3 2 3---8
FIRST PERIOD: DL-Einerson 0:39;
DL-Swenson (Kippen) 3:27 pp; Bem-N. Nemgar (Schulz) 8:17; Bem-Curb (Johnson) 9:05; DL-Schiller (Kippen) 14:15 pp; Penalties: Bem-Wizner, high stick 2:41; DL-Kiepke, trip 6:09; Bem-Reierson, interference 13:47; Bem-bench penalty 13:47
SECOND PERIOD: DL-Kippen 0:26; Bem-N. Nemgar (J. Nemgar) 10:56; DL-Halvorson 16:52; Penalties: DL-Halvorson, trip 1:15; Bem-Wizner and DL-Einerson, roughing 8:16; DL-Provo, hold 8:50; Bem-Gregg, interference 14:13; Bem-N. Nemgar, trip 10:56
THIRD PERIOD: DL,-Halvorson, 2;55; DL-Schiller (Danner) 8:56; Bem-N. Nemgar (J. Nemgar-Wizner) 10:44 pp; DL-Einerson (Schiller-Kippen) 11:21 pp; Bem-J. Nemgar (Wizner-N. Nemgar) 11:34; Bem-Curb (Johnson) 12:11; Penalties: DL-Provo, interference 6:17; DL-Danner, interference 9:16; Bem-Nohre, slash 10:58
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Goal Stops
Bem-Carter 6 11 x- --xx
Bem-Goldberg 1 13---31
DL-Vavricka 11 15 14---40
