ST. CLOUD -- The Bemidji State women's hockey team lost to St. Cloud State 3-0 in the first game of a first-round playoff series Friday night at the National Hockey Center and saw its postseason losing streak reach 13 straight games.
The Huskies can close out the best-of-three game series in Game 2 Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. at the National Hockey Center. If BSU wins, Game 3 is Sunday at 7:07 p.m. at the National Hockey Center.
"It was a battle of special teams, (St. Cloud State's) power play scored twice and ours failed to score," BSU head coach Steve Sertich said. "I thought they took the game away from us about half-way through and we never recovered."
The Beavers got their star Slovakian goalie, Zuzana Tomcikova, back from the Winter Olympic Games and she finished with 25 saves in the game.
In the first period the two sides were evenly matched as neither team could get on the scoreboard.
ADVERTISEMENT
Special teams play was the story of the second period as there were a total of four power-play opportunities between the two teams.
The Huskies scored two power-play goals in the period to take a 2-0 lead after two periods.
Riding out their momentum, the Huskies took control of the game in the third period out-shooting the Beavers 12-4.
BSU had a late power play, but St. Cloud State scored an empty-net goal on the Beavers' 6-on-4 advantage to ice the game.
"We haven't scored a goal in two games and we needed to try to find a way. With the six-on-four I though we had a chance to cut the lead in half, and you never know what could happen after something like that," Sertich said.
Bemidji State remains winless in the post season with an overall record of 0-14 in the playoffs. BSU is also winless this season when the opponent scores first, marking a 0-13-4 record when failing to get on the board first.
St. Cloud State scored on two-of-three power-play opportunities it had in the game.
Bemidji State was 0-for-4.
ADVERTISEMENT
Husky goalie Ashley Nixon had a fairly quiet night in net turning away 14 shots for the shutout.
The Beavers were out shot in the game 28-14.
The winner of this weekend's first round playoff series will advance to the WCHA Final Face-Off for the postseason championship next weekend in Minneapolis.
