BEMIDJI -- It was, according to head coach Jim Scanlan, the Bemidji State women’s hockey team’s best overall series since the start of the season.
The Beavers dominated play in both games last weekend against St. Cloud State. They outshot the Huskies 88-32. They dominated possession and dominated play inside their own zone.
Despite that, the Beavers managed just one win on the weekend -- BSU beat St. Cloud 6-2 on Friday but lost Saturday’s game 3-0.
“In terms of generating opportunities and possessing the puck and a lot of things like that, no question that was our best series in a while,” Scanlan said. “That was the frustrating thing coming out of Saturday’s game. I think the shots wound up 30-something to 14. Everything was in our favor but the one that matters the most is the scoreboard and that was the frustrating thing.”
The shots were 31-14, to be exact, and scoring chances and shot attempts were even better in BSU’s favor.
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“We had some real good looks. Credit their goalie (Janine Adler), because she came up with some real big stops for them,” Scanlan said. “And again, we did a lot of positive things in that game but it was one of those things where I’ve always told them there’s no guarantees and this is a perfect example. You play really well in a lot of areas and you end up getting beat 3-0.”
Still, the Beavers (5-8-1, 3-8-1 WCHA) saw the positives from generating all those offensive chances even if they didn’t find the back of the net Saturday.
Especially going into this weekend’s series with Minnesota (2:07 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis).
“I think Friday especially we got our offensive game back,” said BSU junior Summer Thibodeau, who scored a goal and added an assist on Friday. “We scored six goals and were pretty pumped up about that. Unfortunately we couldn’t create any offense on Saturday. But those goals we scored Friday, it definitely gives us confidence. It was unfortunate we lost Saturday but our effort was there so that will help us against (Minnesota) for sure.”
The good thing for the Beavers is they’re one of the few teams to have actually beaten the Gophers (11-1-2, 9-1-2 WCHA) this season. BSU beat Minnesota 2-0 on Oct. 8 in Bemidji. Thibodeau and Ciscely Nelson scored the goals in that game.
“Obviously they’re just a great hockey team,” Scanlan said. “They certainly remember that Saturday game here. I’m sure they circled the schedule in terms of when they play us again. We know they’re going to get their best effort.”
