BEMIDJI -- The Bemidji State women’s hockey team has named its captains for the 2021-22 season.
Claudia Verkerke, Kerigan Dowhy and Kate Boland will captain the Beavers for this upcoming season, the team announced Tuesday. Verkerke will wear the captain’s “C” while Dowhy and Boland will serve as alternate captains. The team’s returning players elected the trio to leadership positions by vote.
“To me, leadership, good positive leadership within a team, is all about developing relationships with your teammates and through that process, a connection is made. A deep, meaningful connection where caring is very apparent,” head coach Jim Scanlan said in a release. “It’s the ability to put the team first in all situations. It’s having a positive outlook and attitude in all situations…. That is what these three have provided throughout their careers and that is why they were elected to these leadership positions by their teammates.”
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Verkerke, an incoming senior forward from White Bear Lake, has appeared in 60 games over the past three seasons, including in 19 of 20 games last season.
Dowhy will use her extra year of eligibility and return for a fifth season in net. The goaltender appeared in 19 games during the shortened 2020-21 season and made 18 starts. The native of The Pas, Manitoba, ranked sixth in the WCHA in goals against average (2.91) and eighth in save percentage (.904). Dowhy ranks in the top ten in program history in every major statistical category for goaltenders.
Boland, an incoming junior defenseman, has suited up in 41 games for BSU over two seasons. The Northfield native appeared in all 20 games last season and ranked fourth on the team with 30 blocked shots.
Bemidji State finished 2-16-2 overall in 2020-21. Twenty members of the young team are set to return for 2021-21.
The Beavers open the conference schedule Oct. 1-2 at Division I newcomer St. Thomas in a two-game WCHA series to begin a 28-game league slate. BSU will announce its nonconference schedule at a later date.
