Bemidji State Hockey
2008-09 Season Preview
FORWARDS
senior Tyler Scofield
senior Travis WINTER
RETURNING Tyler Scofield Travis Winter Brandon Marino Matt read Tyler Lehrke Matt Francis Ian Lowe Chris McKelvie Ryan Cramer Emil Billberg
Yr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So.
GP 94 85 80 36 55 34 24 46 31 15
g-a=p 26-46=72 22-36=58 8-24=32 9-18=27 7-10=17 5-10=15 2-8=10 7-1=8 4-3=7 2-1=3
GP 143 129 115 55
g-a=p 33-38=71 33-32=65 15-23=38 6-25=31
NEWCOMERS Last Team Darcy Findlay CJHL-Cornwall Ben Kinne USHL-Sioux City Jamie MacQueen OPJHL-Vaughn Brent Tamane OPJHL-Toronto Shea Walters NAHL-North Iowa
g-a=p 44-38=82 17-26=43 37-38=75 26-34=60 24-60=84
LOST Matt POPE Blaine Jarvis Jake Bluhm Joey Moggach
T
he Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey program enters the 2008-09 season with some unfinished business. Despite extending its streak of consecutive seasons of .500-or-better hockey to six with an overall mark of 17-16-3 a year ago en route to capturing its third College Hockey America regular-season title in five years with a league record of 13-4-3, the team skated off the ice in March feeling a bit slighted. Not to discount the team and individual accolades that were achieved in 2007-08, but the Beavers fell one goal shy of meeting their ultimate ambition of having their ticket punched to perform on the biggest stage in collegiate hockey--the NCAA Tournament. Bemidji State boasts one of the most storied traditions in all of hockey. The 52-year history of the program may be best told by the banners that adorn the rafters of John S. Glas Fieldhouse--the home of Beaver Hockey for the last 42 seasons. At BSU, banners have been raised for 13 national championships at the NAIA, NCAA Division II and III levels, 20 conference crowns and two NCAA Division I Tournament berths. The Beavers are quickly approaching 950 all-time wins and have earned those victories at a pace of nearly 70-percent. For the players, being a part of a tradition is not enough. Each time they pull the Green and White on over their hearts, they engage in battle to add to that legacy. Under the direction of eighth-year head coach Tom Serratore, the Beavers have again set their sights high in 2008-09, undoubtably chasing the carrot of a national tournament automatic berth that comes with
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senior Brandon Marino
Defensemen
the 2009 CHA Tournament Championship. The BSU 2008-09 roster features 17 players that have returned to Bemidji State with at least one season of college hockey experience under their belts, including the return of 10 forwards, five defenders and two goaltenders. In addition, Bemidji State brings nine newcomers into the fold in the form of eight freshmen and a transfer. The incoming class is made up of five forwards, three blue liners and a goaltender. “I really like what we have coming back this year,” commented Serratore. “I think we are going to be good in goal and pretty deep on the back line. The uncertainty for us this year will be how much scoring depth we have. “I think we have four or five guys that can score at this level, but we actually have quite a few unproven players.” He added, “If we can get some of our young players to mature early and become legitimate scoring threats, we could be in really good shape.” Offensively, the team is coming off a season in which it managed 3.55 goals per game to lead the CHA. The Beavers return 68 percent of their scoring productivity from a year ago headlined by the trio of Travis Winter, Tyler Scofield and Matt Read. Linemates for the bulk of 2007-08, the trio finished the season as the team’s top three scorers combining for 31 goals, 46 assists and 77 points. Defense has come to be a trademark of Beaver hockey over the past few seasons and should be a steady force for Serratore again this winter. The return of five veterans form a unit that allowed a league-low 1.95 goals per game a year ago--just 39 goals in 20 CHA contests--will be the foundation for
Senior Cody Bostock
Junior Chris Peluso
Junior Graham McManamin
RETURNING Yr. Cody BOSTOCK Sr. Chris Peluso Jr. Graham McManamin Jr. Kyle Hardwick Jr. Dan MacIntyre So.
GP 103 62 39 22 11
g-a=p 12-26=38 1-15=16 3-12=15 1-2=3 0-1=1
LOST David DETERDING Riley WESELOWSKI John Vadnais
GP 138 124 47
g-a=p 1-13=14 8-31=39 3-11=14
NEWCOMERS Last Tm Ryan Adams NCAA-Wayne State Brad Hunt BCHL-Burnaby Tyler Jundt NAHL-North Iowa
g-a=p 1-6=7 16-39=55 7-13=20
Goaltenders
senior Orlando ALAMANO
Sophomore Matt DALTON
freshman Dan BAKALA
RETURNING Orlando ALAMANO Sr. Matt DALTON So.
GP GAA/Sv% 14 2.31 / .920 5 3.09 / .854
LOST Matt CLIMIE Sr.
GP GAA/Sv% 95 2.45 / .908
NEWCOMERS Dan BAKALA
GP GAA/Sv% 43 3.52 / .895
2008-09 Beaver Hockey Media Guide
Bemidji State Hockey
2008-09 Season Preview
Captains
senior Cody BOSTOCK
senior Travis Winter
junior Chris McKELVIE
The 2008-09 Bemidji State men’s hockey team will be captained by the trio of Travis Winter, Cody Bostock and Chris McKelvie. Winter has been selected to wear the “C,” while Bostock and McKelvie will serve as alternate captains.
“Captains are an extension of the coach-
ing staff,” stated BSU head coach Tom Serratore. “I lean on our captains often, and they play a vital role in what goes on with this hockey team.
“This year, I think we have three guys
with high character, and who work extremely hard.” He added, “They say and do all the right things and are great leaders on and off the ice.”
Winter captains the team after serving as
an alternate a year ago. He joins an exclusive list of Beaver hockey players to captain the team for two seasons or more.
Bostock, a senior defenseman, and
McKelvie, a junior forward, are both in their first seasons filling the role marked as a leader.
The trio have proven themselves as role
models by their performances on the ice and have been recognized for their hard work and
success in 2008-09. Alternate Captain Cody Bostock will anchor the blue line and mentor a talented young class of rookies as well as serve as a point man on the BSU power-play. In goal, Bemidji State will look to Orlando Alamano and Matt Dalton to backstop a team that ranked among the elite in college hockey a year ago in scoring defense and shutouts with seven.
Forwards
Although the Beavers lost over 200 points of productivity up front at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season with the departure of Matt Pope (33-38=71), Blaine Jarvis (32-33=65), Jake Bluhm (15-23=38) and Joey Moggach (6-25=31), BSU returns 10 forwards, highlighted by 2008 College Hockey America Rookie of the Year Matt Read, 2008-09 Pre-Season All-CHA pick Tyler Scofield and 2008 All-CHA Second Team selection Travis Winter. The trio not only stood as league award winners, they finished the 2007-08 campaign as the Beavers’ top scoring line in addition to being the teams’ top three scorers. Read tallied 9-18=27 points to take the CHA Rookie Scoring title and finish fifth among all league scorers. His 27 point also paced all BSU scoring efforts while his rookie output seats him fifth on BSU Division I-Era freshman scoring charts. In addition to finding the back of the net, Read exhibited a knack for setting his teammates up for success. His total of 18 assists led the team, while his 14 helpers in CHA play placed him fifth among his conference counterparts. “Matt Read was our leading scorer last year as a freshman, which is a difficult thing to achieve,” said Serratore. “He is a high-end hockey player and that’s the simplest way to put it. “We are going to be asking a lot of Matt this year and will lean on him quite heavily.” Serratore added, “After having such a great freshman year, there is
no question we are looking for big things from him again in 2008-09.” The senior duo of Scofield and Winter will be looked upon for leadership and a proven play making ability. Scofield enters the season just 28 points shy of becoming the sixth player in the team’s Division I-era to eclipse the 100-point plateau. The Prince George, British Columbia native capped his junior campaign second on the team with 13 goals a year ago, which included five powerplay markers and a game winner. In total, Scofield posted 26 points to sit on the team second only to Read, recording 13 assists to go with his 13 lamplighters. “Tyler has seen a lot of minutes for us,” Serratore commented. “He is a dynamic skater, has a good shot and he puts himself in places to get scoring chances because of his speed. “After three years I would say he had a good career, but it is our hope that his best year will be his senior year,” added the eighth-year head coach. Winter rolled up 8-15=23 points in 2007-08 to rank third among his teammates. Winter’s hardnosed physical play reaped big benefits for the Beavers. Although his goal-scoring numbers were down a bit from his breakout, First-Team All-CHA sophomore season, the St. Cloud, Minn. native made his goals count. Of his eight goals, five came on the power-play, while three stood as game-winners. “Travis Winter is an extremely well-rounded player,” commented Serratore. “He has outstanding stick skills and a great hockey sense that has allowed him to be very successful the last couple years. With Travis being a senior and our captain this year, we are looking for him to be our rock.” Brandon Marino and Matt Francis round out the Beavers’ senior class of attackers. Marino solidified himself as one of the BSU’s best set up
dedication in off-the-ice training as well as in the classroom.
“Our captains are a testament to the
type of kid we’re bringing into our program,” Serratore said. “These guys come to us as 20-year-old freshmen; they’re not young people, and they’ve been through the juniorhockey wars. When they come to us they already have the values needed to provide leadership to a hockey team.
“Every year, you lose good leaders,”
Serratore said. “It is the job of those guys you lose to set the foundation for the upcoming players.”
“In this program, just because you’re
not wearing a letter doesn’t mean you’re not called upon to lead,” Serratore added. “We have 10-12 other guys whose job it is to serve as leaders for this team - on the ice or off the ice, they’re here to ingrain the values of this program onto our players.” Above: Senior goaltender Orlando Alamano keeps his eyes on a loose puck en route to his first career shutout Oct. 13, 2007 versus Army.
2004, 2005 & 2008 College Hockey America Champions
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Bemidji State Hockey
2008-09 Season Preview men last winter collecting 14 assists to finish third among his teammates. With a mid-season shift to BSU’s second line, Marino elevated his game to a new level. After registering just four points (1g, 3a) in the team’s first 19 games, he recorded 13 points (2g 11a) down the stretch, which included four multipoint contests. “With the loss of Matt Pope and Blaine Jarvis we are going to need some guys to take a step forward and Brandon Marino has the capabilities to do just that,” said Serratore. “He is coming back in the best shape he has been since coming to Bemidji State.” He went on to say, “Brandon is extremely crafty and has outstanding skill. Our hope for him is that as a senior, he is a more consistent scoring force for us.” In his first season in the Green and White, Matt Francis posted five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 34 games. After sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer regulations, it took Francis some time to readjust to actual game day situations and produce points. He recorded an assist in the Beavers’ first game of the season, but put up just two assists in the Beavers’ next 13 games. But after the first of the year, Francis scored in five consecutive games and was a consistent threat for the remainder of the season. “Matt Francis is a guy that carries a very heavy stick when he gets inside the circles.” Serratore said, “We are hoping that allows him to generate some offense this year.” The junior class is made up of forwards Chris McKelvie and Tyler Lehrke. McKelvie, an alternate captain in 2008-09, showed flashes of brilliance in 2007-08 and exhibited just how exciting speed can be. McKelvie found his way into the lineup in 35 of 36 games as a sophomore but needed only one period to cement his name in BSU Hockey lore. McKelvie recorded the school’s eighth hat trick at the major college hockey level versus a nationally-ranked Colorado College, sparking the teams’ conference championship stretch run. McKelvie finished the
season with 6-1=7 points. “Chris McKelvie is our fastest skater and can use that speed to create scoring chances for himself.” Serratore went on to say, “Chris is a junior, he is wearing a letter on his jersey this year, and is a lot more confident in his play.” Tyler Lehrke saw his scoring totals increase to 2-8=10 as a sophomore but according to Serratore, statistical totals may not be the best way to judge the value of a player like Lehrke. “Every player has a role on this team. As much as scoring is emphasized, ultimately we have to keep goals out of our net in order to put ourselves in position to win games,” explained Serratore. “Our guys have done a great job of accepting their roles here at Bemidji State. A player like Tyler Lehrke will get some scoring opportunities, but we have him in a role where he is in against the opposition’s top line and we count on him defensively.” Serratore added, “He is a tough, competitive kid that skates very well.” In addition to Read, the Beavers’ sophomore class gained valuable experience down the stretch a year ago and showed plenty of promise. Ian Lowe paced the crew with 2-8=10 points in 24 games--as seven of those points came when Lowe cracked the lineup for BSU’s last 15 contests. “Ian had a great summer in his off-ice training. He has always had the skill to make plays and score, but he returns a step quicker this year and that will help him immensely,” commented Serratore. It may have taken him a while to adjust to collegiate hockey, but in the final month of the season, Ryan Cramer solidified his future as a solid scoring threat for the Beavers. The freshman netted 4-3=7 points, which included a two-goal outing to clinch the 2007-08 Regular-Season Championship March 1. Emil Billberg posted just 2-1=3 points before suffering a season-ending knee injury, but if you asked the coaching staff, the native of Sweden showed that he was making strides transitioning from the European style of hockey to major college hockey.
sophomore forward Matt READ
senior forward Tyler SCOFIELD
junior forward Chris McKelvie Above: Senior center Travis WInter netted a team-high six power-play goals in 2007-08.
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2008-09 Beaver Hockey Media Guide
Bemidji State Hockey
2008-09 Season Preview
junior defenseman Graham McManamin
senior defenseman Cody BOSTOCK
Billberg potted a goal and an assist versus Minnesota, Duluth as the second half of the season got underway, but his season would come to an abrupt end just two games later due to a knee injury. “In hockey it isn’t so much that you have big scores. Our philosophy is that if you can get a core group of eight to 10 players to score 10 goals or more, your chances of success will increase dramatically.” The eighth year head coach went on to say, “A lot of our depth is pretty even this year. If we could average three to three and a half goals per game this year, we will put ourselves in pretty good shape.” In addition to its core of returning forwards, Bemidji State gains the services of five freshmen attackers for 2008-09. Ben Kinne, Shea Walters, Darcy Findlay, Brent Tamane and Jamie MacQueen will be in the mix for a spot on one of BSU’s front lines. All five have set themselves apart as scorers at each level in which they have competed, the question is just how quickly each will transition to collegiate hockey. Kinne comes to BSU after a season playing for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL. Seeing time in each of the Musketeers’ 60 contests, Kinne ranked fifth on the team with 43 points, which included 17 goals and 26 assists. Of his 17 lamplighters, three came on the power play, two were game-winners and one came while the team was short-handed. MacQueen joins Bemidji State after netting 75 points for the Vaughn Vipers and Pickering Panthers in 2007-08. After posting 22 goals and 21 assists and being named OPJHL South Player of the Month for Pickering during the first 32 games of the season, MacQueen was traded to Vaughn for the final 15 games. After swapping jerseys, he registered an additional 15 goals and 17 assists to average nearly two points per game. He also proved himself valuable on special teams potting 11 power-play goals while collecting three short-handed markers. Tamane committed to BSU after playing for the OPJHL’s Toronto Junior Canadians during the last
two seasons. In 2007-08, he led the team in scoring, recording 26 goals and 34 assists in just 40 contests. He left the Junior Canadian program after rolling up 49 goals and 74 assists in 87 games. Findlay is coming off a season in which he accounted for 44 goals and 38 assists for 82 points for the Central Junior A Hockey league’s Cornwall Colts. His 44 goals was nearly double that of any of his teammates and his 82 points placed him eighth on the league’s scoring charts. Walters rounds out a solid freshman class. Last winter he played for North Iowa of the North American Hockey League. There the Hibbing, Minn. native led the team with 84 points, which included 24 goals and league-high 60 assists.
Defensemen
Returning five players from a blue line unit that contributed to a league low 1.95 goals allowed per game, the Beavers come into 2008-09 with plenty of experience, but the loss of David Deterding and Riley Weselowski due to graduation will definitely be felt. The departed seniors were mainstays on the BSU blue line combining for 262 games from 2004-2008. “Sometimes you don’t realize how valuable guys like that are until they are gone,” said Serratore. “We are going to need some of our current players to really step up this year.” BSU’s head coach went on to say, “We have a good core of returning defensemen. We will definitely lean very heavily on Cody Bostock, Graham McManamin and Chris Peluso.” Bostock may be the Beavers’ best all around defender. He returns as the team’s top-scoring backline player after registering seven goals and 12 assists in 2007-08. Of his seven markers, four counted as game-winners--a statistic that led the team and was tops among CHA defensemen. With ten games and just one assist to his name entering the 2007-08 campaign, McManamin burst on to the scene last winter. In 29 games, he piled up three goals
sophomore defenseman Dan MacIntyre Above: Senior forward Tyler Scofield carves his way through the Robert Morris defense.
2004, 2005 & 2008 College Hockey America Champions
5
Bemidji State Hockey
2008-09 Season Preview and 11 assists and was a steady for BSU defensively. Peluso was the only defenseman to see time in each of the Beavers’ 36 games a year ago. A constant on the blue line, Peluso managed his first career goal and nine assists, saving the goal and five assists for league play. Kyle Hardwick and Dan MacIntyre also return to the BSU back line. Hardwick got off to a slow start seeing time in just five of the Beavers’ first 21 games, but after the first of the year, he was a regular in the defensive pairings. MacIntyre lost a large portion of 2007-08 to injury, but his size and strength will be a welcomed addition to the BSU defensive scheme. To supplement its five returning defenders, BSU gains three blue line players--two incoming freshmen and a sophomore transfer. The Beavers welcome Ryan Adams in as a transfer from the Wayne State University program. Adams played in 32 games for the Warriors last winter posting a goal and six assists with all seven points coming in CHA play. For his efforts, he was named to the 2008 CHA All-Rookie squad. Serratore and his coaching staff are also excited about working Brad Hunt and Tyler Jundt into the mix as talented freshmen. Hunt comes to BSU after two full seasons with the Burnaby Express of the British Columbia Hockey League. In 2007-08 he helped lead the Express to a 33-22-0-3 overall record and a berth in the BCHL Coastal Conference Divisional Playoffs. In 60 games, Hunt averaged nearly one point per game with 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points to finish fourth on the team and second in the league in scoring among all defensemen. Of his 16 goals, 10 came on the power play giving the BSU coaching staff another legitimate scoring option from the point. Jundt joins the BSU men’s hockey program after playing in 51 games for the North Iowa Outlaws of the NAHL in 2007-08. The back liner netted seven goals and 13 assists to rank third among Outlaws’ defensemen with 20 points. His +19 plus/minus ranking was good for second on the team.
Goaltenders “The goaltending spot is up for grabs. There is no question about that,” commented Serratore. The departure of one of BSU’s all-time great netminders in Matt Climie leaves the most obvious question mark for the Beavers in 2008-09, but Serratore is confident in the goaltenders he has returning and feels like they landed a skilled recruit to sweeten the pot. “I feel we are in good shape, but we don’t have much experience back there, said Serratore, “But with that said, I have the utmost confidence in Orlando Alamano and Matt Dalton and we really like our incoming freshman Danny Bakala.” Despite Climie grabbing many of the headlines and seeing a majority of the time in net a year ago, Alamano was no slouch. He finished the season leading the team with a goals-against average of 1.99 and save percentage of .921 marking the second consecutive season he has led Beaver goaltenders in both categories. He posted an overall record of 2-5-0, but his record may not be 100-percent representative of the way he played. Of his five losses, four were by a total of four goals including two 1-0 losses. He opened the season with a 3-0 shutout over Army--the first of his career, but Alamano may best be remembered for a 1-0 loss to then-No. 2 North Dakota. The junior stood on his head keeping the Beavers in the game for 55 minutes before T.J. Oshie helped the Fighting Sioux to a 1-0 victory with a tremendous individual effort. Alamano stopped 31 of 32 shots in the game but took the loss. Sophomore Matt Dalton saw time in five games as a freshman. He struggled early in the season but gained confidence as 2007-08 rolled on. He finished the season with a 3.09 goals-against average, while posting a .845 save percentage and a record of 1-3-0. Drawing time versus four of the Beavers’ five WCHA opponents, Dalton backstopped the team to a 2-0 victory over Minnesota, Duluth as the team began the second half of the season, posting 25 saves.
senior forward Travis WINTER
senior goaltender Orlando ALAMANO
sophomore goaltender Matt DALTON Above: Sophomore forward Matt Read led the team in scoring in 2007-08 with 9-18-27 points.
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2008-09 Beaver Hockey Media Guide
Bemidji State Hockey
2008-09 Season Preview
Special Teams: Power Play
senior forward Brandon MARINO
sophomore forward Ryan Cramer
Bemidji State took big strides last year on the power play doubling their goal scoring output on the man advantage to 36 goals in 172 chances to finish the season with the ninth most potent power-play unit in the country. In conference play, the Beavers were secondto-none. Despite posting the CHA’s lowest power play total with 89 chances, the Beavers scored on nearly one out of every three opportunities to record a league-leading 29.3-percent efficiency. For the second consecutive season, Travis Winter was one of BSU’s leading power-play producers, equalling graduated senior Blaine Jarvis with six goals on the man advantage. His five power-play goals in CHA play was a team best and seated him among the league’s top three in power-play goals. With 11 of the team’s 36 power-play goals lost to graduation, Winter will likely play a vital role on the Beavers’ power-play unit again in 2008-09. Other likely sources of point production will be senors Tyler Scofield and Cody Bostock and sophomore Matt Read. Scofield potted five power-play goals a year ago while Bostock and Read each contributed four. Read’s 4-6=10 points up a man tied him for fourth among his league counterparts in power-play point production. Scofield has consistently displayed the ability to create with both his stick and his speed and that is magnified when the Beavers hold the man advantage. Whether he is scoring goals or finding the open player, he will be a vital cog to the BSU power-play machine. When talking power-play weapons, one of the most evident of 2007-08 was the heavy stick of Cody Bostock. Bostock made it tough on opposing goaltenders using his strength and accuracy to net four power-play goals. Bostock not only led BSU defenders in powerplay point production, he was also seated alone atop the CHA defensive scoring charts as well. BSU’s 2008 CHA Rookie of the Year, Matt Read proved he could light the lamp last winter leading the team in scoring and it was no different on the
power play. A regular on BSU’s special teams until, Read netted five power-play goals on the season. In CHA play his four tallies up a man advantage ranked second while he also piled up six assists to finish the season ranked fourth in the conference with 10 power-play points.
Special Teams: Penalty Kill The BSU penalty kill unit was nothing short of a dead end for its opponents in 2007-08. The Beavers finished the season ranked 12th in the country snuffing out 86.3-percent, or 164 of 190, opponent power-play chances and fell just a fraction of a percentage point shy of setting a Division I-era team record for efficiency. Under Serratore, the penalty kill has become the team’s identity and the team used that as its calling card again in 2007-08. BSU set the league standard for penalty-kill efficiency for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth in seven seasons under its current head coach. The Beavers held their CHA opponents scoreless on 90 of 98 power-play chances. In addition, the team added three short-handed goals. As an example of just how potent the BSU penalty-kill was, the Beavers held their opponents scoreless on the power-play in 21 of 36 games a year ago which translated into a 14-5-2 record. “Every year, the penalty kill is one of Bemidji State’s strengths,” Serratore said. “It is something we hang our hat on; we’re aggressive in the zone and we’re very aggressive up ice. Our philosophy on the penalty kill is to make teams beat us – we’re not going to lay back. If there is a breakdown, we look to our goaltenders to back us up.”
2008-09 Schedule Seventeen home contests, 10 non-conference games scheduled against Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) opponents, eight games versus NCAA Tournament participants and a holiday tournament at Dartmouth highlight Bemidji State University’s 36-game schedule for 2008-09. In addition to the Beavers’ 18-game College Hockey
2007-08 BSU Men’s Ice Hockey Schedule
senior forward Ian LOWE
Date Opponent Location Time Arena Conf Oct. 10-11 at Minnesota State Mankato, Minn. 7:37/7:07 p.m. Alltel Center WCHA Oct. 17-18 at Air Force Colorado Springs, Colo. 8:05/8:05 p.m. Cadet Ice Arena AH Oct. 24-25 St. Cloud State Bemijdi, Minn. 7:35/7:05 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse WCHA Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Manitoba (Exh.) Bemidji, Minn. 7:05 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse CW Nov. 7-8 at u Alabama-Huntsville Huntsville, Ala. 7:05/7:05 p.m. Von Braun Center CHA Nov. 21-22 at u Niagara Niagara, N.Y. 6:00/6:00 p.m. Dwyer Arena CHA Nov. 28-29 Michigan Tech Bemidji, Minn. 7:35/7:05 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse WCHA Dec. 5-6 u Alabama-Huntsville Bemidji, Minn. 7:35/7:05 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse CHA 1 Dec. 28 vs. Massachusettes Hanover, N.H. 3:00 p.m. Thompson Arena HE 1 Dec. 29 vs. Army/Dartmouth Hanover, N.H. 3:00/6:00 p.m. Thompson Arena AH/ECAC Jan. 2 North Dakota Bemidji, Minn. 7:35 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse WCHA Jan. 3 North Dakota Grand Forks, N.D. 7:37 p.m. Ralph Englestad Arena WCHA Jan. 16-17 at Minnesota Duluth Duluth, Minn. 7:07/7:07 p.m. Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center WCHA Jan. 23-24 u Niagara Bemidji, Minn. 7:35/7:05 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse CHA Jan. 30-31 at u Robert Morris Moon Township, Pa. 6:35/6:35 p.m. RMU Island Sports Center CHA Feb. 6-7 u Alabama-Huntsville Bemidji, Minn. 7:35/7:05 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse CHA Feb. 14-15 at u Robert Morris Moon Township, Pa. 6:35/4:05 p.m. RMU Island Sports Center CHA Feb. 19-20 at u Niagara Niagara, N.Y. 6:05/6:05 p.m. Dwyer Arena WCHA Feb. 27-28 USA U-18 Team (Exh.) Bemidji, Minn. 7:35/7:05 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse CHA Mar. 6-7 u Robert Morris Bemijdi, Minn. 7:35/7:05 p.m. John S. Glas Fieldhouse CHA Mar. 13-14 CHA Tournament Bemijdi, Minn. TBA Dwyer Arena Mar. 27-29 NCAA Regionals Host Sites TBA TBA Apr. 9 & 11 Frozen Four Washinigton, D.C. TBA Verizon Center bold= home game at BSU’s John S. Glas Fieldhouse // u- College Hockey America game // 1- Ledyard National Bank Classic
2004, 2005 & 2008 College Hockey America Champions
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Bemidji State Hockey
2008-09 Season Preview America (CHA) line-up, 14 non-conference contests and a pair of tilts versus the University of Manitoba and the USA Under-18 squad round out the schedule. For the second consecutive season, the Beavers will play 17 contests on their home ice. The team’s 17 home games match three other seasons for the most games played at the John Glas Fieldhouse in a season since the Beavers played 18 during the 1979-80 campaign. BSU also hosted 17 contests in 1999-2000, 2004-05 and last winter. “This is going to be an exciting year of Beaver Hockey. We play five WCHA teams in addition to our CHA schedule and non-conference games versus Air Force, Manitoba and the USA Under-18 Team.” Serratore added, “We’re also headed to the Dartmouth Tournament, which will be a wonderful experience for us. It is always nice to play in a tournament-type setting to get you ready for playoffs.” The Beavers draw the curtain on the 2008-09 slate with four consecutive road games. Minnesota State University, Mankato is first on the docket hosting the Beavers for an Oct. 10-11 series. BSU has opened the season earlier in the calendar year only one time, in 2005-06 when the Beavers broke the seal on the 2005-06 season with an Oct. 7-8 series at University of Minnesota, Duluth. The following weekend the Beavers travel west to Colorado Springs, Colo. to rekindle a rivalry with former CHA foe Air Force. The two-game set marks the first time the Beavers and Falcons, coached by brothers Tom and Frank Serratore respectively, have met since AFA left the CHA in 2005-06 and is only the fifth and sixth times the teams have met as non-conference opponents. The home portion of the schedule is set to begin Oct. 24-25 when BSU welcomes 2008 NCAA tournament participant St. Cloud State University to the John Glas. The series versus the Huskies dates back to 1948 and is the second consecutive season the Beavers have faced the WCHA squad, but will mark the first time the Huskies have played the Beavers on their home ice since the front half of a home-andhome series early in the 2001-02 campaign. The Beavers continue play at the Glas the following weekend (Oct. 31-Nov. 1) with a first-ever series versus Manitoba. Although the Beavers and Bison have met on five other occasions since BSU made the jump to the major college hockey level in 1999-2000, the series marks the first time the teams have played on back-to-back nights. The CHA season officially gets underway Nov. 7-8 as Bemidji State makes its only trip to Huntsville, Ala. to face long-time rival University of AlabamaHuntsville. After a week off, BSU jumps right back into league play with a pair of road tilts at 2008 CHA Tournament Champion and NCAA Tournament participant Niagara University. “It’s interesting,” Serratore commented about the 2008-09 CHA schedule. “With a four-team league we had to figure out how to make a conference schedule work. We decided on a balanced, six-game schedule against each team for a total of 18 conference games.”
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Serratore went on to say, “This particular year we are only home for eight of those games and on the road for 10 so there is no question it will be a challenge for us to repeat as CHA Champions.” The Beavers break from conference play Nov. 28-29 to host Michigan Tech University. Meeting the WCHA foe for just the fourth time ever, MTU will make its trip to Bemidji, Minn. Dec. 5-6, BSU hosts Alabama-Huntsville before a two-week break for the holidays. The Beavers return to action with a trip to the east coast during which BSU has the potential to play two first-time opponents. The Beavers open the event with a rare Sunday afternoon matchup versus firsttime foe University of Massachusetts (UMASS) Dec. 28 while Dartmouth will host Army. Winners of the first day’s games will play each other Monday (Dec. 29) while the losers play each other in the classic format event. If BSU draws Dartmouth on the second day, it will also mark the first time the teams have met. Just three days later, BSU enters into a home-andhome series with regional foe and 2008 NCAA Final Four qualifier University of North Dakota. The Beavers host the Fighting Sioux to open the calendar year, Jan. 2, and will make the 100-mile trip west on Highway 2 for a 7:35 p.m. contest at Ralph Engelstad Arena. BSU hits the road for its second consecutive series versus a WCHA opponent Jan. 16-17 with a pair of road contests at Minnesota Duluth in a battle for the “Babe the Blue Ox” traveling trophy. Of the Beavers’ final 14 games of the 2008-09 regular season, 14 come versus CHA foes setting up a stretch run to the conference title. January 2324, BSU hosts Niagara before traveling to Robert Morris for a two-game set Jan. 30-31. The Beavers are back home versus Alabama-Huntsville Feb. 6-7 before making their second trip to RMU in the span of two weeks. The Saturday and Sunday series accommodates for a long road trip during which BSU will play four CHA games in just six days. The Beavers continue their road swing with an immediate trip to Western New York to face Niagara in a Thursday/Friday series (Feb. 19-20). BSU then breaks from CHA competition Feb. 27-28 to host the USA Under-18 team before capping the regular season at the Glas for a two-game series versus Robert Morris--BSU’s only home contests versus the Colonials. At the conclusion of the regular season, BSU will participate in the CHA Tournament attempting to claim its third title in six years. For the second time in the history of the tournament, Bemidji State will host, but the Leage will make its home at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse this time around. “Hosting postseason tournaments is a tradition we are proud of here at Bemidji State,” commented Serratore. “From the years we hosted NCAA tournaments at the small-college level to the CHA Tournament in Grand Rapids four years ago, the events have been second-to-none and we expect the same here in 2009.”
junior defenseman Chris PELUSO
junior forward Tyler LEHRKE
sophomore forward Emil BILLBERG
2008-09 Beaver Hockey Media Guide