Reporting And Writing Class Fall 2010

Lady Beavers Break Losing Streak

Duluth Falls for the First Time in Rival's History

By Jake Kelly and Zuzka Tomcikova
story #6

Since the establishment of the women's hockey program at BSU the beavers have never won against the University of Minnesota Duluth. With a historical record of 0-47-2 (win, loss, tie) against the Bulldogs the Beavers accomplished what they had never done before, a 1-0 win over UMD. The Sanford center was electric as the Bulldogs and Beavers took the ice. The pregame music was deafening as the players took their positions.

This was a big conference game for the beavers because they had never gotten that illusive first win against the Bulldogs. "I was pretty nervous before the game," said senior forward Erin Johnson. "This is my fourth year here and I wanted to know what it feels like to be the first BSU team to beat Duluth, and it happened to be the first time we played them this year."

It was a back-and-forth game as neither team would let up. After a scoreless first two periods it was clear this was a defensive game and any score could be the one to win it. That moment came whensophomore forward Emily Erickson scored the first and only goal of the game with just over five minutes to play in regulation. "When I saw my shot go in I was so excited," she said. "It was probably the most important goal I've ever had, I couldn't be distracted by it, though, because we still had enough time left for UMD to score so the mindset went from offense to defense."

The Bulldogs are ranked third in the country and have a roster that includes four Olympians. This is the second time this season the Beavers have beaten a ranked opponent. The first victory was over, at the time, number one ranked Mercyhurst. This is a big accomplishment for BSU's women's hockey program and marks a turning point in their season. "Even though we tied the series with Duluth, the fact that were capable of beating anyone gives us a lot of confidence," said junior defender Montana Vichorek. "If we continue to play at the high level we're at now, I think this could be one of the most successful seasons we've ever had."

Head Coach Steve Sertich is in his fifth year at BSU, and since his arrival, the team has improved significantly, allowing them to compete with anyone. "We had a great season last year when we made it to the final four, which was another first for us," said Sertich, "and I knew that the girls wanted to maintain the momentum we had from last year. I believe that with our constant improvement we are earning respect in our league."

Erin Cody, a senior forward and team captain, was the top scorer last year and has continued to put pucks in the net this year. She was the offensive player of the week, scoring seven points against St. Cloud State on Oct. 29th and 30th. "I credit any goal I have to my team, because every time I or anyone else gets an opportunity it's because everyone is doing their jobs," said Cody. "Each goal is a team effort and it doesn't matter who scores it as long as we work together."

Though excited about the win the Beavers look to move forward with their season squaring up against the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota University. Some players hope that this big win doesn't distract the team from the task at hand. Sophomore forward Sadie Lundquist said " It's great that we won last week but we can't let that define our season. We have a lot of really good teams left to play and we can't let ourselves get over-excited especially when we have to play North Dakota."

North Dakota is ranked seventh in the country and has a lot of talented players. The games are set to be played at the Sanford Center Nov. 12/13 at two p.m. "I always tell the players that the points you get from the wins are the most important," Said Sertich. " We just need to find a way to stay focused and keep winning."