While most of the Bemidji State University (BSU) student body had vacated campus, the winter sports athletes remained and were hard at work. From the last day of finals, Dec. 16, to the first day back to reality, Jan. 11, the Beaver athletes played in 15 contests collectively, finishing with a 5-8-2 record.
The men’s hockey team had two games, against the Western Michigan University Broncos, Jan. 3-4. Sophomore Goaltender Dan Bakala rested up during his break, and it showed, as he shut the Broncos out both nights, in a 0-0 tie and a 3-0 victory. It was the first time in 54 storied years of Beaver hockey that
there was a scoreless tie.Bakala wasn’t the only star of the weekend. Junior Captain Matt Read and sophomore Brad Hunt assisted on all three of the Beaver goals in the second game. Junior Ian Lowe ended the Beavers' scoreless weekend, in the second period of the second game, and sophomore Ben Kinne added two after that.
The women’s hockey team saw a similar fate in their weekend series versus Mankato State University, tying the first game 2-2 (losing in shootout 2-1), and winning the second game 3-0, behind another strong goaltending performance.
In the first game, the Beavers got goals out of senior Erin Cody and sophomore Montana Vichorek. In the second game, juniors Erin Johnson, Annie Bauerfeld and freshmen Keirstin Visser scored goals. For the fourth time this season, sophomore goaltender Zuzana Tomcikova kept the opponent off the scoreboard, stopping 37 shots.
The men’s basketball team did not have as much luck dropping four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games, and one non-conference game. The team’s current slump of six losses makes their overall season record 5-9. They have been winless since upsetting number 17, Winona State, 88-87 in overtime, Dec. 12 in Winona.
Senior guard Seth Haake shined in the slump for the Beavers, scoring over 20 points in four consecutive games, including a season high 27 points, on Dec. 29 in a 84-75 loss to Northern Michigan.
Women’s basketball won three games and lost the same amount during the winter break. Beating Viterbro University, 71-66, Wayne State, 83-79, and upsetting Minnesota State Mankato, the 11th ranked team in the nation, 80-72. The Beavers fell to Augustana, number 23 Concordia University of St. Paul and St. Cloud State.
Sophomore guard Sydney Epema scored a career high 29 points in the Jan. 3 defeat of Wayne State, seven of which came from beyond the arc. Sophomore Taylor Davis also scored a career high in the loss to St. Cloud State. Davis but up 31 points, going 14 for 21 from the field, with one three-pointer and two for three from the charity stripe.
As winter sports teams continue their seasons with the start of the second semester, some spring sports are starting up as well. The men’s and women’s indoor track team participated in the Bison Holiday Heptathlon right before break. Senior Zach Preble came up one point short of tying the school record of 5,012 points, which was set by himself, and put him in a 4th place finish.
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