BEMIDJI, Minn. – Penalties will make or break a team. On Tuesday, they made Bemidji 14-1-1.
The Lumberjacks boys hockey team won its 14th straight game with a 3-0 victory against rival Moorhead at Bemidji Community Arena.
The Lumberjacks have taken advantage of the other team’s penalties all season, but more importantly, they’ve denied opponents when they happen to be on the other end.
“Our penalty kill has been good all year,” Bemidji coach Wade Chiodo said. “When you look at our stats, it’s very good. The kids are doing the things we ask in front of the puck, and that was key. It was a momentum changer.”
The Lumberjacks, the No. 11-ranked team in Class 2A, took the momentum in the first period after Spuds defenseman Alex Erickson was sent to the box for two minutes for tripping at the 9-minute, 22-second mark.
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At the 10:50 mark, Bemidji’s Rocky Copiskey scored the first goal off assists by Erik Fitzgerald and Josh Lusby.
“We gave it to (Fitzgerald) and he made a shot, and I knew I had to get out in front of the net,” Copiskey said. “That was huge, and I think that carried our momentum.”
The Lumberjacks gave Moorhead some momentum with two early trips to the penalty box in the second period.
Jack Johnson went in 16 seconds into the period for two minutes for tripping, but Grant Tharaldson and the Bemidji defense killed the power play.
At the 4:34 mark, Cole Hartje made the trip to the box for another two minutes for hooking, but the Lumberjacks killed the penalty yet again.
If killing two power plays wasn’t shifting the momentum back to Bemidji enough, a second goal did the trick.
Nick Leitner found Johnson on a breakaway 18 seconds after the Hartje penalty ended, and Johnson beat Spuds goalie Jacob Dittmer high.
Any hope of a Moorhead comeback was dashed when the Lumberjacks began the third period with 34 seconds left on a power play. Right as it was about to end, Alex Pollock made it 3-0 off assists by Jake Leitner and Hartje.
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“They capitalized on their opportunities,” said Spuds coach Jon Ammerman. “It all comes down to intensity, and from the drop of the puck, they were the more intense team. We were caught a lot of times one step behind them.”
Moorhead had 21 shots on goal on the night, which gave Grant Tharaldson 21 saves to post his second straight shutout.
Tharaldson’s record improves to 10-0-1 with the victory. He also has 184 saves, giving him a save percentage of .929.
“It’s a huge confidence boost knowing he’s back there,” Copiskey said of Tharaldson. “We come in a game and we’re not worried because we know he’s there.”
The Spuds (9-6-2) will be off until 6:30 p.m. Saturday when they host Warroad.
No. 17-ranked Moorhead will be looking to rebound after its two-game win streak was snapped in Tuesday’s game.
“We have to stick to the things we’ve talked about and have made us successful,” Ammerman said. “Today proved they are doing the things they needed to win the game.”
FIRST PERIOD: 1, B, Copiskey (Fitzgerald, Lusby) 10:50 (pp).
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SECOND PERIOD: 2, B, Johnson (N. Leitner) 6:52.
THIRD PERIOD: 3, B, Pollock (J. Leitner, Hartje) :34 (pp).
SAVES: M, Dittmer 30. B, Tharaldson 21.
Lodes writes for the Bemidji Pioneer
