Bemijdi State was shut out at home for just the seventh time in its 54-year history as the Wayne State Warriors posted a 5-0 win Saturday at John Glas Fieldhouse. With the win, the Warriors clinched the College Hockey America regular-season championship.
The home shutout was the first for BSU since a 2-0 loss to Findlay on Feb. 16, 2001. Three of those seven shutouts have come since BSU elevated its program to Division I status in 1999-2000.
Wayne State got things rolling early, picking up four first-period goals to put the game out of reach.
Jack Redwood put the Warriors on the board first with his 10th goal of the season at the 5:17 mark of the period and Wayne State never looked back. Jon Brink scored at 10:02, John Grubb scored at 11:14 and Chris Vail scored at 19:43 of the first period to give the Warriors a 4-0 cushion heading into the first intermission.
BSU started the second period with Dannie Morgan in goal in place of starter Grady Hunt, who allowed four goals in one period of play. It was the shortest outing of Hunt’s career, as he saved just eight shots and took the loss, falling to 11-10-4 on the year.
Warrior goaltender David Guerrera saved all 33 shots to pick up the shutout, and helped Wayne State remain undefeated on the road this year (9-0-1) against CHA opposition. Morgan played the final two periods in relief for Bemidji and saved 12 of 13 shots.
With the loss, Bemidji State falls to 12-15-5 overall and remains in second place in College Hockey America with 22 points (8-5-4). Wayne State moves to 17-11-4 and improves its CHA total to 28 points (13-2-3).
Bemidji State is still playing for a bye in the first round of the CHA tournament; it needs two points in next weekend’s series with Alabama-Huntsville to clinch.
