Sacred Heart¹s Les Hrapchak scored off his own rebound with less than four minutes to play in regulation, helping the Pioneers to a 1-1 draw with the Bemidji State Beavers tonight at John S. Glas Fieldhouse.
Hrapchak took a pass from Marc-Andre Fournier right in front of the crease and fired a shot off the pads of BSU goaltender Grady Hunt. Hunt couldn¹t prevent the rebound, and Hrapchak took the carom and fired it home at 16:04 of the third for the game-tying goal.
The teams played a very physical contest, but combined for just 10 penalties (six by Sacred Heart), and special teams managed to kill the teams’ 10 combined power-play opportunities. BSU captain Bryce Methven delivered a tremendous center-ice hit late in the third period, and BSU’s Travis Barnes was laid out in the third by Barclay Folk and suffered what is thought to be a torn medial-collateral ligament in his left knee. Folk was assessed a clipping penalty for the hit. A complete diagnosis of the injury will be done tomorrow.
Barnes scored BSU’s only goal, an even-strength tally in the first period on assists from true freshman Ryan Huddy and John Haider. BSU managed just the single goal in the first period but kept the puck in its offensive zone for the majority of the stanza. The Beavers out-shot the Pioneers 14-9 in the first and 44-33 for the contest.
“This was a great game,” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said. “It was very hard-fought and physical. The two goaltenders played outstanding. We expect the same kind of game tomorrow night.”
Bemidji State failed to post a victory over a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference team for the first time in its history. Prior to tonight’s draw, BSU was 9-0-0 all-time against the MAAC. It is the first 1-1 tie for BSU since Feb. 24, 2001 vs Wayne State and the fifth 1-1 tie in school history.
Eddy Ferhi earned the tie for Sacred Heart, saving 43 of 44 shots faced – including both BSU shots in overtime. Eleven of Ferhi’s 43 saves came with
BSU on the power play.
The draw leaves BSU at 0-0-1 on the season, its first draw in a season opener since a 4-4 draw at St. Cloud State to kick off the 1963-64 season.
It is just the second season-opening tie in BSU¹s hockey history. Sacred
Heart is also 0-0-1.
