Air Force Academy
Bemidji State
Beavers blank Falcons, 5-0
3/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
March 7, 2003
Riley Riddell and Marty Goulet each scored two goals and goaltender Grady Hunt was perfect in the net to lead Bemidji State to a 5-0 win over Air Force in a College Hockey America game Friday, March 7, at the Academy's Cadet Ice Arena.
Bemidji State improved to 11-13-8 overall and 9-6-4 in the CHA. Air Force fell to 10-22-3 overall and 2-14-3 in the CHA. Bemidji State now has 22 points in league play and will finish either third or fourth in the conference. Alabama-Huntsville won the league with 28 points. Niagara clinched second with a 7-4 win over UAH earlier in the day as the Purple Eagles improved to 25 league points. With seven points, Air Force will finish in sixth place.
The Beavers scored two in the first period and then netted three in the third. Goulet started the scoring from Riley Riddell and Ryan Huddy on a breakaway at 9:46. Riddell gave the Beavers a 2-0 lead from Myles Kuharski after a Falcon turnover in the neutral zone.
Air Force played much better in the second period and out-shot the visitors, 16-10. The Falcons had several quality chances, but Hunt was perfect between the pipes.
BSU scored all three goals in a span of 4:18 in the third period. On a rush up ice, Jeff McGill scored from Andrew Murray and Ben Lindell. His 12th of the season came from right in front of the net. Skating four-on-four, Riddell netted his second of the game and eighth of the season at 13:31. His unassisted goal came on a turnover deep in the Air Force end. Forty-three seconds later with each team still a man down, Goulet scored his 15th of the season from John Haider and McGill.
"We are not good enough to spot the opponents a two-goal lead," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We are always scrambling to come from behind. This is obviously a confidence thing for us right now. Our opponents are playing with the confidence and we are playing good hockey teams every night."
Air Force out-shot Bemidji State, 31-27, in the game. BSU was 0-for-6 on the power play while the Falcons were 0-for-4 on the man advantage. Hunt made 31 saves for the Beavers while Mike Polidor made 22 for the Falcons.
The same two teams conclude the regular season Saturday, March 8, at 7:05 p.m. MST at the Cadet Ice Arena.
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