5 takeaways from Bemidji State's exhibition game against St. Cloud State
· Yahoo Sports
Sep. 19—BRAINERD — The Beavers are becoming regulars at the Essentia Health Sports Center in Brainerd.
The Bemidji State women's hockey team skated in an exhibition game on Saturday against St. Cloud State. The two teams met in the community rink just off Highway 371, marking the second year in a row that the Beavers took on a WCHA rival in Brainerd.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
The Huskies won 4-2, but it was far from a normal game. Each team was given a chance to execute a major power play in the third period. The two schools also played a five-minute 3-on-3 period and a shootout.
Aside from the baked-in 10 minutes of special teams, the score was 2-2. Alice Sauriol scored midway through the first period with assists from Sofianna Sundelin and Maria Mikaelyan.
Neither team scored in the second period, but there was a host of goals in the third.
Elly Klepinger scored for the Beavers on the five-minute power play to open the frame. When it was SCSU's turn, Payton Holloway and Mikaelyan scored.
Bemidji State found an even-strength goal from its fourth line. Maddie Kaiser scored with assists from Avery Achterkirch and rookie Dior Stringer.
Neither team scored in the 3-on-3 period, and Bemidji State won the shootout. Izy Fairchild was the only player with a successful shootout attempt for either team.
Bemidji State's regular season will begin in two weeks against Minnesota at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. In the meantime, here are the Pioneer's five takeaways from Saturday's exhibition:
When Fairchild, Kate Johnson and Hailey Armstrong were on the ice together, there were seldom shifts they weren't the best trio.
On Saturday, the grouping came together out of circumstance. Morgan Smith, the Beavers' leading scorer from last season, was the only player out of the lineup with a minor injury. Head coach Amber Fryklund doesn't expect her to miss any time.
Smith centered the Beavers' top line last season, with Armstrong on her right wing and Isa Goettl to her left. However, with Goettl transferring to Clarkson and with Smith out of the lineup, Armstrong skated with Fairchild and Johnson, and the chemistry was noticeable right away.
"I really liked all four of our forward lines," Fryklund said. "I thought our jump was good. Our top line was out there against their top two. Senja (Leeper's) line brought a lot of jump and buzz, and so did (Autumn) Cooper's line. I really liked Avery (Achterkirch's) line today on our forecheck."
If the Beavers can find ways to get the same production out of Armstrong on the top line without Smith centering it, Smith could bump down to the second line and give BSU a chance to spread the offensive production around.
Armstrong is coming off of a 22-point season that followed an 18-point season as a sophomore. Smith had 28 points as a sophomore. While it's likely the two of them will play together to start the 2026-27 season, the BSU coaching staff should feel more comfortable with the idea of splitting them up after Saturday's exhibition, especially if Fairchild is primed for a breakout as a junior.
"It gives us a lot more flexibility," Fryklund said. "We can change some things and find some chemistry. I really liked that line today. They had really good chemistry, and Izy took a big jump."
Smith made the trip and made her Beaver Radio Network color commentary debut with the great play-by-play man Rob Aitkin.
"Hopefully, we don't lose her to the radio booth," Fryklund quipped.
A year ago, Bemidji State killed off just 76.7% of its penalties. While it was a step up from 2024-25 (65.3% success rate), it was still too low to contend in a loaded WCHA.
The Beavers took two minor penalties on Saturday. The few shots on goal allowed (stats were not taken for this exhibition) were low-danger attempts, and BSU hounded pucks to clear the zone and took away the Huskies' time and space.
"We ran the same penalty killers from last year, with the addition of Davina (Davis)," Fryklund said. "We had her there in a practice this week and she dialed into our system right away. I thought our penalty kill today was phenomenal. They really limited St. Cloud's opportunities. I love the compete we had there."
Davis saw a lot of ice time on Saturday as one of Bemidji State's four incoming players this season. She contributed an assist on Kaiser's goal in the third period.
"I really liked her game and her speed," Fryklund said. "Dior, playing with Avery and Maddie, I really liked what she did. She bought into our systems and was second on the puck when we scored that goal. I really, really like what Dior did.
"Ruby (Rauk) didn't see a lot of ice last year. It's her first game, but we liked what we saw from her, too. She didn't get as much ice time, but we liked what she brought as well."
Goaltenders Kailtin Groess and Ava Hills combined to make all 36 starts for the Beavers a year ago, with then-rookie Ashlyn Hazlett getting mop-up minutes (Eva Filippova was also rostered but missed the season with a lower-body injury, then transferred to Lindenwood).
BSU added sophomore Sophia Villanueva to the mix this season. She transferred in from Minnesota Duluth. She played in five games and posted a .917 save percentage with a 2.60 goals-against average.
On Saturday, Hazlett played the first half and allowed one goal. Villanueva came in midway through the second period and allowed three, though two were on the major power play.
"We saw Ava and Kaitlin in a lot of games last year, so we wanted to see our other two goalies we haven't seen as much," Fryklund said. "Four goalies is a lot, and they're all healthy right now."
Fryklund was adamant that the net is up for grabs for any of the four goalies.
"For us, it comes down to who earns the opportunity in practice and who gives us the best chance to win hockey games," she said. "They're all competing for that spot right now."
Sophomore Addie Morris played her rookie season with the Beaves as a forward. She skated in three games as a freshman, primarily serving as a healthy scratch.
However, on Saturday in Brainerd, Morris was listed as BSU's seventh defenseman. On Bemidji State's official roster, she's listed as both a forward and a defenseman.
"She played D and forward in high school, so she has experience in that," Fryklund said. "We only have six D this year, and we have to put our team in a position to be successful. It makes sense to put her there and get her some experience defensively now."
Morris could be in line for a larger role on the blue line this season in the case of an injury. However, if injuries on the blue line pile up, Fryklund said she'd reassess the Beavers' defensive outlook.
"I don't know what the plan would be if it came to that; I just know Addie fits that role for us right now," Fryklund said. "She's got defensive experience. She's played center and she's played wing."
The Beavers' trip to Brainerd is literally all fun and games.
On Friday, the players were supposed to take part in beach games and a kayak race at Grand View Lodge. The weather moved the activities inside, but the players still competed against each other in team-building games.
Cooper's team, which included Talya Hendrickson, Hills, Johnson, Klepinger and Villanueva, won a series of contests. One game involved moving an Oreo from their foreheads to their mouths without using their hands. Another had them moving coffee beans from one cup to another with a straw.
The groups also had a flag-making competition, a sorting game with soda cans and a pong game with cups.
The Beavers will spend the rest of the weekend at the resort before returning to campus on Sunday.
"It's worked really well the past two years," Fryklund said. "Obviously, with us not playing this first weekend, it's good for us to come down here and get a game in. Brainerd's staff has been so great. They worked the boxes and did the clock. Our team gets the opportunity to get away and do a bonding trip and play in a great community rink."