BSU hockey to play Alabama-Huntsville

The Bemidji State University men's ice hockey team looks to continue
solid play to begin the second half of the 2010-11 and extend his
winning streak beyond two games this weekend as it travels to
Huntsville, Ala. to face long-time rival University of Alabama
Huntsville in the Beavers' final nonconference series of the season.

The two-game set will get underway 7:05 p.m. Friday before a 3:05 p.m.
finale Saturday. Both games will be played at the Von Braun Center.
Bemidji State (7-10-1; 4-9-1 WCHA), winner in five of its last
seven outings, hits the road for two of 10 remaining second half road
contests fresh off a 2-0 record and Mariucci Classic championship Dec.
31-Jan. 1. Goaltender Dan Bakala has been a key to BSU's current
streak posting a .956 save percentage and 1.30 goals against average in
his last sevens starts, while sophomore forward Jordan George has
flourished offensively netting five goals and three assists for eight
points since Nov. 27.

Ala.-Huntsville welcomes the Beavers to the south owning a
2-18-2 record in its first season as an independent. The Chargers seek
their first victory since Nov. 27 and are coming off a pair of 2-1
losses to Rensselaer at the Von Braun Center Dec. 30-31. UAH is led by
senior defenseman Matt Baxter who has six goals and 10 assists for 16
points, while its been goaltender by committee this season for the
Chargers. With three freshman goaltenders attempting the fill the shoes
of departed Cameron Talbot, Clark Saunders (.883 SV%, 3.99 GAA, 2-10-0)
has shouldered the bulk of the weight between the pipes seeing time in
12 games, but John Griggs (.911 SV%, 2.87 GAA, 0-4-1) has had the hot
hand as of late starting UAH's last three contests.

The Rivalries
After 11 years as members of College Hockey America, this weekend,
Bemidji State and Ala.-Huntsville meet as nonconference opponents for
the first time since the teams clashed in Huntsville, Ala. for the 1998
NCAA Division II national championship.

The BSU/UAH rivalry got its start March 11, 1994. In addition to
being charter members of the CHA, these teams have a long-standing,
bitter rivalry. The Chargers and Beavers have met in the NCAA Division
II national tournament on four occasions with BSU defeating UAH for
titles in 1994 and 1997. The Beavers hold a 35-27-4 lead in the all-time
series. Since Mar. 3, 2006, BSU is a dominant 22-2-2 versus UAH and
enter this weekend’s series unbeaten in the last 12 meetings (11-0-1)
of the series.