Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey

The Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Bemidji State University. The Beavers are a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and play at Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minnesota, as of the 2010 season, after previously playing at the John S. Glas Field House.
== History ==
=== Early history ===
The Bemidji State men's ice hockey program began in 1946. From the inaugural 1946-47 season through the 1966-67 season BSU played as an independent member of Division I. In 1968 the team became a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The program continued to operate as an independent member, now in the NAIA from 1968-69 through the 1979-80 season. For the 1980-81 season the program joined the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), in which Bemidji State is a charter member. BSU won the 1981–82 and 1982-83 NCHA regular season championships. Following the 1982-83 season BSU moved to NCAA Division II remaining in the NCHA. During the program's 16-season tenure in the NAIA the team won NAIA national ice hockey championships 9 times, including the first NAIA Championship in 1968.
The Beavers won their third straight NCHA regular season championship in 1983-84 and qualified for the NCAA tournament. In the 1984 tournament BSU won its first NCAA title at the Division II level with BSU sweeping Merrimack in a best-of-three series winning 6-3 and 8-1. Beginning in the following season, the Division II tournament was combined with the NCAA Division III level. The Beavers won the NCHA regular season championship for the third straight season and qualified for the school's first NCAA Division III ice hockey championship. BSU came in second after a 1-5 loss in the finals to RIT. Bemidji State won the first ever NCHA playoff tournament at the conclusion of the 1985-86 season and continued momentum into the NCAA DIII tournament winning the Division III Championship in an 8-5 win over Plattsburgh State. BSU made the NCAA Division III tournament three more times in the 1980s, 1987-1989 but finished fourth once and third twice. The Division II Ice Hockey Tournament was reinstated beginning in 1992-93 season and BSU won The Division II championship three straight years 1993-1995. In the 1996 championship the Beavers came up short to Alabama-Huntsville. The following season Alabama-Huntsville would get revenge, beating Bemidji State in the 1998 championship game. That would be the last year BSU participated in the DII tournament, the Beavers failed to qualify for the last NCAA DII Tournament in 1999 and the following season the Beavers moved to NCAA Division I level.
=== Recent history ===
==== CHA era ====
Bemidji State joined two other former Division II ice hockey members Alabama–Huntsville and Findlay along with former DI independent teams Air Force, Army, and Niagara and expansion program Wayne State to form College Hockey America at the Division I level after the NCAA ended sponsorship of a Division II ice hockey tournament due to lack of membership. Ted Belisle joined the coaching team as an assistant, and BSU won their first CHA regular season championship in the 2003-04 season but lost 2004 CHA Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in overtime 3-4 to (#2) Niagara.
The 2004-05 marked a historic season for the BSU hockey program. The team swept through the CHA winning the CHA regular season championship and winning the 2005 CHA Championship over Alabama-Huntsville. The 3-0 shutout win gave the Beavers their first berth in the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Tournament in program history. the team came close to a major upset, losing 3-4 in overtime to the #1 ranked Denver in the opening round. Bemidji beat Niagara 4-2 to win the 2006 CHA Championship and advance to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament for the second year in a row. BSU again lost in the opening round, this time to Wisconsin 0-4.
The 2008-09 season was the most successful season the team has had at the Division I level. The Beavers finished the regular season 1st in the CHA with a record of 12-5-1 and won the 2009 CHA Championship in 3-2 in overtime over Robert Morris. The team picked up the first NCAA Division I tournament win in the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament with a 5-1 upset over Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey, a #1 seed and ranked 2nd in the national rankings. The Beavers advanced for the first time in the Division I tournament and beat Cornell 4-1 to advance to the school's first ever Frozen Four held at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.. Bemidji faced Miami (Ohio) in the National Semifinal game with a 1-4 loss to the RedHawks.
==== WCHA era ====
In addition to the on-ice success, in 2008 Bemidji began exploring options to strengthen the program. The CHA had lost many of the original member to programs at Findlay and Wayne State folding and other teams transferring to other college hockey conferences. Travel expenses to remaining members in Huntsville, Alabama, and Western New York and Pennsylvania was also a concern. BSU began looking at the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) as a solution. In a first step the university signed a scheduling agreement against WCHA schools, many within a few hours drive to Bemidji, Minnesota. Other than the WCHA BSU's only option was to end the historic program. In 2009 it was announced the university and city of Bemidji would build a 4,000-5,000 seat state-of-the-art arena to meet WCHA requirements, that the 2,400-seat John S. Glas Field House did not meet. With the news of the Bemidji Regional Events Center BSU applied to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in early 2009. Bemidji State along with University of Nebraska-Omaha (transferring from the CCHA) was accepted into the WCHA as the 11th and 12th members. BSU officially became a member on July 1, 2010.
The Beavers opened WCHA play in the new Bemidji Regional Events Center on October 15, 2010 against North Dakota in a 2-5 loss. Bemidji picked up their first WCHA win at St. Cloud State 3-2 in overtime. Bemidji ended the regular season with a conference record of 8-15-5 as the 10th seed entering the 2011 WCHA Tournament. In the first round of the WCHA playoffs the Beaver beat 3rd-seeded Nebraska-Omaha two games to none with 4-3 and 4-2 wins. The series sweep sent Bemidji to its first ever WCHA Final Five and upset Minnesota–Duluth 3-2 in overtime, before losing to Denver 2-6 in the semifinal game.
With a WCHA Conference record of 20 wins, 6 losses, and 2 ties, The Bemidji State Beavers became WCHA Regular Season Champions at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 season. They compiled 64 conference points, 10 more than runner-up Michigan Tech, and won the school's first coveted MacNaughton Cup.http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/4216274-bemidji-state-wins-macnaughton-cup
==Season-by-season results==
== All-time coaching records ==
As of April 17, 2020
Tenure 	Coach 	Years 	Record 	Pct.
2001–Present 	Tom Serratore 	19 	319–297–89 	
1982–1983 	Mike Gibbons 	1 	30–6–1 	
1966–1982, 1983–2001	Bob Peters 	34 	702–293–49 	
1964–1965 	Wayne Peterson	1 	10–1–1 	
1959–1964, 1965–1966	Vic Weber 	6 	42–19–2 	
1948–1950 	Eric Hughes 	2 	17–13–0 	
1947–1948 	Jack Aldrich 	1 	2–8–0 	
Totals 	7 coaches 	64 seasons	1122–637–142	
==Awards==
===Lowes' Senior CLASS Award===
;NCAA
* Brendan Harms (2017)
===Player of the Year===
;CHA
* Andrew Murray (2005)
* Matt Read (2010)
;WCHA
* Michael Bitzer (2017)
===Rookie of the year===
;CHA
* Riley Riddell (2002)
* Luke Erickson (2004)
* Matt Read (2008)
* Brad Hunt (2009)
* Jordan George (2010)
;WCHA
* Michael Bitzer (2015)
===Regular Season Goaltending Award===
;WCHA
* Michael Bitzer (2017)
===Student-Athlete of the Year===
;CHA
* Andrew Murray (2005)
* Kyle Hardwick (2010)
===Most Valuable Player in Tournament===
;CHA
* Matt Climie (2005)
* Jean-Guy Gervais (2006)
* Matt Read (2009)
===Coach of the Year===
;CHA
* Tom Serratore (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010)
;WCHA
* Tom Serratore (2017)
===NCAA All-Americans===
====Second Team====
The following Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey players have been chosen as Second Team Division I All-Americans by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
* Matt Read (2010)
===All–CHA Team===
====First Team====
The following Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey players have been chosen as First Team All-CHA.
* Stefan Bjork (2000)
* Marty Goulet (2002, 2003)
* Grady Hunt (2003)
* Bryce Methven (2003, 2004)
* Brendan Cook (2004)
* Peter Jonsson (2005)
* Andrew Murray (2005)
* Andrew Martens (2006)
* Luke Erickson (2006)
* Matt Climie (2007)
* Travis Wright (2007)
* Cody Bostock (2008)
* Brad Hunt (2009, 2010)
* Matt Read (2009, 2010)
* Dan Bakala (2010)
====Second Team====
* Calvin Chartrand (2000)
* Clay Simmons (2001)
* Grady Hunt (2002, 2004)
* Riley Riddell (2002, 2004)
* Peter Jonsson (2004)
* Brendan Cook (2005)
* Matt Climie (2008)
* Travis Wright (2008)
* Matt Dalton (2009)
* Cody Bostock (2009)
* Tyler Scofield (2009)
* Ian Lowe (2010)
====Rookie Team====
* Bob Tallarico (2000)
* Clay Simmons (2000)
* Rico Faticci (2000)
* Brad Johnson (2000)
* Daryl Bat (2000)
* Bryce Methven (2001)
* Anders Olsson (2002)
* Andrew Murray (2002)
* Riley Riddell (2002)
* Luke Erickson (2004)
* Matt Climie (2005)
* Cody Bostock (2006)
* Tyler Scofield (2006)
* Joey Moggach (2007)
* Matt Read (2008)
* Brad Hunt (2009)
* Ben Kinne (2009)
* Mathieu Dugas (2010)
* Jake Areshenko (2010)
* Jordan George (2010)
===All–WCHA Team===
====First Team====
The following Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey players have been chosen as First Team All-WCHA.
* Michael Bitzer (2017)
====Second Team====
* Matt Prapavessis (2015)
* Phillip Marinaccio (2017)
* Michael Bitzer (2018)
* Justin Baudry (2019)
====Third Team====
* Matt Prapavessis (2014)
* Brendan Harms (2015)
* Gerry Fitzgerald (2017)
====Rookie Team====
* Ruslan Pedan (2014)
* Michael Bitzer (2015)
* Zach Whitecloud (2017)
* Owen Sillinger (2019)
==Statistical Leaders==
===Career Scoring leaders===
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player 	Years 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Mike Alexander 	1982–1986	136	98 	154	252	160
Mark Eagles 	1972–1976	116	100	125	225	80
Joel Otto 	1980–1984	122	89 	115	204	134
Scott Johnson 	1987–1991	132	96 	95 	191	94
Rod Heisler 	1975–1979	121	100	90 	190	70
Wendal Jellison	1981–1985	134	86 	99 	185	157
Dan Richards 	1985–1989	132	87 	93 	180	40
Jamie Erb 	1989–1993	108	86 	94 	180	71
John Murphy 	1975–1979	122	71 	98 	169	50
Scott Currie 	1975–1979	122	77 	88 	165	107
===Career Goaltending Leaders===
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Minimum 1500 minutes
Player 	Years 	GP 	Min 	W 	L 	T 	GA 	SO	SV% 	GAA
Zach Driscoll 	2018–Present	60 	3490	31	19	8 	112	7 	.925	1.93
Michael Bitzer 	2014–2018 	138	8227	65	54	19	271	21	.921	1.98
Matt Dalton 	2007–2009 	36 	2094	20	14	1 	80 	3 	.915	2.29
Blaine Comstock	1967–1971 	86 	4878	70	12	1 	190	9 	.905	2.34
Matt Climie 	2004–2008 	95 	5427	45	30	11	222	12	.908	2.45
Statistics current through the start of the 2020-21 season.
== Players ==
===Roster===
As of September 3, 2020.
==Beavers in the NHL==
	= NHL All-Star Team		= NHL All-StarPlayers are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career.			= NHL All-Star and NHL All-Star Team		= Hall of Famers
Player 	Position 	Team(s) 	Years 	
Matt Climie 	Goaltender	DAL, PHO 	2008–2011 	0
Brad Hunt 	Defenseman	EDM, STL, NSH, VGK, MIN	2013–Present	0
Jim McElmury 	Defenseman	KCS, COR 	1972–1978 	0
Andrew Murray 	Center 	CBJ, STL 	2007–2013 	0
Joel Otto 	Center 	, PHI 	1984–1998 	1
Matt Read 	Right Wing	PHI, MIN 	2011–Present	0
Gary Sargent 	Defenseman	LAK, MNS 	1975–1983 	0
Dale Smedsmo 	Left Wing 	TOR 	1972–1973 	0
Zach Whitecloud	Defenseman	VGK 	2017–2018 	0
File:Brad Hunt 2018-02-06 1.jpg|Brad Hunt
File:AndrewMurray.jpg|Andrew Murray
File:Joel Otto alumni.png|Joel Otto
===WHA===
Two players were members of the WHA.
Player 	Position 	Team(s) 	Years 	
Dale Smedsmo	Left Wing	CIN, NEW, IND	1975–1978	0
Rene Burger 	Center 	CHI 	1974–1975	0
==See also==
*Bemidji State Beavers women's ice hockey
==References==
==External links==
*Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey
 
Category:Ice hockey teams in Minnesota