BEMIDJI, Minn. — Minnesota State tied Bemidji State 4-4 on Saturday at Sanford Center, before winning the shootout 1-0. The Mavericks were outshot 37-16 but got 33 saves and finished 1-for-1 on the power play.
Minnesota State has scored at least four goals in two consecutive games, has scored a power-play goal in five straight games and has killed its opponents' last 29 power plays.
The Mavericks are now 4-5-3 overall and 2-1-3 in CCHA action. The Beavers are 2-7-2 overall and 1-3-2 in conference play.
Bemidji State had the first power-play chance after
Gus Thorp was called for holding at 18:58, but the Mavericks got a block from
Jacob Conrad and saves from
Lassi Lehti to get through the penalty. The Mavericks pushed back with a run of chances from Conrad,
Luigi Benincasa,
Jakob Stender,
Mason Kraft and
Will Skahan, while Raythan Robbins handled the Mavericks' shots on goal. Bemidji State generated another late stretch, including saves by Lehti on Alexi Sylvestre and Tory Lund as the first period ended without a goal.
After Lehti handled several early BSU chances,
Liam Watkins put the Mavericks ahead 1-0 at 13:44 with help from
Easton Hewson and Conrad.
Ean Somoza added an even-strength goal off a Kraft assist at 12:22. Brady Birnie brought Bemidji St. within 2-1 at 11:35, but Somoza scored again on the power play at 9:56 with assists from Watkins and Benincasa to put the Mavericks up 3-1. Benincasa has now recorded at least one point in three consecutive games.
Bemidji State pushed through the latter half of the second period, including a power-play stretch after
Sawyer Scholl's roughing penalty, but Lehti continued turning away shots as the Mavericks took a 3-1 lead into the intermission.
The Mavericks put several early attempts toward Raythan Robbins, then killed off
Jack Christ's hooking penalty after Lehti handled Bemidji State's power-play chances. Hewson scored at 12:04 off Christ's assist to put the Mavericks ahead 4-1, but Jiri Klima answered unassisted at 6:11 to bring the Beavers within two at 4-2.
With Robbins pulled, Carter Rapalje scored from Hudson Thornton and Aiden Ziprick at 2:49, and after Klima hit the pipe at 1:57, Klima scored again from Rapalje and Thornton at 1:03 to tie the game at 4-4. Lehti saved shots from Isaac Johnson and Max Namestnikov in the final 12 seconds to send the game to overtime.
Stender blocked Max Namestnikov's attempt early in overtime before the Mavericks put together the main push of the frame. Conrad had three attempts in a short stretch, with Isaac Johnson and Carter Rapalje blocking two of them. Bemidji State got attempts from Hudson Thornton and Johnson later in overtime, while the Mavericks answered with chances from Watkins,
Sam Kappell and Kraft before the five-minute session ended scoreless.
Watkins and Oliver Peer missed the opening shootout attempts against Raythan Robbins and Lehti. Benincasa and Jiri Klima also came up empty in the second round, leaving the shootout without a conversion through four attempts.
Reid Morich scored on the Mavericks' third try, before Max Namestnikov missed against Lehti to give the Mavericks the 1-0 shootout win.
Somoza scored twice, including a power-play goal, and added three shots with two blocked shots. The two goals were a season high for Somoza. Watkins recorded a goal and an assist and won two of three faceoffs. Hewson added a goal and an assist, finishing plus-2 with one blocked shot. Hewson has scored at least one goal and posted at least two points in two consecutive games. Lehti finished with 33 saves.
Up next, the Mavericks host #14/#15 Michigan Tech on Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, at 7:07 p.m. at Mayo Clinic HSEC in Mankato, Minn.
