And now, for your combined Beaver Sports Gameday/Reading Room.
Last year, the Bemidji State football team traveled to Bismarck, N.D, riding high with a 6-1 record and a shot at the Division-II playoffs.
Things didn’t go so well in Bismarck, as the University of Mary racked up nearly 400 yards passing and routed the Beavers 49-21. BSU’s playoff hopes didn’t end there, but the Beavers lost their next game at Northern State and effectively eliminated themselves from postseason consideration.
This year, the script isn’t quite the same but it’s clear that the Beavers still have last season’s loss on their minds. But more importantly for Bemidji State is keeping up the momentum after last week’s homecoming rout of Minnesota Crookston.
The Marauders have the same high-octane passing offense this year that they did last season, but perhaps luckily for the Beavers, their quarterback Craig Bagnell is not going to play this week, according to the Bismarck Tribune. However, receiver Elby Pope will be playing against the Beavers. He’s almost at 500 receiving yards on the year.
Game notes are here. Game is a weird 2:30 start time… which will conflict if you’d also like to follow the Beaver women’s hockey team at Providence. You may have a difficult choice to make.
Other BSU stuff going on today
It’s an action-packed Saturday, even aside from football. A list, in bullet point form, because it’s easier this way:
-Women’s hockey at Providence. It’s the second of a two-game series. BSU won the first game 3-2, scoring three unanswered goals and earning senior Jess Havel her first-ever collegiate win.
BSU’s win is pretty impressive considering the Beavers did not look good at all in the first period and even gave up a shorthanded goal midway through the second period. And Havel has been backing up an All-American goaltender for her entire college career. The fact that she stepped in and made 26 saves in her first competitive start looks even better.
-Women’s soccer hosts MSU Moorhead: The Beavers have won four games in a row, including a 1-0 thriller against Southwest State that marked the first-ever time they’ve claimed victory in Marshall.
BSU is perched at third in the NSIC with 16 points and a 5-2-1 record. Both games on this weekend homestand – MSU Moorhead and Northern State – are very winnable, as is next Saturday’s home game against Upper Iowa. The Beavers could very well go into next Sunday’s game against Winona State fighting for second place in the conference. The Warriors are 6-1 in the conference and only two points ahead in the standings.
-Volleyball hosts Northern State: The Beavers got swept at home again Friday night, falling to MSU Moorhead. It’s been a struggle for BSU in conference play. After sweeping BSU newcomer Minot State, the Beavers have lost seven straight matches. They’ve only gone past three sets in two of them.
Northern is 3-5 in the conference and 8-8 overall. If the Beavers want to get a win at home this might be their best chance (at least, until Minot State comes to town Oct. 27).
