Bemidji State Beavers

[buzzsaw]

I figured some people may have interest uin talking about the small instate college that is starting to turn some heads. Heres an article from USCHO.

I keep thinking Tom Serratore should have received a championship ring from the University of Denver. After all, his team gave the Pioneers the awakening of a lifetime in last season's East Regional in Amherst.

Denver looked listless at times. Serratore's Bemidji State Beavers gave the Pioneers all they could handle, but Denver won, in OT, 4-3, and rolled from there.

Bemidji State, in defeat, won in one area. The Beavers re-emerged as a force to be reckoned with in college hockey. By giving Denver a gut-check game, they launched the defending champs on their way to a second consecutive national title.

This season has started much like last season ended. The Beavers are the defending CHA champions, and have shot out of the gate with their best start in 20 years.

"The link between how well we finished and the start we have had this season (8-2, 6-2 on the road) is confidence, and great goaltending," Serratore said as he begins the fifth season as head coach at Bemidji State. "If you can win six of eight on the road, you must be playing with confidence, and you need great special teams and goaltending, and we have had that."

That confidence comes from experience. The Beavers are in a position where they recruit for older freshmen, players who have played the extra years of junior hockey after graduating from high school. Whether they are USHL vets, or have played in Western Canada, the players arrive as freshmen older, more physically and mentally mature, and ready for the adversity that the CHA schedule presents them.

"We travel a lot," said Serratore, discussing the opening of a season in which the Beavers have already played at Duluth (two wins for a sweep), Air Force (split), Wayne State (sweep), and Ferris State (split). "Older players have been through the junior battles, the travel, the schedule, and they know how to prepare for and handle the demands put on an athlete in an adverse situation."

Recruiting is a huge part of your season, no matter whether you're Bemidji State or Michigan State. However, the difference is that Michigan State will attract high-end freshman out of the USHL or Canadian Tier II as a member of the CCHA (a "Big Four" conference), and with its storied history.

Bemidji State, which has the highest winning percentage of the 59 teams currently competing at the Division I level (.619, 880-400-70 all time in its D-I and D-III eras), plays in College Hockey America, a lesser-known conference.

The school has attracted top players who helped it to its championship last season after barely missing the season before, losing a wild 4-3 OT championship game to Niagara. Players like Andrew Murray and Brendan Cook each notched 100 career points for Bemidji State, and departed with a senior class that ranks among the best, if not the best in school history.

As with all Minnesota-based schools, the Beavers try to go after the locals first. With Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State in the WCHA, those recruiting battles are tough. However, they have been able to recruit well by sticking to a philosophy that emphasizes finding the players who best fit their program.

"Sometimes you can offer a scholarship to a player and that attracts them, sometimes you get a really good player that wants to play more than he would at another D-I school in Minnesota. The key for us is to find a kid that will fit in here with what we are, where the school is, and what each has to offer the other."

The Beavers make sure they identify a large pool of talent and hit those areas hard. They have done very well in Alberta and Manitoba, as well as landing some good kids from their home state.

Serratore keeps working his magic, and the Beavers keep winning. Interconference play is a reason the program is so strong. They'll be off Thanksgiving weekend, and then play Niagara at home. After that, the CHA takes a back seat and BSU will take on Lake Superior State at home, play a home-and-home with North Dakota, and then compete at the Vermont Holiday Classic (playing Colgate, currently ranked No. 15, and the winner of Vermont/Dartmouth. UVM is now No. 5).

After that, it's CHA league games. The playoffs are mid-March, and Serratore hopes to land a third consecutive appearance on CSTV in the league championship game.

His strategy?

"Get good goaltending, and we have it now with Matt Climie and Layne Sedevie," said Serratore.

"I've always said, if you have the chance to get a good coach or a good goalie, take the goalie."

In Bemidji, they have both.

[buzzsaw]

The Beavers got off to a 7-1-0 start against teams whose combined record stands at 10-31-6. This weekend's series with Niagara is part of an eight-game stretch against foes with a combined 27-19-9 mark

[Deitz Dittrich]

I have been and will always be a bemidji hockey fan. Not that I would ever admit this... and I am sure I will catch a lot of flack for this one... I was the Beaver in about 91-93 seasons for home games.. It was a good time! I was always first on the ice after the zamboni left.. how many can say that?

[redlake]

Thanks for the article Buzzsaw. I live next to Tom Serratore and he is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. I had a few beers with him on his pontoon this summer and got a chance to talk some hockey with him.

He had a great story from one of his coaching trips. He and a couple buddies were in the Florida Keys at a coaching conference and they went out that night to a bar called Gillmans. It is a bar for older people with Jimmy Buffett in the background and a relaxed atmosphere. I am not sure if anyone has been to SLIMS in Bemidji but Tom said it was very similar to that. They also had live music with a little stage set-up. Tom and his buddies get settled in at the bar and Tom looks over to his left and here sits a huge man with a cowboy hat on drinking a Michelob Ultra. Tom looks at him for a while and pokes the guy in the arm with his elbow and says, "Dude, you look like Toby Keith."

The guy lifts his beer and says, "I am Toby Keith."

Tom asked him why he was drinking a Michelob Ultra and he told him he was on a diet.

This led to that and they ended up drinking beer with him for over an hour, Some family dixie band was on break and Tom convinced Toby to play a few songs for them and he said he would as long as he didn't play any of his own stuff. He ended up playing 4 songs by ACDC, acoustic and all by himself. I guess it was incredible to watch the big man perform.

I think Bemidji will have a nice second half of their season. I sure hope they do. I think I will even cheer for them when they go up against my beloved Sioux. The Sioux have become cake eaters themselves as they play in their 100 million dollar rink that is perfectly made for figure skating. I perfer the old Winter Sports Center myself.

Wow, the Gophers really had a good weekend. Great hockey to watch. My hat off to them. It isn't hard to cheer against the Michigan teams.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

[buzzsaw]

Quote:

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I have been and will always be a bemidji hockey fan. Not that I would ever admit this... and I am sure I will catch a lot of flack for this one... I was the Beaver in about 91-93 seasons for home games.. It was a good time! I was always first on the ice after the zamboni left.. how many can say that?

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Thats cool, now I must confess... I was the Zamboni driver for the City of Minnetonka some years ago.

Red, Cool story!

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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I was the Beaver in about 91-93 seasons for home games..

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OMG....Dietz was the Beav????....

Got any Pics??????

Was that a full body suit costume....?

Do the guys in the Ice fishing forum know this Beav I mean Dietz????...whistling...whistling...whistling

[buzzsaw]

I sense a new nickname for Dietz!! "The Beav"

[Deitz Dittrich]

I did it for football as well. No picts sorry to say, so I guess no proof! Yes it was a full body suit... I used to skate on the ice right after "Vance" and if you went to BSU at that time everybody knew Vance...And I would belly slide from about the blue line into the net and nock it off its mornings... then vance would yell and me and tell me never to do it again... I would say sorry and say I would never do it again.. till the next peroid!

I also got kicked off the floor of the metrodome during a football game.. I was near the endzone and saw a very badly overthrown pass... So I ran to the back of the endzone and made one of the best fingertip grabs of my life... Spiked the ball.. did a dance on it.. and was kicked up to the stands by the reffs.. LOL...ahh the memories!

and if I had a quater for everytime I heard "Nice Beaver" from the movie naked gun... I would be rich and not be a teacher any more!

[Quackaddict9]

Yep I know Vance, awesome guy!

by the way your stories are funny...

[redlake]

I have to say, Vance is an institution. He has been making ice in Bemidji for a long, long time.

[TJFISHER]

i was at BSU from 76-80, ans VAnce was an institution back then. And now I have to confess...my wife was the mascot back then for the hockey team. Now shes 5'4" and one night after visiting the "Beaver Pond" I squeezed into the suit ( Im 6'4" bout 300lbs ) and got a picture.. but I never got on the ice like you.....

[PierBridge]

We need that picture...

[Hockey Guy]

What's the "Beaver Pond"? I'm not familiar with that term. LOL

[TJFISHER]

Hockey guy, I am sure you are way too young and I am not sure if you're pullin my leg but the Beaver Pond was a 3.2 beer joint downtown near the Woolen Mills. It was fashionably decorated with shag carpet on all the walls and cement floor. Lots of beer was consumed there, and some pretty cold walks back to campus. Then there was the Viking II, the "Disco" that was next to the sporting goods store just north of town.....

[Alex Walleye Fan]

I watched 99% of all home BSU games from 1978 until 2002. (then I moved away from BJI) I actually have had the pleasure to travel with the team on occasion to various national championship games/series as well. I have some neat memories and some great stories........ Now days I might get to 4- 6 games a year.

This program has a storied and rich history. At the D1 level the program is making all the right moves in establishing themselves as a legitimate D1 threat.

Friday night and Saturday morning I will be catching some Walleyes then I will travel to GF Saturday afternoon to watch the Beavers beat UND.

[redlake]

Yes, I too will be attending the game in Bemidji. I don't have a ticket but I will be sliding in via the zamboni door, if you know what I mean.

I really think the sioux will be overlooking this weekend. They might look you in the eye and say they aren't but Bemidji State isn't going to be an easy sweep. Friday night will be a hornets nest for a North Dakota team that may have some let down after a hyped up weekend last week.

I still say, BSU shocks UND twice! I make a plea for Matt Clime to start in the nets both nights. He is the better goalie.

And the Gophers just sit back this weekend and drink tall beers. Watch out for FOX News vans!

[buzzsaw]

Quote:

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And the Gophers just sit back this weekend and drink tall beers. Watch out for FOX News vans!

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Absolutely hillarious!!

I've gotta go the other way though Red, I say Sioux are ticked from last weeks losses and come out ready to play.... should be a fun series, I would like to watch those games....

[Alex Walleye Fan]

My heart say BSU will get a split but using my head I say Siuox sweep. However, BSU tends to play good/great teams well. Especially WCHA teams. Friday the Glas will be nuts and if BSU can get a quick jump on UND it could be a tough game for UND. Saturday in the Ralph will be very entertaining.

[Hockey Guy]

Anyone know if the games are televised?

[Alex Walleye Fan]

I might be mistaken but I thought that the UND BSU series will be shown statewide on Charter. Saturdays game will be on ESPNU

[Alex Walleye Fan]

Charter Communications to carry five BSU hockey games state-wide

11/28/2005

Charter Communications announced plans to distribute five of Bemidji State University’s final 11 home men’s ice hockey contests to a statewide audience on its College Hockey Weekend broadcasting package. College Hockey Weekend also includes a selection of home games for the St. Cloud State Huskies and Minnesota State Mavericks, other NCAA Division I programs in the state of Minnesota with local television broadcasting partnerships with Charter Communications.

Each BSU home men’s hockey contest is carried live on Charter Cable systems in the Bemidji area.

Bemidji State University is in its third year of a comprehensive television agreement with Charter Communications which has allowed for the loca broadcast of more than 100 BSU home events over the last two-plus years. Since the start of the 2002-03 season, the broadcasting package has allowed subscribers of Charter Communications cable systems enjoy the excitement of BSU football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s ice hockey and volleyball from the comfort of their homes.

Through Charter’s partnerships with St. Cloud State and Minnesota State, Charter customers in those areas will have access to five Bemidji State home games, and customers in the Bemidji area will have access to a selection of games from those programs as well.

A complete College Hockey Weekend schedule is included.

Charter Communications, A Wired World Company™, is the nation’s third-largest broadband communications company. Charter provides a full range of advanced broadband services to the home, including cable television on an advanced digital video programming platform via Charter Digital Cable® and high-speed Internet access via Charter Pipeline®. Commercial high-speed data, video and Internet solutions are provided under the Charter Business Networks® brand. Advertising sales and production services are sold under the Charter Media® brand. More information about Charter can be found at www.charter.com.

Nov. 25-26, 2005 St. Cloud State vs Brown 7:07 / 7:07 p.m.

Dec. 2-3, 2005 Minnesota State vs Minn.-Duluth 7:37 / 7:07 p.m.

Dec. 9-10, 2005 BEMIDJI STATE vs Lake Superior State 7:35 / 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 16, 2005 BEMIDJI STATE vs North Dakota 7:35 p.m.

Dec. 17, 2005 St. Cloud State vs Robert Morris 7:07 p.m.

Jan. 13-14, 2006 Minnesota State vs Alaska-Anchorage 7:37 / 7:07 p.m.

Jan. 20-21, 2006 St. Cloud State vs Minn.-Duluth 7:37 / 7:07 p.m.

Feb. 3-4, 2006 Minnesota State vs Michigan Tech 7:37 / 7:07 p.m.

Feb. 10-11, 2006 St. Cloud State vs Colorado College 7:37 / 7:07 p.m.

Feb. 17-18, 2006 Minnesota State vs St. Cloud State 7:37 / 7:07 p.m.

Feb. 24-25, 2006 Minnesota State vs Wisconsin 7:37 / 7:07 p.m.

March 3-4, 2006 BEMIDJI STATE vs Ala.-Huntsville 7:35 / 7:05 p.m.

[buzzsaw]

Well Minnesota gets to play Niagara this weekend, one of BSU's league companions whom they've split with so far this year.... I guess we can see how the Gophers fare this weekend.... maybe fire up some of that fun trash talkin' that we all do so well.