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 Derek Bachynski started WSU's three-goal comeback. |
Jan. 13, 2006
Bemidji, Minn. - The Wayne State University men's hockey team (4-12-3 overall, 1-4-2 CHA) rallied from a 3-0 deficit to record a 3-3 overtime tie at Bemidji State's (10-8-3 overall, 5-3-1 CHA) Glas Fieldhouse Friday night.
The opening period was nearly scoreless until an icing call was made on the Warriors in the final 20 seconds. BSU won an offensive zone-face off and Andrew Martens fired in his fourth goal of the year through a screened Matt Kelly (Hull, Mass./Topeka Scarecrows).
Kelly was strong in the middle period for the second consecutive game as he stopped 19 Beaver shots. Last Saturday at Michigan State, Kelly equaled the school record for saves in a period by stopping all 22 Spartan shots.
Bemidji built up a 3-0 advantage before sophomore forward Derek Bachynski (Belle River, Ont./Leamington Flyers) put the Warriors on the scoreboard with his second lamp-lighter of the season at the 17:02 mark. The goal snapped a 14-game scoreless streak for Bachynski (his last goal was Oct. 28 at Clarkson). Senior forward John May (Livonia, Mich./Springfield Junior Blues) and freshman forward Derek Punches (Manchester, Mich./Texas Tornado) earned assists. May's helper ended a three-game pointless streak dating back to Dec. 3 at Air Force. Punches has three assists in his last four games.
Despite entering the third period facing a 3-1 deficit, Wayne State would not be phased playing on the road at the defending conference champions. WSU began the game with a 0-12-1 mark when trailing after 40 minutes, the Warriors would score twice in the third period to send the game into overtime.
Senior blueliner Greg Poupard (Jackson, Mich./Waterloo Black Hawks) scored his first goal in 364 days (last goal was Jan. 14, 2005, at Niagara) to pull Wayne State within a goal at 3-2 at the 10:44 mark. May and freshman forward Jon Grabarek (Sterling Hts., Mich./Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) assisted on Poupard's sixth career goal. It also marked May's second multi-assist game of the season (previous was Dec. 2 at Air Force).
The Warriors would tie the game 2:22 later as Punches buried a pass from May. The tally was the second in the last three games for Punches as he scored WSU's lone goal last Friday at Michigan State.
BSU had the only shot on goal during the five-minute sudden death overtime period.
Kelly (3-6-3), who entered the game with a 1-7 all-time record against BSU, finished the contest with 42 saves, while Beaver goaltender Matt Climie (4-5-2) turned aside 33 Warrior shots.
Kelly's third tie of the season puts him one behind the single-season WSU mark of four set by David Guerrera during the 2001-02 campaign.
Wayne State went zero-for-seven with the man advantage, with BSU going 0-for-three on power play opportunities. Bemidji won 60 of 90 face-offs in the contest.
The teams will conclude the regular-season series with an 8:05 p.m. (Eastern) face-off Saturday night at BSU's Glas Fieldhouse.
