Jan. 10, 2006

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GAME STORYLINES

The Wayne State University men's hockey team (4-12-2, 1-4-1 CHA) will play its first College Hockey America league contests in over a month this Friday and Saturday at Bemidji State (10-8-2, 5-3-0 CHA).

WSU was swept at home by the Beavers in mid-November (4-1, 3-1). This conference series starts a stretch where the Warriors play 14 of their final 16 regular-season games against league opponents.

Wayne State lost twice at Michigan State (3-1, 5-1) this past weekend. BSU, the defending CHA regular-season and tournament champions, split at Robert Morris (2-0, 1-2) last weekend.

BEHIND THE BENCH

Bill Wilkinson is in his seventh season as Wayne State's head coach and his 24th year as a collegiate head coach. Wilkinson's overall record stands at 412-412-73, while his mark at WSU is 99-111-20.

Bemidji State's Tom Serratore is in his fifth year at his alma mater and has compiled a 79-66-19 record.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

Wayne State trails the all-time series 6-16-3 against Bemidji State.

The Beavers won twice in Detroit last November and have a 9-2-1 mark at home versus the Warriors. BSU has won the last six meetings at the Glas Fieldhouse and are 9-1 against WSU in the last 10 contests.

IN THE POLLS

Wayne State was tabbed for third in College Hockey America. Bemidji State was voted second in the CHA Coaches Preseason poll.

ON THIS DATE

WSU is 1-0-0 on Jan. 13 following a 4-3 win at Niagara in 2001.

The Warriors are 2-0-0 on Jan. 14. WSU defeated SUNY-Brockport 5-1 in 2000, and recorded a 4-3 overtime win at Niagara in 2005.

SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE

The Beavers are second in the CHA following a split at Robert Morris last weekend.

Junior forwards Luke Erickson and Rob Sirianni each have nine goals to lead the team with Erickson having a team-high 18 points. Senior defenseman Andrew Martens has a team-best 12 assists.

Junior Layne Sedevie (6-3-1, 2.28, .920) and sophomore Matt Climie (4-5-1, 2.69, .908) have each started 10 games between the pipes.

Bemidji has scored 20 power-play goals in 126 chances (15.9%), while stopping 114 of its opponents 133 opportunities (85.7%).

NOTES

Matt Kelly stopped 80 of the 88 shots he faced in the two games at Michigan State, with four of the eight goals he allowed coming on the power play.

Kelly's career-high for saves in a series is 95, set in a Dec. 5-6, 2003, series at Bemidji State, which is where WSU is headed this weekend.

Kelly's 42 stops on Saturday was three shy of the 45 he made at MSU on Nov. 21, 2003, and six off his career-high set in the Dec. 6, 2003, contest at BSU. The 42 saves was also a WSU season-high.

Jason Baclig had an assist on Saturday giving him three helpers in his last five games. His 39 career assists rank eighth on WSU's all-time list, just one behind Maxim Starchenko (2000-03) and Chris Vail (2000-04) who are tied for sixth with 40 assists.

After going pointless in his first 11 collegiate games, Derek Punches has two goals and three assists for five points in his last seven games.

Nate Higgins had his three-game goal-scoring streak and six-game point streaked snapped on Friday. He rebounded to score his team-leading fifth power-play goal on Saturday.

Higgins is tied with teammate Jason Bloomingburg for fifth place on WSU's all-time power-play goals chart with 10.

Adam Krug had an assist on Friday to extend his career-best assist streak to four games.

Senior defenseman Greg Poupard earned his second assist in the last six games on Friday at Michigan State. he had one assist in his first 10 games this season.

Mark Nebus assisted on WSU's lone goal on Saturday giving him three points in the last five games.

WSU had its streak of consecutive games with a power-play goal end on Friday at six. The Warriors did score a man-advantage marker on Saturday.

Wayne State has allowed two power-play goals in seven of the last 10 contests recording a 2-4-1 mark. In the other three contests, WSU has allowed a total of two power-play goals compiling a 2-1 record.

The 88 shots on goal allowed at MSU is a season-high by the Warriors for a weekend series.

Wayne State will play 14 of its final 16 regular-season games against CHA opponents.

Bill Wilkinson has 99 career wins at WSU and 412 for his career.