Feb. 22, 2007

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GAME STORYLINES
In its final home series of the 2006-07 season, the Wayne State men's hockey team (9-20-1, 5-10-1 CHA) hosts Bemidji State (14-12-4, 9-5-4 CHA) this weekend at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum. Both games are slated to begin at 7:05 p.m. ET. This is the third series between these squads this season and the second in Detroit.

Wayne State defeated No. 17 Niagara, 6-1, last Friday before skating to a 4-4 tie on Saturday at the Coliseum.

Bemidji State split a league series against Alabama-Huntsville, earning a 4-3 victory last Friday before dropping a 4-3 decision the next night.

This weekend marks Bemidji State's final CHA series of the season, as the Beavers come to Detroit with a two-point lead over second-place Niagara. Wayne State, which can finish anywhere from third to fifth, has four league games remaining, including two at third-place Robert Morris.

BEHIND THE BENCH
Bill Wilkinson is in his eighth season as Wayne State's head coach and his 25th year as a collegiate head coach. Wilkinson's overall record stands at 423-443-78, while his mark at WSU is 110-142-25.

Bemidji State's Tom Serratore has spent his entire six-year head coaching career behind the Beavers' bench, posting a record of 103-84-24.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
Bemidji State leads the all-time series, 21-6-4, including four wins this season. The Beavers are unbeaten (9-0-1) in their last 10 and 15 of their last 16 (14-1-1) games against the Warriors.

IN THE POLLS
WSU was selected to finish fifth in the College Hockey America preseason coaches poll, while Bemidji State was tabbed for first.

ON THIS DATE
Wayne State has played two games on Feb. 23 in its history, both of which were against Bemidji State. The Beavers defeated the Warriors, 2-1, in 2001, while WSU earned a 5-0 shutout at BSU the next year.

On Feb. 24, Wayne State and Bemidji State tied, 1-1, in 2001. WSU fell, 2-1, to Alabama-Huntsville last season.

SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE
Bemidji State is just 2-7-1 since its last series with Wayne State (Jan. 5-6) in which the Beavers swept the Warriors at Glas Fieldhouse.

Sophomore Travis Winter leads the squad with 27 points and 17 assists, while senior Luke Erickson, who missed 13 games this season with an injury, has team-highs with 11 goals and seven power-play goals.

Last Saturday, Erickson became the first player in Bemidji State's Division I era to score at least 50 goals and 50 assists in his career and tied the BSU Division I-era career records for assists and power-play goals.

Bemidji State's scoring defense (3.27 goals/game) is first in the CHA.

Junior goaltender Matt Climie, who has started 25 games including the last eight, is 11-8-4 with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.

WSU NOTES
Five different players had multiple-point games on Friday for Wayne State, as the Warriors matched their highest scoring total against the Purple Eagles since a 6-4 win in the semifinals of the CHA Tournament on March 15, 2003.

Senior goaltender Will Hooper, who has earned back-to-back victories, made 20 saves in Friday's win.

The 10 goals amassed by the Warriors in the series matches their highest total of the season (WSU scored 10 at Alabama-Huntsville on Oct. 20-21).

Wayne State scored three power-play goals on Saturday, the most since totaling four at then-No. 12 Cornell on Nov. 25.

Saturday was just the second regular-season game to go into overtime this season for the Warriors, and the first to result in a tie.

Senior Nate Higgins and CHA Rookie of the Week Jared Katz each have four-game point streaks, while Katz has a goal in each of his last three contests. He has a point in 11 of his last 13 games and leads all CHA rookies with 10 goals on the season.

Seniors Mark Cannon and Dan Iliakis, along with CHA Offensive Player of the Week Jon Grabarek, each have three-game point streaks. Cannon had just two points on the season entering the Feb. 10 game against Alabama-Huntsville.

WSU CAPTAINS
Jason Bloomingburg, Mike Forgie

WSU ASSISTANT CAPTAINS
Nate Higgins, Taylor Donohoe