ALEXANDRIA CARDINALS

Clayton Birdsall enjoys unique role for Bemidji State football

Sam Stuve — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 03:50:33 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Bemidji State football team is in the midst of a historic season.

The Beavers have advanced to the NCAA DII Tournament quarterfinals for the first time ever after a Gabe Ward 79-yard fumble return for a touchdown, which gave them a 20-19 win over Western Colorado in the second round of the NCAA DII Tournament on Nov. 30.

One player who is a part of this historic run is Alexandria graduate Clayton Birdsall. The 6-foot 290-pound redshirt sophomore offensive lineman has worked himself into a unique spot in Bemidji’s offensive lineup.

Birdsall is a backup offensive line but also gets playing time as a tight end/fullback for the Beavers (10-3).

“It’s different, but it’s super fun,” Birdsall said about the role he plays on the team. “I’m a center but also have stepped into a role as a tight end and fullback. It’s been a good change that I’ve enjoyed.”

Growing up, Birsdall mostly played on the offensive and defensive line. Birdsall and his family moved from Big Lake to Alexandria ahead of the 2020-21 school year.

Being a standout at Alexandria led him to get a spot on Bemidji State’s roster. Now, he is maintaining a role as a reserve offensive lineman and becoming a fullback and tight end.

Birdsall has played in all 13 games for the Beavers this season.

Birdsall is officially listed as No. 64 on Bemidji State’s roster but wears No. 88 to be eligible in the offense.

He’s helped pave the way for a Bemidji State rushing attack that is 27th in the country in rushing yards per game (180.8).

Bemidji State is averaging 25.77 points per game this season and is holding opponents to 15.85 points per game.

Offensively, Bemidji State is averaging 359.5 yards per game.

The Beavers offensive line has done a good job of protecting the quarterback, as they’ve only allowed 15 sacks in 13 games.

Birdsall spent his first two seasons playing strictly offensive line but began playing in his new roles for the Beavers during fall camp this season.

“During fall camp, they talked about putting me in as tight end or full back in short yardage or goalline situations,” Birdsall said. “On the third play of the first game of the season, our starting fullback went down with an injury. It became my time to roll. On the sidelines, they’ve been teaching me things and telling me what to do.”

“There wasn’t too much of a transition. I’m kind of a glorified offensive lineman with how they play me. I’m in the backfield moving around and blocking linebackers.”

Birsdall is also on the Beavers’ kick return team. In a game against Wayne State on Nov. 2, 2024, he had one kick return for 10 yards.

“That’s a different role for me because I’m playing with a lot of skill guys,” Birdsall said. “It’s different but fun.”

Birdsall was recently one of 53 Bemidji State student-athletes to earn NSCI Fall Academic Team recognition for maintaining a GPA of 3.6 or higher.

Birdsall and the Beavers started their postseason with a 24-14 on the road over Angelo State on Nov. 23 in San Angelo, Texas.

The Beavers kept their positive momentum going with their 20-19 win over Western Colorado in Gunnison, Colorado.

“That was a huge accomplishment,” Birdsall said. “I’ve been with a lot of these guys for a while now, and it’s fun to have this experience with them. This is what we’ve worked for.”

In the NCAA DII Tournament quarterfinals, Bemidji State takes on Minnesota State Mankato in Mankato at 2 p.m. on Saturday. This game is being live-streamed on ESPN+ and will be broadcast on 92.1 FM.

Minnesota State Mankato defeated Bemidji State with a last-second field goal, 31-29, on Sept. 7, 2024, in Mankato.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to potentially make some more history,” Birdsall said.

The winner of the Bemidji State versus Minnesota State Mankato plays either Ferris State or Harding in the semifinals on Dec. 14, 2024.

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‘High-character’ Jack Powell gets his moment on Bemidji State’s Senior Night

Jared Rubado — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 20:50:24 GMT

BEMIDJI – On Wednesday night, top-ranked Hermantown and Alexandria will meet in the Class A state boys high school hockey tournament. It’s a matchup Bemidji State’s Jack Powell is all too familiar with.

Before the senior men’s hockey player arrived on campus in 2020, Powell spent two years playing junior hockey for the Aberdeen Wings and the Alexandria Blizzard. Before that, the defenseman sparked a memorable Cinderella run for his hometown Cardinals.

During his senior high school season in 2017-18, Alexandria upset top-seeded St. Cloud Cathedral 3-2 in double overtime in the Section 6A title game. A week later, Alexandria edged out Thief River Falls 1-0 in the state quarterfinals, setting up a semifinal tilt with No. 1 Hermantown, the two-time defending state champions.

That’s when Powell made a name for himself.

Powell scored thrice in a 6-1 upset that snapped an eight-year streak of Hermantown appearances in the Class A title game.

“I guess I haven’t really thought about (that game) in a while,” Powell said. “I try not to look back too far. But I’m grateful for everything that happened and super grateful for my career.”

When Powell garnered the statewide hockey buzz, collegiate coaches took notice, including Tom Serratore at Bemidji State.

“Jack’s been resilient,” Serratore said. “It hasn’t been easy. We saw him play high school hockey in Alexandria, but it wasn’t until he went to Aberdeen, (S.D.), in the NAHL when we recruited him. It hasn’t went the way he probably wanted, but he’s the hardest-working guy in the weight room. He’s one of the hardest-working guys off the ice, that’s for sure.”

On Saturday night, Powell took part in Bemidji State’s Senior Night festivities. With the MacNaughton Cup clinched a night earlier, Powell was slotted into the lineup as the Beavers’ seventh defenseman.

Playing time has come sparingly for Powell, playing in just 20 games over four years before Saturday night. He’s never recorded a point.

However, in what might have been his last hockey game, he got his moment as one of the six starters.

“I appreciate my coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to do that,” Powell said. “I had a lot of family in the stands, which was great. The best thing is we got the win. All we wanted to do on Senior Night was get the win.”

The Beavers shut out Minnesota State 2-0 to put the finishing touches on a sweep in the regular-season finale. Serratore was excited to put one of his hardest-working players on the ice.

“He competes,” Serratore said. “There’s never a bad day for Jack. He’s just a great human being. They don’t get any better, and I’m so proud of him. Never once did he come into my office to bellyache. He just kept pushing. It’s easy for guys to feel sorry for themselves and quit working – quit doing the things you’re supposed to do. He never did. He’s a prime example of a high-character guy.”

Fellow senior Gavin Enright has lived with Powell over the last four years. Enright, who picked up a 22-save shutout, was thankful to share the moment with one of his closest friends.

“He’s an awesome guy,” Enright said. “He’s a goofy guy. Just living with him, being with him off ice, on ice, in the locker room – it’s really fun. He’s a guy that everyone gets along with. He’s a great locker room guy. He works his butt off all the time. He’s a role model. I’m lucky to have him in my class and experience four years with him.”

Following BSU’s postseason run, Powell will focus on his chiropractic studies. He will attend Northwestern Health Sciences University, where he will begin his schooling this summer.

Until then, Powell plans to cherish the final weeks of his hockey career at the school that took a chance on him.

“It’s hard to describe what it means when you’re part of it,” Powell said. “A good way to put it is we have a great group of guys. We’re a tight-knit family, and it’s just special. There’s a lot of history here of winning, and we’re trying to pay it forward to the guys who paved the way for us to have this great facility and great fan base. I’m just grateful to be here.”

For Powell to play again, multiple Bemidji State defensemen would likely have to be ruled out for games. With that in mind, Powell felt like Senior Night was a fitting end to a career that taught him life lessons that go beyond hockey.

“There was a lot of emotion today,” Powell said. “The things I’ve learned in hockey, you can’t teach them in a classroom. You can’t learn those things from your parents. You learn how to be a man. You learn how to deal with adversity, and you learn how to push forward with a team. I’m going to carry everything I’ve learned with me for the rest of my life. If this was my last game, I can’t picture a better way to go out.”

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GOLF: Bemidji State alum Lauren Stockmoe relishing the opportunity to be a coach

Sam Stuve — Tue, 09 May 2023 17:36:02 GMT

ALEXANDRIA — Things have come full circle for Alexandria native Lauren Stockmoe.

She was a three-time All-Central Lakes Conference selection, a three-time state tournament participant in high school for the Alexandria Cardinals (Class of 2017) and went on to play college golf at Bemidji State

During her time with the Beavers she was an All-NSIC Second-Team selection in her senior year of college (2020-21) and was named a team captain.

And since March of 2022, she's been back in the community working as an assistant for the Alexandria High �� girls golf team, an assistant coach for the Alexandria College women's and men's golf team and serves as an assistant instructor and club fitter for the Scott Dirck Golf Academy.

"I never anticipated doing it. I thought that maybe I'd coach kids when I got older, but I had never anticipated it. Everything just fell into place," she said. "It's super cool to be back here in Alex, to be able to relate to when I was in high school and when I was in college and work with all these amazing students and supporting the community. I never thought I'd be doing this, but I'm so glad that I am."

Dirck reached out to Stockmoe about the coaching vacancy at the college and at the golf academy. She was surprised she got the call but jumped on it quickly.

"I thought he was joking when he mentioned it," Stockmoe said. "I was at a place where I just wasn't loving what I was doing, and he's like, 'I think you'd be great at coaching.' I definitely didn't think I had the knowledge that he had. And he was like, 'No, it takes some time. And you know enough about the game of golf to start coaching and teaching.' And now I love it. It's probably been the best decision I've ever made."

Shortly thereafter, Stockmoe started coaching for the Alexandria high school girls golf team with head coach Tim Zupfer and helped coach the team to their second-straight state title and fifth in program history.

"It's one of the coolest experiences I've had," she said. "I definitely would have rather have done it this way than go work at some other school somewhere else. I just feel such a level of accomplishment, and I'm so proud of the legacy that we're building."

Stockmoe listed Zupfer and Dirck as her inspirations in the coaching industry.

"Scott was my coach throughout high school and throughout college, and I definitely don't think I could do it without him and coach Zupfer. You see the legacy he's created and how long he's been doing it, it's just super inspiring," Stockmoe said.

The Alexandria College golf teams are currently either competing or preparing for the NJCAA National Championship.

"The tech school is really fun," Stockmoe said. "Those kids have worked hard to get there. It's really fun being at that next level. The high school level is also really fun. You get all sorts of levels of skill, but in college, you get that next level. And so they're really fun, a little bit closer to age to me, so I can relate to them a little bit more. I went through college, so I can relate that I'm on the school side of it."

Stockmoe's favorite part of coaching is seeing players' reactions to success.

"It's seeing how excited they get when they hit a good shot or have a good hole or a good round," Stockmoe said. "And then being able to show them what they can do and how great they can get with all the practice and teaching the right way to practice for sure is probably the best part of it."

With jumping into a new position always comes some challenges. For Stockmoe, it's stepping back that's been the challenging part as a player turned coach.

"I've only ever been a player, so I'm trying to step back knowing they're not always going to play the same way I play, they're not going to make the same decisions I do, they don't hit the ball the same," Stockmoe said. "And then realizing that I just have to be positive and not overcomplicate things."

Being a former player now coaching at the high school level, Stockmoe has a unique and valuable perspective.

When asked what advice she would give to her high school self, she said, "Just enjoy the time. It doesn't last long, Don't put so much pressure on yourself."

"I definitely really had high expectations and high standards, which is good but also led to a lot of when I didn't exceed those or didn't meet those a lot of frustration and anger," she said. "It's important to enjoy every moment."

Stockmoe working towards getting her PGA card and becoming a PGA professional, which is a process that can take 3-6 years to complete.

"Through that program, you take a lot of courses and do a lot of training, and I'm also trying to learn from my instructor (Scott Dirck)," she said. "I sit in on his lessons, and I learn from him. There's training I can do online, so I'm learning as much as I can, reading books, doing all of that, and taking what I know and trying to transfer it to whoever I'm working with.

"I definitely have big goals, and I would like to continue that legacy. Zupfer's not going to coach forever, so I want to continue the program's legacy. And with Scott, I want to continue building the golf academy. I also want to get more women and girls on the course."

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Teams, players to watch for in the 2022 Minnesota boys state hockey tournament

Eli Swanson — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 17:45:20 GMT

ST. PAUL — After a full season of action all around the state, the race for a boys hockey championship comes down to the final 16 teams set to meet this week in St. Paul.

Only three wins separate the best teams in Minnesota from a spot in the record books, and this year's tourney includes both traditional powerhouses vying for more banners and first-time qualifiers looking to make their mark in inaugural trips to the Xcel Energy Center.

Both classes are guaranteed different champions this season with defending Class A winner Gentry Academy's move to Class AA in the offseason and Class AA defending champion Eden Prairie's loss in the Section 2AA semifinals.

Two teams, Minneapolis in A and Prior Lake in AA, will make their state tournament debuts this season. Minneapolis, a mascotless co-op of seven public schools, is the first public school team from the city to make the Tourney since Minneapolis Edison in 1994. It should be noted, however, that Minneapolis has a storied history at the state tournament that includes more than 40 appearances split between eight schools — stretching back to Minneapolis Washburn's first appearance in 1948 — and a state championship for Minneapolis Southwest in 1970.

https://twitter.com/Kovar_HJsports/status/1499216106736783369?s=20&t=fp-iMtaNRcIUGzJ5Ck_4zw

Prior Lake comes to St. Paul after Mr. Hockey favorite Alex Bump exploded for 4 goals and an assist in the Lakers' 7-4 Section 2AA final win against Chaska. Bump, a senior forward and Vermont commit, leads the team with 75 points on the season and is joined by fellow senior forwards Will Schumacher and Sam Rice to form a dynamic offensive top line. Prior Lake was 0-4 against state tournament qualifiers in the regular season, but does bring in a signature win after knocking off defending state champion Eden Prairie in the Section 2AA semifinals.

Hermantown is the favorite in Class A and undoubtedly hungry for a return to form after being forced to play mostly junior varsity players due to COVID-19 issues in its quarterfinal loss to Dodge County last season.

The Hawks (26-2-0) breezed through Section 7A tournament play without surrendering a goal and have only lost twice on the season — to Class AA state tournament qualifiers Cretin-Derham Hall and Maple Grove. Hermantown, led by the offensive firepower of Max and Zam Plante and their 121 combined points, beat both No. 2 Warroad (2-1 OT on Jan. 15 in Hermantown) and No. 3 Mahtomedi (3-0 on Dec. 18 in Mahtomedi) during the regular season.

Hermantown won't be without competitors, with Warroad (24-3-1) the other most likely contender for the Class A title. The Warriors make their 23rd appearance at the state tournament and will look to bring their fourth title back to Hockeytown. Senior forward Daimon Gardner, a Clarkson commit, junior forward Jayson Shaugabay and junior goalie Hampton Slukynsky have led Warroad to an eight-game winning streak coming into St. Paul. Warroad's only loss against a Class A team this season was its overtime defeat to Hermantown in January.

Mahtomedi (16-11-1) won't be an easy out, either. Senior goalie Ben Dardis has a .942 save percentage coming into the tournament, and the Frank Brimsek Award finalist has not allowed a goal in his last 203:36 of game action.

The Class AA tournament is, at least on paper, one of the most wide-open brackets in years. In a season where the rankings shifted rapidly and consistently throughout the winter months, Hill-Murray (23-4-1) emerged to claim the No. 1 seed in the Tourney after finishing the year on a seven-game winning streak that included wins over top-10 Maple Grove and Moorhead. However, the Pioneers lost to state qualifiers Andover and split with Edina during the regular season.

Despite making the tournament in 2021, Hill-Murray will play its first game back at the X since winning the 2020 state championship after being ruled out of last season's quarterfinal against Wayzata due to COVID-19 quarantine requirements.

Cretin-Derham Hall makes its return to the Xcel Energy Center for the first time since 2009 and the No. 2 seed will look to continue an 18-game winning streak that stretches back to Dec. 29. The Raiders are paced by senior forward Drew Fisher — the Mr. Hockey finalist leads the team in goals (28) and assists (31) — and senior goalie Marko Belak, a Frank Brimsek Award finalist with a .938 save percentage and 23-3-0 record in 26 appearances this season.

Of the eight teams in the Class AA bracket, only Prior Lake has not defeated at least one other member of the field. And if the parity in this year's field wasn't evident enough already: two of the teams that enter the tourney as unseeded squads, Edina and Lakeville South, were once ranked as the top team in the state during the season and the top seven teams in Let's Play Hockey's preseason rankings from Nov. 24, which were conducted via a poll of high school coaches, all advanced to St. Paul.

Follow along on The Rink Live for game recaps, news and photos when the action gets underway on Wednesday. See the bracket below for game information and times — streaming information, and printable brackets can be found online. For an idea of the path each team took to the Tourney, section tournament brackets for all eight sections in both classes are available here.

MR. = Mr. Hockey Finalist

FB = Frank Brimsek Award Finalist

Class A

Section 1 - New Prague Trojans (11-15-2)

3rd appearance - 0 championships

Last Appearance: 2017

Players to Watch: Jr. F John Schmidt (10 goals, 16 assists), Sr. F Will Andersen (9 goals, 16 assists), Sr. G Carter Puente (10-11-1, .911 SV%, 3.14 GAA)

Section 2 - Minneapolis (21-6-1)

1st appearance*

*Current team is a co-op of seven Minneapolis public schools. Last appearance by a Minneapolis public school was in 1994 (Minneapolis Edison).

Players to Watch: Sr. F Jack Hanson (24 goals, 28 assists), Sr. F Zander Zoia (11 goals, 29 assists)

Section 3 - Mankato East/Loyola Cougars (17-10-1)

4th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2020

Players to Watch: Jr. D Shae Gavin (16 goals, 13 assists), Sr. D Aiden Prochaska (8 goals, 20 assists), Sr. F Quintin Steindl (8 goals, 19 assists), Sr. G Caelin Brueske (16-90-1, .910 SV%, 2.22 GAA)

Section 4 - Mahtomedi Zephyrs (16-11-1)

13th appearance - 1 championship

Last appearance: 2020

Last championship: 2020

Players to Watch: Sr. G Ben Dardis

(14-11-1, .942 SV%, 1.97 GAA), Jr. F David Wolsfeld (22 goals, 24 assists)

Section 5 - Monticello Moose (13-14-1)

4th appearance* - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2020

*Monticello has made two trips to St. Paul as Monticello/Maple Lake and one trip as Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake

Players to Watch: Sr. F Wilson Dahlheimer (23 goals, 24 assists), Jr. D Gavin Simon (7 goals, 18 assists)

Section 6 - Alexandria Cardinals (19-6-2)

6th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2018

Players to Watch: Sr. F Josiah Gronholz (25 goals, 34 assists), Jr. F Tyler Kludt (13 goals, 35 assists), Sr. F Brycen Berg (27 goals, 16 assists)

Section 7 - Hermantown Hawks (26-2-0)

18th appearance - 3 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Last championship: 2017

Players to Watch: Jr. F Zam Plante (Minnesota Duluth) (20 goals, 35 assists), So. F Max Plante (16 goals, 50 assists), Jr F. Kade Kohanski (20 goals, 33 assists), So. G Dane Callaway (17-2-0, .921 SV%, 1.48 GAA)

Section 8 - Warroad Warriors (24-3-1)

23rd appearance - 4 championships

Last appearance: 2020

Last championship: 2005

Players to Watch: Sr. F Daimon Gardner

MR.

(Clarkson) (39 goals, 37 assists), Jr. F Jayson Shaugabay (Minnesota Duluth) (25 goals, 49 assists), Jr. G Hampton Slukynsky (24-3-1, .928 SV%, 1.48 GAA)

Class AA

Section 1 - Lakeville South Cougars (25-3-0)

7th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Players to Watch: Jr. G Jack Hochsprung (21-3-0, .931 SV%, 1.35 GAA), Jr. F Tanner Ludtke (Nebraska Omaha) (22 goals, 38 assists)

Section 2 - Prior Lake Lakers (18-10-0)

1st appearance

Players To Watch: Sr. F Alex Bump

MR.

(Vermont) (41 goals, 34 assists), Sr. F Will Schumacher (23 goals, 29 assists), Sr. F Sam Rice (11 goals, 29 assists)

Section 3 - Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders (24-3-0)

4th appearance - 1 championship

Last appearance: 2009

Last championship: 2006

Players to Watch: Sr. F Drew Fisher

MR.

(28 goals, 31 assists), Jr. F Jake Fisher (Northern Michigan) (23 goals, 29 assists), Sr. G Marko Belak

(23-3-0, .938 SV%, 1.57 GAA)

Section 4 - Hill-Murray Pioneers (23-4-1)

32nd appearance - 4 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Last championship: 2020

Players to Watch: Sr. F Dylan Godbout

MR.

(Wisconsin) (29 goals, 24 assists), Sr. D Axel Begley (5 goals, 28 assists), Sr. D Leo Gruba

MR.

(11 goals, 21 assists), Jr. G Jack Erickson (16-1-1, .930 SV%, 1.39 GAA)

Section 5 - Maple Grove Crimson (21-6-1)

5th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Players to Watch: Jr. F Landen Gunderson (19 goals, 53 assists), Jr. F Finn Brink (26 goals, 26 assists), Sr. F Joshua Giuliani (23 goals, 26 assists)

Section 6 - Edina Hornets (20-8-0)

29th appearance - 10 championships

Last appearance: 2019

Last championship: 2019

Players to Watch: Sr. F Trey Fechko (Arizona State) (20 goals, 20 assists), Jr. F Jimmy Clark (Minnesota) (15 goals, 21 assists), Jr. G Robbie Clarkowski (19-8-0, .928 SV%, 1.74 GAA)

Section 7 - Andover Huskies (22-5-1)

3rd appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Players to Watch: Jr. F Cayden Casey (21 goals, 46 assists), Jr. F Gavyn Thoreson (25 goals, 41 assists), Sr. G Austin Brauns

(19-5-1, .927 SV%, 1.72 GAA)

Section 8 - Moorhead Spuds (21-6-1)

19th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Players to Watch: Sr. F Gavin Lindberg

MR.

(21 goals, 43 assists), Jr. F Harper Bentz (37 goals, 27 assists, 9 GWG), Sr. F Carson Triggs (23 goals, 31 assists)

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