BEMIDJI 鈥� If Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 boys hockey fans were asked which player would record a two-goal game on Saturday against St. Michael-Albertville, they would鈥檝e had plenty of quality options to choose from.
Nine Lumberjacks entered Saturday鈥檚 contest at the Bemidji Community Arena with double-digit point totals, none of them being more surprising than Cal Mattfield.
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The junior forward entered this season without a varsity point. Yet, he broke through to a prominent role on a senior-laden team. He plays on a line with BHS leading scorers Joey Fankhanel and Briggs Knott, each of whom has over 20 points this season.
On Saturday, it was Mattfield鈥檚 turn to carry the scoring load for the trio. He scored twice in the Jacks鈥� 5-2 win.
鈥淚鈥檝e just been playing with more confidence than last year,鈥� Mattfield said. 鈥淕etting to play with Joey (Fankhannel) and Briggs (Knott), it鈥檚 a big step up. It gets a lot easier once you get that first goal. It kind of just starts coming in waves after that.鈥�
Knights goaltender Lucas Ingebrigtson did his best to keep his team in the game trailing 2-0. He turned aside a plethora of high-danger chances, including Mattfield鈥檚 back-door shot with a sprawling glove save. The rebound, however, kicked back out to Mattfield, who left no doubt with his second shot to make it 3-0 six minutes into the second period.
Mattfield added his sixth goal this season just under six minutes later by tipping in Eli Kringen鈥檚 point shot.
鈥淛ust watching him this summer and knowing who he was as a player, I felt comfortable putting him up here with Briggsy and Joey,鈥� head coach Ben Kinne said. 鈥淗e gets rewarded for being in the right spots at the right time. Not all of his goals are the prettiest in the whole wide world, but they still count the same.鈥�
Mattfield is up to six goals and eight assists through 14 games this season.
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鈥淟ast year, we talked about it all the time about how we couldn鈥檛 get any scoring most nights,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淣ow, we鈥檙e getting it from multiple people. Cal鈥檚 done a great job. He entered this season with zero career varsity points. 鈥� He鈥檚 executed extremely well and he鈥檚 played extremely well.鈥�
Benji O鈥橪eary received a late Christmas present to open the scoring early in the first period.
After scooping up a loose puck near the half wall in the offensive zone, O'Leary shoveled a soft, short-side shot on goal. It snuck past goaltender ngebrigtson to put the Lumberjacks ahead 1-0.
Conor Stodgell made it 2-0 five and a half minutes later. He found a late through Ingebrigtson鈥檚 five-hole off a feed from Briggs Knott to double the lead.
Prior to Saturday鈥檚 game against STMA, Bemidji had struggled in first periods, scoring just 12 of its 66 goals in the opening 17 minutes in 13 games.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important, you want to play with a lead,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just one of those things you have to work through, and it鈥檚 been a long break. These kids have been out of school for a long time. It鈥檒l be good for us to go back into our routine and back into our schedule on Monday. Getting out to these starts in these games are important.鈥�
Knott added a goal for BHS in the third period. Tanner Esterberg and Brady Luedemann also scored in the third period for the Knights.
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Tate Metcalf stopped 23 shots in a winning effort for the Jacks.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been really good for us,鈥� Mattfield said of Metcalf. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been playing very well for us this season. It鈥檚 really fun to see him play this well.鈥�
Kinne said that Saturday's win over STMA (5-4) wasn鈥檛 the Lumberjacks鈥� (10-2-1) best effort or best execution. However, he felt encouraged with his group ending up on the right side of the result despite his perceived shortcomings.
Bemidji is gearing up for its most important regular-season game this season so far at 6 p.m. on Thursday against No. 1-ranked Moorhead on the road.
鈥淟ast year, we鈥檇 be begging for a win like this, where you don鈥檛 play your best and you still get the result,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of just being prepared and doing what we have to do. You have to take care of games at home and in your section. Obviously, we have a big matchup coming up, and we didn鈥檛 want to look past this one, but human nature will let you do that sometimes.鈥�
Bemidji 5, St. Michael-Albertville 1
STMA 0 0 1 鈥� 1
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BHS 2 2 1 鈥� 5
First period 鈥� BHS GOAL: O鈥橪eary (unassisted) 2:10; BHS GOAL: Stodgell (Knott) 7:32.
Second period 鈥� BHA GOAL: Mattfield (Knott, Fankhanel) 6:08; BHS GOAL: Mattfield (Kringen, Knott) 11:41.
Third period 鈥� STMA GOAL: Esterberg (Johnson) PPG, 6:33; BHS GOAL: Knott (Fankhanel) ENG, 16:43; STMA GOAL: Luedemann (Hogan) 16:57.
Saves 鈥� Metcalf (BHS) 25; Ingebrigtson (STMA) 35.
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