歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� Pressure is rooted in expectations.

The Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 boys hockey team hasn鈥檛 faced the kind of pressure it did on Tuesday night in nearly a decade. The Lumberjacks entered the Section 8AA Tournament as the No. 2 seed, ensuring their first playoff contest at the Bemidji Community Arena since Feb. 20, 2016.

While it meant BHS got a chance to play in front of its home fans against seventh-seeded Buffalo to open postseason play, it also tasked a group of players with the expectation of taking care of business on home ice.

It took just 55 seconds for the pressure to subside in the Jacks鈥� 10-1 win.

Noah Mannausau fed Briggs Knott a 150-foot pass in the opening minute. Knott sniped the game鈥檚 first goal, sending the Bemidji faithful at the BCA into pandemonium.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Two and a half minutes later, Joey Fankhanel doubled the lead, forcing Buffalo to take its timeout before it registered a shot on goal.

鈥淟ast year, we鈥檇 be begging for goals like that,鈥� Jacks head coach Ben Kinne said. 鈥淭hat start is what you want, and what a shot by Briggs Knott going up the ice there. We kind of just stayed with it, got a few more and finished off a really good team effort.鈥�

It was just the beginning of a clinical effort for the Jacks鈥� top line.

Knott, Fankhanel and Cal Mattfield combined to record five goals and six assists for a total of 11 points.

鈥淲e were a little nervous still, but we knew everyone was going to come out and work their tails off to win this game,鈥� Fankhanel said. 鈥淚 think we all just love playing with each other. We work well together and find each other out there a lot. All we have to do is put it in the back of the net.鈥�

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

After Conor Stodgell put Bemidji ahead 3-0 midway through the first period 鈥� a goal that led Buffalo head coach Aaron Johnson to make a change at goaltender 鈥� Mattfield scored his first of the night less than two minutes into the second period.

Bemidji weathered Buffalo鈥檚 push 鈥� aside from Harvy Yliato鈥檚 middle frame goal. Fankhanel and Mattfield each added another before the second intermission to give the Lumberjacks a 6-1 lead.

鈥淭hey compliment each other really well,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淐al Mattfield is a little bit of the anchor and allows the other two to be a little free. He holds it down and makes the right plays. And he got rewarded with a couple of goals.

鈥淲ith Joey, you can see the speed and the talent he has on offense. I don鈥檛 know if I can find another 165-pound guy who鈥檚 as strong on the puck as Briggs Knott is. He doesn鈥檛 give it up very often.鈥�

In the third period, Dawson Schoonover and Benji O鈥橪eary scored 52 seconds apart in the opening three minutes to push the game to running time. Stodgell scored twice more to complete the Lumberjacks鈥� fourth hat trick this season.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

鈥淗e鈥檚 had a big turn-around year,鈥� Knott said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to see him get that success, especially after last year. He鈥檚 just a guy that comes to the rink every day and works his tail off. It鈥檚 fun to see that, and we need that.鈥�

Stodgell finished his junior season with just nine points, and only one of them was a goal. However, he stamped his case as the Lumberjacks鈥� most-improved player on Tuesday with his 14th, 15th and 16th goals. The senior forward has 21 more assists to his ledger for a season total of 37 points.

鈥淭o go from one goal to 16 is pretty impressive,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淗e worked really hard and he鈥檚 competing, and he鈥檚 finding himself in good areas. It鈥檚 always been there 鈥� I could see it. The hockey sense and his ability to read the plays was always there. He just couldn鈥檛 execute as much last year. But this year, he鈥檚 finding the back of the net, and it鈥檚 fun to see.鈥�

Most of Bemidji鈥檚 seniors were 9 years old the last time BHS won a home playoff game, with their teammates being even younger. Ben Kinne was an assistant coach at Saint Mary鈥檚 University, and Wade Chiodo served his ninth and final season at the helm for the Jacks.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

鈥淛ust looking out at the crowd and seeing almost every seat filled, it鈥檚 special,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been through it as a player, and this is my first time going through it as a coach at home. You want to be able to put on a show and be a team the community can be proud of, and I think our boys did that.鈥�

BHS will get one more game at the BCA this Saturday. Kinne noted the pressure of being the higher seed while showing caution that upsets are looming. He was proven right about an hour after his game ended.

Sixth-seeded Roseau scored late in the third period to tie the game at 1-1 with No. 3 Sartell. The Rams finished the upset comeback in double overtime with a power-play goal.

鈥淵ou never know anything this time of year,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淚 talked about it with my group and my staff last year that St. Cloud went to Roseau as the No. 7 seed and knocked them off. These games can go either way a lot of times. We鈥檙e fortunate our kids are dialed in and focused.鈥�

The time of the game is yet to be determined.

鈥淲e had a big crowd behind us with a lot of energy,鈥� Knott said. 鈥淲e were ready to play. It means a lot for these younger kids to see what Bemidji hockey is all about.鈥�

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

No. 2 Bemidji 10, No. 7 Buffalo 1

BUF 0 1 0 鈥� 1

BEM 3 3 4 鈥� 10

First period 鈥� BHS GOAL: Knott (Mannausau) 0:55; BHS GOAL: Fankhanel (Knott, Mattfield) 3:23; BHS GOAL: Stodgell (Johnson, O鈥橪eary) 10:30.

Second period 鈥� BHS GOAL: Mattfield (Knott) 1:46; BUG GOAL: H. Yliato (Dahl, R. Yliato) 3:39; BHS GOAL: Fankhanel (Mannausau) 8:07; BHS GOAL: Mattfield (Fankhanel, Knott) PPG, 12:57;

Third period 鈥� BHS GOAL: Schoonover (unassisted) 2:07; BHS GOAL: O鈥橪eary (Johnson, Stodgell) 2:59; BHS GOAL: Stodgell (Arndt, O鈥橪eary) 8:03; BHS GOAL: Stodgell (O鈥橪eary) 11:02.

Saves 鈥� Metcalf (BEM) 18; Manuel/Preugschs (BUF) 22.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer