BEMIDJI 鈥� As Alex Schaefer stepped on the ice with his three Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 boys hockey senior teammates, he thought about their days in youth hockey.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been playing since we were little,鈥� said the Lumberjacks鈥� senior goaltender. 鈥淎ll I can remember from back then is the feeling of playing with those guys. We get to Senior Night, and we win. We completed that cycle with each other.鈥�
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Schaefer got the net for the first time since Jan. 4 and just the sixth time this season. He was joined by fellow seniors Peyton Neadeau, Austin Coe and Boston Smith for a celebratory 3-2 win over St. Cloud, one that will prove to be pivotal when the Section 8AA coaches convene to determine the seeding for the postseason.
鈥淚t was a huge opportunity to put my team ahead in the section,鈥� Schaefer said. 鈥淚 thought I did that well tonight.
鈥淯sually, in practice, I try to work as hard as I can. You never know when you鈥檙e going to get your name or number called. I just try to ball out every practice for when that time comes.鈥�
Head coach Ben Kinne called on Schaefer鈥檚 number on Thursday night. He made 22 saves to earn his second win this season.
鈥淚 was very happy with him and the way he battled and competed,鈥� Kinne said of Schaefer. I think he did a great job of keeping us in the game, especially in the first two periods. He did a really nice job.鈥�
Schaefer was tested for only five shots in the first period. He stopped all of them, setting up Benji O鈥橪eary鈥檚 goal less than four minutes into the second frame to give BHS a 1-0 lead. Smith picked up a secondary assist for his first career point.
Nick Bierschbach tied the game on a third-chance effort after Schaefer made a pair of sprawling saves on St. Cloud鈥檚 first two shots in the chaotic sequence. Joe Hess gave St. Cloud its first lead 61 seconds later with a shorthanded tally. He scored on an odd-man rush with Carter Kockler to put the Crush ahead by one.
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O鈥橪eary evened the game with 1:37 remaining before the second intermission. He capitalized on a breakaway chance, shelving a backhanded shot past St. Cloud goalie Ben Glaesman.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been pretty poor recently,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淭oday was a great game. That鈥檚 the Benji O鈥橪eary I need, and that鈥檚 the Benji O鈥橪eary this team needs. We need the kid that works hard, gets to the net and shoots the puck like that. You saw it, he has an unbelievable release. You saw both goals. Those go in on any goalie in the state of Minnesota.鈥�
Despite the game being close on the scoreboard, the Jacks made Schaefer's life as easy as possible in the third period.
Mannausau scored the game-winning goal with 6:40 left in regulation. Bemidji鈥檚 junior captain took a slashing penalty at the end of the first period before sitting on the bench for the first half of the second. He returned to the ice to pick up an assist on the tying goal before scoring the winner.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just like we did with Briggs (Knott against Alexandria),鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淭he way we discipline is not going to change, regardless of whatever player does it. But kudos to Noah. He gets an assist on his first shift back and scores the game-winner. I told the guys that I don鈥檛 want to have to sit guys. Noah took a bad penalty. He hurt the team with that decision. It鈥檚 hard learning lessons sometimes, but he got back out there and responded.鈥�
Bemidji allowed only one high-danger chance while holding a one-goal lead, helping Schaefer close the door on a Senior Night triumph.
鈥淥ur forwards did an unbelievable job of hunting and not giving up the line rushes St. Cloud got in the first period,鈥� Kinne said. 鈥淭here were a couple of iffy 3-on-2 and 2-on-1 rushes they got in the first two periods. Our forwards hunted the puck, and our (third forwards) were in a great spot to defend.鈥�
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For Schaefer, seeing his team regain a one-goal lead gave him a push to get the Lumberjacks鈥� seventh win this season and a second victory over the Crush. Bemidji (7-12-1) will almost surely be seeded ahead of St. Cloud (9-10-1) in the 8AA postseason.
鈥淚t was a giant weight that fell off my shoulders,鈥� Schaefer said of Mannausau鈥檚 goal. 鈥淲e wanted this one, maybe even needed this one. To do it with those guys I鈥檝e played with my whole life, I鈥檒l never forget it.鈥�
Bemidji 3, St. Cloud 2
SC 0 2 0 鈥� 2
BHS 0 2 1 鈥� 3
First period 鈥� No scoring.
Second period 鈥� BHS GOAL: O鈥橪eary (Neadeau, Smith) 3:21; SC GOAL: Bierschbach (Kiffmeyer) 10:15; SC GOAL: Hess (Kockler) SH, 11:16; BHS GOAL: O鈥橪eary (Mannausau) 15:23.
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Third period 鈥� BHS GOAL: Mannausau (Fankhanel, Knott) 10:20.
Saves 鈥� Schaefer (BHS) 22; Glaesman 16.
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