[box score] Bemidji State continued its run as one of the hottest defensive teams in the nation, posting its school-record third consecutive shutout with a 4-0 victory over Findlay in the quarterfinals of the 2003 College Hockey America Tournament.

Riding the play of junior goaltender Grady Hunt, the Beavers have posted shutouts over each of their last three opponents, the first time in BSU’s 47 years of hockey the team has posted three consecutive shutouts. BSU has not allowed a goal since 6:03 of the first period against Niagara on March 1, 2003, a school-record span of 233:57.

With the win, Hunt ran his personal unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1). During the streak, Hunt has allowed just five goals with two shutouts, a .963 goals-against average and an 0.97 goals against average. He has put together a streak of 173:37 without allowing a goal and has saved his last 79 shots faced. Hunt posted his fourth career shutout tonight - his third this season alone - to move into a tie for sixth place all-time at Bemidji State.

BSU’s Bill Methven gave Hunt all the support he would need with his fourth goal of the season at 5:14 of the first. He picked up an assist from Travis Barnes, who recorded his first helper in nearly two full seasons of play - since Nov. 30, 2001, a span of 57 games. Methven’s lamp-lighter was the eventual game-winner, marking the second time this season he has scored the first goal in an eventual BSU shutout.

Methven’s twin brother Bryce Methven added his third goal of the season at 5:16 of the second period to put BSU ahead 2-0, the third time this season and ninth game all-time when the Methven twins have scored a point in the same game, but the first game in which both have scored a goal. Andrew Murray picked up the assist.

Murray scored his first of two goals just 39 seconds later, with a helper from Bryce Methven and Peter Jonsson, to put BSU ahead 3-0. He then added his second goal of the game at 14:42 of the third period to wrap up the game’s scoring and send BSU into the CHA Tournament semifinals for just the second time. Murray finished with 2-1=3 points, his 13th career multi-point game and his sixth career multi-goal game.

A fight broke out at 12:22 of the third period when Bryce Methven was checked hard into the boards by Findlay’s Lee Arnold. Methven’s twin brother Bill immediately came off the bench and went after Arnold, setting off several small bouts in at least three areas of the ice. The game was delayed several minutes as the on-ice officials sorted out the penalties, which saw a total of six players - three from each team - receive some sort of infraction. In total, 10 penalties for 31 minutes were assessed. For Findlay, Arnold drew a five-minute major for boarding and Nate Markus and Jason Maxwell each drew a pair of minors for roughing. For Bemidji State, Bill Methven was disqualified and will miss tomorrow’s semifinal game for leaving the bench while Wade Chiodo and Jared Hanowski each drew a pair of minors for roughing.

Just two minutes later, Findlay’s Shawn Kotary was ejected for misconduct after being assessed a two-minute hooking penalty, leaving the Oilers with four men in the penalty box.

Bemidji State’s penalty-killing unit continued its run as one of the hottest units in the nation, holding Findlay to 0-for-4 with the man advantage. The Beavers have killed 25 consecutive penalties, 39 of their last 40 (.975) and 55 of their last 60 (.917). BSU has allowed a power-play goal just four times in its last 14 games and have not allowed a power-play goal in 377:17 - the second-longest streak in the team’s Division I era.

Bemidji State improved to 13-13-8 overall on the season and remains 10-6-4 in College Hockey America play with tonight’s win. The Beavers advance to the semifinals of the 2003 College Hockey America tournament and will tackle the tournament’s No. 1 seed, the CHA regular-season champion Alabama-Huntsville Chargers. The Beavers and Chargers face off in tomorrow’s second semifinal game scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. start at the Tri-City Arena. Wayne State, which defeated Air Force 4-2 in tonight’s first quarterfinal game, takes on No. 2 seed Niagara in tomorrow’s first semifinal game tomorrow.

SCORING SUMMARY
1/5:14/B - Bill Methven (4) (Travis Barnes/1) / 1-0
2/5:16/B - Bryce Methven (3) (Andrew Murray/18) / 2-0
2/5:55/B - Andrew Murray (8) (Bryce Methven/9, Peter Jonsson/11) / 3-0
3/14:42/B - Andrew Murray (9) (Brendan Cook/5, Jeff McGill/12) / 4-0

UF: Jamie VandeSpyker (60:00 / 8-14-4=26 saves / 4 GA / L, 6-14-4)
BSU: Grady Hunt (60:00 / 10-9-10=29 saves / 0 GA / W, 12-9-5)
Penalties/Power Plays: UF: 12-35/0-4 ; BSU: 11-33 / 1-5
three stars: 1/Grady Hunt, BSU; 2/Andrew Murray, BSU; 3/Bryce Methven, BSU
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