Northern Michigan University’s Mikey Burchill, center, takes a shot in the first period while defended by Michigan Tech's Jack Anderson, right, during their CCHA hockey game played at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton on Nov. 7. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)

BEMIDJI, Minn. — Special teams scoring played a big part in Bemidji State’s sweep of the Northern Michigan University hockey team during their Central Collegiate Hockey Association series played in Minnesota over the weekend.

The Beavers wrested sole control of first place in the league with 7-3 and 6-2 victories, netting a pair of power-play goals in the Friday opener and three more with a man advantage plus one shorthanded goal on Saturday.

While Bemidji improved to 9-5-2 overall and 7-1-2 in the CCHA for 23 points, the Wildcats remain winless, 0-6 in league and 0-14 overall.

With every team on NMU’s schedule so far either being nationally ranked, previously nationally ranked or receiving votes in the national polls, another tough opponent comes up this weekend — No. 14 Minnesota State-Mankato. The only currently ranked team in the CCHA visits the Berry Events Center at 7:07 p.m. Friday and 6:07 p.m. Saturday.

Here are details from the weekend in Bemidji:

Bemidji St. 7, NMU 3

On Friday, Beavers senior Connor McClennon finished with four goals by scoring in each period — actually two in the second period — for Bemidji’s first hat trick since the 2021-22 season and just the league’s second four-goal game since the CCHA’s reincarnation in 2021.

He scored BSU’s first two goals about midway through the opening period and a minute and a half into the second. His hat trick clincher came about nine minutes after his second goal before he finished his output with Bemidji’s final goal and its second power play tally not quite 5 1/2 minutes into the third.

Northern got its first two goals in a busy second period when the Beavers knocked in four as each team had a power play tally then.

The Wildcats were outshot more than 2-to-1, 34-15, as NMU goalie William Gramme made 27 saves and BSU netminder Raythan Robbins had 12, including just one in the first period.

Despite the shots disparity, Northern had a 38-34 edge in faceoff wins and 13-12 in blocked shots, with the Wildcats’ Jakub Altrichter leading the way with 13 faceoff wins and teammate Grayden Slipec with three blocks.

NMU senior alternate captain Caiden Gault scored his team-leading fifth goal almost 5 1/2 minutes into the second period on an offensive zone draw, taking a bouncing puck from Slipec in the slot and beating a defender before firing a wicked wrister.

Freshman Michael Burchill scored Northern’s second goal — and got his first collegiate point — about 10 minutes later, finishing off a play started on a great individual effort by Slipec, according to a game account from NMU Sports Information. Slipec gained the blue line in Bemidji’s end, chasing the puck into the left corner and beating a defenseman before finding a wide-open Burchill out front.

The game was Slipec’s return from injury and gives him five assists to match Altrichter for the team high after the weekend ended.

Northern scored the game’s final goal with just over seven minutes remaining by Danny Ciccarello, who got his second goal as a Wildcat and first point this season. He forced a turnover on the half wall before making a quick turn to the slot, according to NMU SI, for a wrist shot from that high-danger area.

But that wasn’t enough to offset McClennon’s four-goal night as he made it 2-0 early in the second. His first goal came off a Wildcats turnover in the neutral zone when Bemidji’s Vincent Labelle stole the puck and slid a pass to McClennon, whose long-range slap shot came from above the faceoff circle.

His second was scored after he walked right down the slot uncovered and redirected a pass from teammate Max Namestnikov.

Then the Beavers’ Maxon Vig made it 3-0 just 22 seconds later when a Labelle shot rebounded to Vig, who slapped the puck in right as it reached him.

After Gault cut the home team’s lead to 3-1 about 3 1/2 minutes later, McClennon finished his hat trick after picking up a rebound on the side of the net with 9:15 left in the second.

Burchill and Bemidji’s Kasper Magnussen exchanged power play goals in the final five minutes of the period, making it 5-2 after two, then Jake McLean scored an even-strength and McClennon his fourth goal on a power play before the final period was six minutes old.

Bemidji St. 6, NMU 2

On Saturday, Bemidji made it two hat tricks in as many nights when Oliver Peer clinched his three-bagger with an empty net goal with 5 1/2 minutes remaining, apparently an aggressive effort by NMU coach Dave Shyiak to get his team back in the game trailing by three.

Peer, who also had an assist for a four-point night, got the only goal of the opening period after an initial shot pinballed around and landed on his stick for their first shot on goal 3:14 in.

But Northern’s Matthew Argentina tied it 1-1 with his first goal this campaign just 12 seconds into the middle period. Altrichter played a centering pass to his South American-sounding teammate down the middle of the ice at the blueline, according to NMU SI.

Argentina outworked his defender for a short breakaway and deked out Robbins, who was called on for 19 saves on this night. Gramme was back in the Northern net and had 22 stops, including 14 in the second period.

That must’ve woken up the Beavers, who managed to retake a 3-1 lead before the period was seven minutes old with a pair of power-play tallies. Magnussen got the first, knocking in his own rebound, with the second coming 5-on-3 when Peer finished off a mad scramble in front of Gramme.

Altrichter attempted to get the Wildcats back in it, scoring on a rare penalty shot to make it 3-2 just 56 seconds after Peer scored. Northern’s last penalty shot goal was scored by Vincent de Mey on Dec. 18, 2020, vs. Michigan Tech.

The call came with Northern still down a man after Peer’s power play score. Altrichter got loose on a breakaway and was taken down from behind, and on the approach for the penalty shot, the left-shot Altrichter came down the right side and made a backhand-forehand move to beat the Bemidji netminder, according to NMU SI.

Altrichter finished with two points on the night and has four points in his last four games.

The Wildcats remained within a goal for the rest of the period, but the Beavers put it away with three unanswered goals in the third. The first came just 54 seconds in on a power play by Magnussen, who finished with a three-goal, four-point weekend.

The next was by Namestnikov shorthanded about seven minutes later before Peer finished off his hat trick with the empty netter with 5:30 to go.

Former NMU forward Reilly Funk, who last played for the Wildcats two seasons ago, had an assist each night for Bemidji.

Bemidji St. 7, NMU 3

Friday at Bemidji, Minn.

Summary:

First period — 1. BEM, Connor McClennon (Labelle) 9:55

Second period — 2. BEM, McClennon (Namestnikov, Funk) 1:29; 3. BEM, Maxon Vig (Labelle, Quinn) 1:51; 4. NMU, Caiden Gault (Slipec) 5:24; 5. BEM, McClennon (Peer, Corcoran) 10:45; 6. NMU, Michael Burchill (Slipec, Ewart) ppg 15:43; 7. BEM, Kasper Magnussen (Flammang, Irey) ppg 19:07

Third period — 8. BEM, Jake McLean (Panzer, Lund) 2:19; 9. BEM, McClennon (Irey, Quinn) ppg 5:20; 10. NMU, Danny Ciccarello (unassisted) 12:57

Penalties-minutes: NMU 3-6, Bemidji 3-6

Power-play opportunities: NMU 1 of 3, Bemidji 2 of 3

Goalie saves: NMU, William Gramme 27 (10-8-9); Bemidji, Raythan Robbins 12 (1-6-5)

Bemidji St. 6, NMU 2

Saturday at Bemidji, Minn.

Summary:

First period — 1. BEM, Oliver Peer (Flammang, Wolfe) 3:14

Second period — 2. NMU, Matthew Argentina (Altrichter, Schiller) ppg 0:12; 3. BEM, Kasper Magnussen (Peer, Thornton) ppg 1:40; 4. BEM, Peer (Funk, McClennon) ppg 6:30; 5. NMU, Jakub Altrichter (unassisted) penalty shot 7:26

Third period — 6. BEM, Magnussen (Flammang, Thornton) ppg 0:54; 7. BEM, Max Namestnikov (unassisted) shg 7:48; 8. BEM, Peer (Flammang, Magnussen) eng 14:30

Penalties-minutes: NMU 6-12, Bemidji 5-10

Power-play opportunities: NMU 1 of 5, Bemidji 3 of 6

Goalie saves: NMU, William Gramme 22 (3-14-5); Bemidji, Raythan Robbins 19 (6-4-9)

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press releases reviewing the games. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.