Jan. 3, 2007

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GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University men's hockey team (4-14-0, 1-5-0 CHA) opens the calendar year 2007 with a conference series at 18th-ranked Bemidji State (10-5-3, 5-2-3 CHA) this weekend.

Friday's game is slated to begin at 8:35 p.m. ET, while Saturday's will start at 8:05 p.m. ET. Play-by-play announcer Kevin Brechmacher will call the action on WDTK 1400 AM on Friday and Teamline on Saturday.

Wayne State has been idle since earning a 7-5 victory at home against Western Michigan on Dec. 16.

Bemidji State split a pair of games at eighth-ranked Colorado College on Dec. 29-30. The Beavers took the first contest, 3-2, but fell in the second, 5-3.

BEHIND THE BENCH
Bill Wilkinson is in his eighth season as Wayne State's head coach and his 25th year as a collegiate head coach. Wilkinson's overall record stands at 418-437-77, while his mark at WSU is 105-136-24.

BSU's Tom Serratore has spent his entire six-year head coaching career behind the Beavers' bench, posting a record of 99-77-23.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
Bemidji State leads the all-time series, 19-6-4, including a pair of wins (1-0 and 4-2) Dec. 1-2 in Detroit. The Beavers are unbeaten (7-0-1) in their last eight and 13 of their last 14 (12-1-1) games against the Warriors.

IN THE POLLS
WSU was selected to finish fifth in the College Hockey America preseason coaches poll.

BSU, the defending CHA tournament champion, was tabbed for first.

ON THIS DATE
The Warriors are 2-1-0 on Jan. 5 in their history. They were blanked, 5-0, at Alabama-Huntsville in 2001, but earned victories against Lake Superior State, 3-2, the following season and at Air Force, 5-3, in 2003.

Wayne State has played twice on Jan. 6, falling to Alabama-Huntsville, 4-2, in 2001 and at Michigan State, 3-1, last season.

SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE
After losing their first three games of the season, the Beavers have gone 10-3-3 in their last 16 games. Bemidji State had its school-record 10-game unbeaten streak snapped on Dec. 30 with a 5-3 loss at eighth-ranked Colorado College. Previously, BSU had not lost since dropping a 3-2 decision to Robert Morris on Nov. 10.

Sophomore Travis Winter has a team-high 11 assists and 17 points this season, while senior Luke Erickson leads the squad with 10 goals. The Beavers have also received solid production from senior Rob Sirianni (7-9--16) and junior Blaine Jarvis (6-7--13).

Junior netminder Matt Climie leads the league with a record of 8-2-3, a 2.51 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.

WSU NOTES
Wayne State defeated Western Michigan, 7-5, on Dec. 16, snapping a five-game losing streak and earning its first home win this season.

The seven goals marked the Warriors' highest single-game total since an 8-6 win at Alabama-Huntsville on Oct. 21. Wayne State had previously been shut out in three of its last five games.

Co-captain Jason Bloomingburg recorded two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist. He leads the team with 12 points this season.

WSU also had multiple-point performances by Derek Punches (1-2--3), Mark Nebus (1-1--2), Stavros Paskaris (0-2--2), and Nate Higgins (0-2--2). Paskaris' two assists marked his first points since recording a helper in each of the first three games of the season.

Two Warriors broke significant goal-scoring droughts, as senior defenseman Taylor Donohoe scored his first goal in 31 games (since Jan. 20 against Robert Morris). Punches, meanwhile, had not lit the lamp since Jan. 28 against Alabama-Huntsville.

Senior goaltender Will Hooper earned his first victory in 10 starts this season.

Wayne State's next series is Jan. 12-13 when the Warriors host the Ferris State Bulldogs as part of a doubleheader with WSU women's hockey at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum.

WSU CAPTAINS
Jason Bloomingburg, Mike Forgie

WSU ASSISTANT CAPTAINS
Nate Higgins, Taylor Donohoe