BEMIDJI, Minn. --- The University of North Dakota women's hockey team exploded for six goals in the second period Sunday to help lead it to a 7-3 victory over Bemidji State and the series sweep.
North Dakota improves to 7-5-0 (6-4-0-0) while the Beavers fall to 2-8-2 and 1-6-1-0 in league play.
The North Dakota women's team averaged 4.19 goals per game last year, but had failed to score more than four in any game so far this season. It ended that streak today in a big way.
Junior Michelle Karvinen (Rodovre, Denmark) returned to the lineup this weekend and has helped spark UND's offense immediately with a five-point game today including four assists. She also scored a goal in each game this weekend.
Senior Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) also had a five-point game with a hat trick while senior defenseman Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.) added two goals and one assist.
The game got off to a strange start as each team scored in the first two minutes and ten seconds and each team scored on its first shot on goal.
Emily Erickson gave the Beavers the quick lead at the 1:31 mark on the Beavers first shot and Monique Lamoureux answered only 39-seconds later on UND's first shot.
The rest of the period would go scoreless as both teams settled into the game, but Beavers again tallied quickly as Mackenzie Thurston scored on the power play only 20 seconds into middle frame.
UND had an answer once again, this time even quicker, as Jocelyne Lamoureux put the puck into the cage on 20 seconds after the Beavers' score.
Unlike the first period though, UND would carry the momentum of quick answer into six unanswered goals in the period.
Karvinen tallied the third goal at the 1:59 mark to secure the eventual game-winner for the second consecutive game. The lone goal scorer against Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament last season, Karvinen has now scored in her last three games and helped spark the power play this weekend, which added two goals in the second period, to extend the lead with primary assists as she picked apart the BSU defense.
Senior Jordan Slavin (Erie, Colo.) added an even-strength goal in the period for her first of the season and Josefine Jakobsen (Aalborg, Denmark) added a pair of assists.
The Beavers would score a late power-play goal for the lone goal of the third period to stop the bleeding.
UND finished the game edging the Beavers with a 28-27 advantage in shots while freshman Shelby Amsley-Benzie (Warroad, Minn.) collected her third win of the season with a 24-save performance.
North Dakota returns to the Ralph Engelstad Arena next weekend hosting WCHA rival Minnesota Duluth.
