Dec. 5—BEMIDJI — Midco Arena has been friendly to the Bemidji State men's hockey team so far.

In the Beavers' first-ever trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to play against Augustana, they came away with a 4-3 overtime win. Vince Corcoran scored the game-winning goal.

After the Vikings won the series finale, the two teams met at Midco Arena again four months later, this time in the Mason Cup Playoffs.

Second-seeded Augustana won the opening game in the best-of-three series, but BSU forced a third game with a 4-3 win the following night. Once again, Bemidji State prevailed in overtime in the do-or-die Game 3, with Adam Flammang scoring the winning goal.

The Beavers are 3-2 in Sioux Falls since Augie joined the CCHA in 2023. After sweeping the Vikings earlier this season at the Sanford Center, BSU is 6-3 overall against Augustana.

"There are always challenges with (playing) Augustana," head coach Tom Serratore said. "They're all tight games, but that's our league. That's college hockey in general. It goes back to the cliches — goaltending, special teams — it's all about one play, and that play matters. I see it being no different this weekend."

This weekend's tilts come with some emphasis for Bemidji State.

The Beavers haven't had a bye week yet, but it's coming next week. This is the last time they will play a non-exhibition game before Jan. 9. With over a month between league games — and a holiday break mixed in — this is the last chance for Bemidji State to pick up points in the CCHA standings in 2025.

"It's critical," junior goaltender Raythan Robbins said. "The standings right now are so tight as is, so every point matters. Whether it's winning in overtime or regulation, it's what you shoot for every game. If we can end on a high note and put ourselves in a good position, it'll be really important."

Until last week, Bemidji State hadn't spent a day out of first place in the CCHA. However, several teams below them in the standings had games in hand.

One of those teams was Minnesota State, which moved ahead of BSU after a six-point sweep against Northern Michigan last weekend when Bemidji State (9-7-2, 7-1-2 CCHA, 23 points) was playing a nonconference series against North Dakota.

Now, MSU (10-2-4, 7-1-2 CCHA) sits atop the standings with 24 points. Bowling Green (7-4-3, 5-2-3 CCHA, 19 points) and Michigan Tech (8-6-2, 5-3-2 CCHA, 16 points) trail the Beavers, rounding out the home-ice slots as the league inches toward the midway point of the 2025-26 season.

"It's big. You want to be excited going into break," Serratore said. "We've had a pretty good first half so far, and we have to get points. You need points every weekend. If you want to get home ice or win a championship, you have to get points every weekend. We know that, our guys know that — it's part of the business. It would certainly make Christmas a little easier, that's for sure."

Robbins picked up his first college shutout

when Bemidji State blanked the Vikings 1-0 on Oct. 24 in overtime. Robbins made 27 saves in the win.

"I don't think much changes," Robbins said. "Any time you play an opponent again, especially on the road, it's going to be a tight game, especially against Augustana. It's going to be a couple of one-goal games, probably. That's what it's been for the past few years against them. They have a good team over there and we know what we're in for."

When this weekend is all said and done, Robbins is looking forward to the extended break.

"You definitely want to keep it rolling, but at the same time, it'll be nice to get a bit of a break," Robbins said. "We've been going for a while now. We haven't had a bye week. It'll be nice to kind of relax a little bit and get everyone healthy. It's important to end on a high note and pick it up again when we get back."

Friday's road game against Augsutana begins at 7:07 p.m. at Midco Arena. The series finale begins at 6:07 p.m. on Saturday.