B
emidji State's Sanford Center has been a challenging venue for the Beavers this season. Despite their historic 2023-24 campaign, which included winning the MacNaughton Cup and hosting the Mason Cup championship, they've struggled to replicate that success at home in 2024-25.

    The team's momentum from last season carried over into the new year with wins against top-ranked opponents like Minnesota State and Minnesota. However, their recent form has been a different story. After beating North Dakota on November 29, marking the first time any BSU team had beaten both the Gophers and Fighting Hawks in the same season, they've lost six consecutive home games.

    Head coach Tom Serratore attributed the Beavers' struggles to a lack of physicality and speed, saying they need to "play with more juice" and react rather than think on the ice. He emphasized the importance of recognizing odd-man rushes and getting back quicker to prevent scoring chances.

    The game against Ferris State was no exception. The Bulldogs took an early lead, with Jacob Badal scoring just two minutes into the game. Travis Shoudy added a second goal for Ferris State before Eric Martin got one back for BSU 25 seconds later. However, Ferris State's speed and defensive play ultimately proved too much for the Beavers.

    The loss dropped Bemidji State to 9-14-4 overall and tied them with Ferris State in eighth place in the CCHA standings. Serratore acknowledged that his team needs to take a page out of Ferris State's book, emphasizing the importance of urgency as they run out of time to turn their season around.

    The Beavers' struggles at home have been particularly concerning, with five consecutive games featuring them trailing by two or more goals. They've also failed to score more than two goals in a game since January 11 against Bowling Green. Despite some positives, including the return of junior defenseman Vince Corcoran and senior defenseman Will Magnuson, Bemidji State faces an uphill battle to regain their form.