With the 2020-21 season still months out, it’s time to take a look at teams from all over the State of Hockey and examine what happened this past season and what’s ahead. The next team we’re breaking down is Bemidji.
How last season went
The Lumberjacks have been on a steady decline since their last trip to the State Tournament in 2016, and last year was no different. Bemidji played in a lot of close games but struggled mightily to score, producing only 43 goals on the year, an average of 1.65 per game. Because of this, the Lumberjacks finished with a dismal 3-21-1 record, good for 6th in the Mariucci Conference.
Heading into playoffs, they received the #8 seed in Section 8AA, which meant facing a top-ranked Moorehead squad. Despite a stellar showing from goaltender Tanner Rebischke Tanner Rebischke 5'7" | Goalie Bemidji | 2021 MN with 52 saves, the Lumberjacks ended their season with a 1-3 loss.
Who’s back and who’s gone
The biggest loss for the Lumberjacks will be Gage Mostad (7G, 8A) who led the team in points, but other than that a change in scenery could be beneficial to this team. With nine seniors graduating, a lot of opportunities will open up and hopefully lead to more scoring in the coming year.
Defensively Bemidji wasn’t as bad as their record would suggest, and their top two defensemen Tate Hammitt Tate Hammitt 6'0" | Defense Bemidji | 2021 MN (3G, 10A) and Connor Savard Connor Savard 6'0" | Defense Bemidji | 2021 MN (5G, 7A) are returning to the blue line. Also coming back is goaltender Tanner Rebischke Tanner Rebischke 5'7" | Goalie Bemidji | 2021 MN , who had a tough season but showed in playoffs that he can stand on his head in the biggest of games.
What to expect next season
Bemidji is going into year two with head coach Pete Stahnke, and should see a much more competitive team this coming season. If the Lumberjacks can continue to play defensively sound and produce any kind of consistent scoring, they should have a shot at restoring the winning tradition of this proud hockey program.