Bob Peters 1937-2021

Legendary college head coach R.H. "Bob" Peters" passed away on Feb. 15 at the age of 84.

A native of Fort Frances, Ont., Peters began his coaching career with two seasons at his alma mater, the University of North Dakota, where he played as a goaltender before becoming an assistant coach for three years. He went 42-20-1 overall behind the bench at UND, before he took the reins at Bemidji State University beginning with the 1966-67 campaign. 

In 36 seasons with the Beavers, Peters posted 22 seasons of 20 or more wins, and led BSU to five NCAA Division II national championships and one NCAA Division III national title. He also oversaw BSU's transition back to NCAA Division II in 1993, before overseeing its move to NCAA Division I and the now-defunct College Hockey America conference in 1999.

Peters retired after the 2000-01 season with an overall record of 744-313-61 (.694), including a 702-293-50 mark at BSU. He was named the WCHA Coach of the Year in 1964-65 with North Dakota, and earned the Eddie Jeremiah Award as the top head coach in NCAA Division III in 1983-84 with Bemidji State.

The Beavers are playing in their first season in the revamped Central Collegiate Hockey Assocation, after the dissolution of the men's WCHA. Last year's BSU squad made the NCAA Division I tournament for the fifth time in the program's history, and the first time since 2010, all under current head coach Tom Serratore.

Princeton Splits with Bemidji State

 

Princeton University gave up a goal just 17 seconds into Friday's game, but then didn't look back in scoring twice in each of the next two periods on to best Bemidji State, 4-1, at Hobey Baker Rink. The Tigers thus gained a split in the two-game series, which began on Wednesday with a 5-3 victory by the visiting Beavers.

After BSU's Jay Dickman one-timed home a puck from the slot in the first minute of play, the score remained unchanged until Ryan Kuffner connected on a Princeton power play with just over three minutes left in the second period. The Tigers then went ahead for good less than two minutes later,  when Alex Riche backhanded a puck from behind the goal line that glanced off the inside of BSU goaltender Jack Burgart's pad and slid into the net.

David Hallisey scored from the left side just under five minutes into the third stanza to make it 3-1 for Princeton, and the goal stood following an official review after BSU challenged that the play had been offside. Princeton freshman and New Jersey native Jake Paganelli closed out the scoring on a breakaway at 14:18 for his first career collegiate goal.

Ryan Ferland finished with 26 saves for the Tigers, while Burgart made 36 stops for the Beavers in his first starts of the 2017-18 season. Josh Teves recorded two assists for Princeton, while Kuffner had a goal and an assist. The all-time series between the two schools is now tied at three wins apiece.

Princeton (4-4-1 overall) will now host ECAC opponent Quinnipiac on Tuesday night and will then visit Arizona State for two games next weekend, while BSU (5-5-2) will visit WCHA opponent Bowling Green next Friday and Saturday.