Among the seven new faces on the 2014-15 BSU men’s hockey team are three freshmen who hail from the same hometown and share a last name. The Fitzgerald triplets from Port Alberti, B.C., are Leo, Gerry and Myles. Believed to be first set of triplets to play collegiate hockey, the trio visited a set of first-grade triplets – Lauren, Katie and Megan Burrow – at Bemidji’s Northern Elementary School on Sept. 30. The Fitzgeralds invited the girls to be their guests at a Beavers game and spoke to students about growing up as triplets.

Crawford earns inaugural
Butch Raymond Scholarship
The NSIC named Bemidji State University senior Kelsi Crawford as one of 16 recipients of the inaugural Butch Raymond Scholarship for 2014. The $5,000 scholarship is sponsored by Sanford Health and given to one student-athlete from each of the NSIC’s 16 member institutions. Crawford, an outside hitter for the BSU volleyball team, is a two-time Academic All-NSIC selection. During her collegiate career she has accumulated 451 kills and 40 blocks in 255 sets played.

Kalis and VanHaaften named 2013-14 Student-athletes of the year

Bemidji State University midfielder Tiffany VanHaaften (Sr., Chaska, Minn.) and first baseman/pitcher Logan Kalis (Sr., Little Falls, Minn.) were named Female and Male Student-Athletes of the Year to conclude 2013-14. The duo of All-NSIC athletes was selected from a pool of nominated student-athletes from the university’s 15 intercollegiate sport programs. In addition, Brittni Mowat (Fr., Glenboro, Man.) of the women’s hockey team and men’s basketball standout Brock Lutes (Jr., Portland, Ore.) were selected BSU’s 2013-14 Female and Male Newcomers of the Year, while Kelly Blair (So., International Falls), Rachel Craig (Jr., Wadena), Emily Turner (So., Windom) and Reid Mimmack (So., Brainerd) picked up Female and Male Scholar Athlete of the Year honors.

Brian Leonhardt is first
Beaver to score in the NFL
When tight end Brian Leonhardt took the field for the Oakland Raiders in a Sept. 7 game at the New York Jets, he became the first former Beaver to see action in the NFL since 1987. Leonhardt is the first BSU player to make the NFL under current head coach Jeff Tesch, and the first since Al Wolden played for the Chicago Bears in 1987. Leonhardt opened the preseason with the Raiders against his hometown Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium, and on Sept. 28 became the first former Beaver to score a regular-season NFL touchdown. He caught a three-yard pass from Derek Carr in a loss to the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London.

BSU to compete in North Star College Cup
Bragging rights are up for grabs Jan. 23-24 as Bemidji State makes its inaugural appearance in the North Star College Cup. The four-team classic featuring the state of Minnesota’s NCAA Division I men’s hockey teams will be held at Xcel Energy Center in conjunction with the 2015 St. Paul Winter Carnival. BSU will open its bid for the coveted North Star College Cup trophy at 4 p.m. Jan. 23 versus University of Minnesota Duluth. Tickets for the four-game event are on sale now.

26 Beavers make NSIC academic list
Bemidji State landed 26 student-athletes on the 2014 spring Academic All-NSIC team. To be eligible for the Academic All-NSIC team, student-athletes must maintain a gradepoint average of 3.20 or better, be a member of a varsity traveling team, and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his or her institution with one full year completed at that campus. The baseball team led BSU’s spring contingent with eight student-athletes recognized for academic accomplishment, while six members of the women’s track and field team, five from the women’s golf team, three student-athletes from the softball and women’s tennis teams, and one member of the men’s golf team were selected to the 2014 all-academic squad.