Sophomore forward Amy Menke skates at Ralph Engelstad Arena. File photo/The Dakota Student.

Amy Menke’s two-goal game lead women’s hockey to a win over Bemidji State on Saturday when the team played host to the Beavers at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

On Sunday, UND notched a 5-1 victory and series sweep.

In Game 1 of the series, Menke turned the game around in the second period while UND was in the midst of killing off a five-minute penalty, setting the score at 1-1 on a shorthanded breakaway opportunity. She finished on the Bemidji State goaltender with a nice backhand to forehand move.

“When you’re down by one and then you take a five minute penalty, it was kind of like deja vu, that’s some of the things that happened when we were playing Bemidji last time,” UND head coach Brian Idalski after the game.

UND continued to dominate puck control and smooth passing,  while Menke was able to score her second goal of the night to mark her eighth of the season at the midway point of the second period. This time coming on an even strength opportunity.

“Second period, we really responded with that shorthanded goal by Menke,” Idalski said. “Changed the momentum, and then she gets the second one, I thought we played really well after that.”

Playing with a lead was something that UND hadn’t had against Bemidji in the two encounters back in mid-November.

“I think playing with a lead, that’s the first time we’ve had a lead against Bemidji all year long,” Idalski said.

The women’s hockey team was previously swept by the Beavers when North Dakota traveled to Bemidji, getting outscored 6-2 on the weekend.

“I think just overall we scored — we haven’t scored four goals in a game in a while, so I think that was a key,” Menke said.

UND had gone the last three games without scoring more than two goals.

The team held Bemidji and scored two more goals in the process  to finish the game in a 4-1 victory.

“I think in the third, we played more as a team and we kept going hard and were hungry around puck,” Menke said.

UND goaltender Shelby Amsley-Benzie has also been lights out for UND in her last three starts. The junior shut out Ohio State last weekend in both games, and only allowed one goal in her most recent start against Bemidji State.

The win over Bemidji moves the women’s hockey tam into a tie for fourth place in the WCHA conference with Ohio State. The team currently is sitting with an overall record of 13-10-2. North Dakota will continue its stretch of tough conference competition next weekend, facing Minnesota Duluth on the road.

The Bulldogs will host UND while riding a five-game win streak, all of which wins have come against conference opponents.

The much anticipated matchup against Minnesota also is right around the corner as the Gophers come to Grand Forks the weekend after the mathchup against Minnesota Duluth.

UND will look to keep climbing in the WCHA standings next weekend in Duluth.

Ben Novak is a staff writer at The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].