Still hungry for more, Lumberjacks head into first section title defense in 19 years

BEMIDJI — If Bailey Rupp had it her way, she would’ve fast-forwarded through the summer. “The offseason took forever,” she said. “Just counting down the days, honestly.” The Bemidji High School senior has waited for Saturday to come around for months. The BHS girls hockey team opens its season with a 2 p.m. home game against East Grand Forks at Bemidji Community Arena. Rupp, the Lumberjacks’ top returning forward and a preseason candidate for Minnesota’s Ms. Hockey Award, has had a lot of time to think. On Feb. 19, Bemidji lost its Class AA state quarterfinal matchup against Edina by a score of 6-4. She had a goal and an assist in that game, along with eight shots on goal. However, after the Hornets found an empty-net goal in the waning moments at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, the Jacks’ hopes for the program's first state title vanished. “I’ve thought about it a ton. Ugh,” Rupp scoffed.

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