Bowling Green’s hockey team is still giving up too many quality scoring chances.
The Falcons – even after 34 games - still are guilty of too many turnovers and poor decisions. Those
mistakes are leading to odd-man rushes and point-blank scoring chances, and easy goals.
BG’s most recent meltdown was Saturday when it was guilty of poor decisions and turnovers on every goal
it allowed in a 3-2 loss to Northern Michigan.
"We have to start being better at making teams earn things," BG coach Chris Bergeron said.
"I still think we’re giving up way too many chances against that are leading to goals based on
either a poor play with the puck or a poor decision in all three zones. We’re going to keep looking at
that and keep stressing it, and make teams earn things against us."
The Falcons, 8-22-4 overall and 3-10-4-2 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, finish the regular
season Friday and Saturday night at Michigan State (13-17-4, 9-15-2-0).
"It’s making smarter plays," Bergeron said. "We’re not asking anyone to reinvent the
wheel. The bottom line is it’s executing with and without the puck."
PLAYOFFS: BG, which has clinched last place in the 11-team league, still doesn’t know where it’s going
for the first round of the CCHA playoffs. MSU will finish ninth or 10th.
The Falcons will visit the sixth-place team for a best-of-3 series March 4-5-6.
Ferris State and Alaska are tied for sixth with 38 points, but Alaska has finished league play. And based
on tiebreakers, Alaska will finish no higher than seventh.
The fourth- through ninth-place teams are separated by only six points.
BG’s other possible playoff opponents are Western Michigan, Ferris, NMU, Lake Superior and Ohio State.
INJURIES: BG forward Marc Rodriguez is expected to play at MSU after sitting out the NMU series with a
concussion.
He’s BG’s second-leading scorer with six goals and nine assists, and he skates on the special teams.
TV: Friday’s game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net Detroit Plus.
CCHA TIEBREAKERS: 1) most conference wins, 2) head-to-head record, 3) goal differential among the tied
teams in head-to-head games, 4) the best record against the highest-remaining team and 5) coin toss.
