The Bowling Green State University hockey team was swept in their second consecutive home series, losing to Northern Michigan, 4-2, on Saturday.
Head coach Ty Eigner said the loss has a silver-lining to it.
“We competed really hard. We played much harder than last night. We did more good things,” Eigner said.
BGSU had the edge in most of the important stats. The Falcons had a 36-20 edge in shots on goal and had five power play opportunities.
The untimely penalties have cost the Falcons some games this season, including this one.
“We get going in the third, we’re really going, and we take another penalty. Now, it’s two minutes of we’re hoping we don’t get scored on,” Eigner said.
Freshman goaltender Christian Stoever only had 16 saves on Saturday after registering 31 in Friday’s game. Eigner said the team played better defense, which helped Stoever out.
The Falcons claimed an early lead with a goal by junior Adam Pitters. The Wildcats answered with a goal by junior Alex Frye.
Frye then scored a power play goal in the second period. The Wildcats didn’t give up the lead after the goal.
BGSU had many chances to tie the game. On a power play, they gave up a short-handed goal to senior Hampus Eriksson.
“A guy made a mistake, it happens. For whatever reason this year, when we make those kinds of mistakes they end up in the back of the net,” Eigner said.
On the same power play, senior Coale Norris scored, to make up for giving up the short-handed goal. The score prevented the team from losing focus in the third period, he said.
“It was a momentum bringer. That short-handed goal against us hurt, but we were able to respond right away and give us a chance to come back at the end of the game,” Norris said.
The Falcons couldn’t get the one goal to tie it up. Even after pulling freshman goalie Christian Stoever in the final minute of the game, they came up empty.
Junior Hank Crone scored the empty net goal for the Wildcats. The goal gave him a two-goal weekend as he scored in Friday’s game.
Senior Ben Newhouse, senior Bo Hanson and Crone had three point weekends.
For the Falcons, seniors Alex Barber, Gabriel Chicoine and Norris had multi-point weekends. Pitters also had a multi-point weekend with an assist on Friday.
Sophomore Ethan Scardina did not play Saturday after getting hurt in Friday’s game. NMU junior AJ Vanderbeck did not play as well after leaving the game on Friday on a stretcher. There is still no update on his condition.
A new name for BGSU popped up on the inactive list. Freshman Austen Swankler did not play in Saturday’s game. Eigner said he was out with a sickness.
It will now be winner-take-all weekend coming up. The Falcons will travel to take on Lake Superior State to end the regular season. The teams will be tied for fourth place in the CCHA when they meet.
The winner will get to host a first round CCHA playoff series.
“That’s how we want it. We have to go up there and play repeatable hard hockey,” Norris said.
