By Ben Shanahan
Special to the Sentinel-Tribune
Bowling Green State University hockey lost its sixth straight game as Mercyhurst came back from two goals down, winning 4-3 in overtime at the Slater Family Ice Arena on Friday.
BGSU was up 3-1 heading into the second period, enough of a lead that BGSU forward Ryan O’Hara was pleased with how his team started.
“We came ready to play. I think the power play was going well, and all lines were going well. It was a good first period, but then obviously it trailed off,” said O’Hara.
Both teams began the game feeling each other out until about halfway through the opening frame, when Mercyhurst captain Marko Reifenberger was called for a trip.
The Lakers killed that off, but Bowling Green would not be off the scoreboard much longer. With 7:52 left in the first, freshman Brody Waters’ shot tipped off Laker defenseman Tyler Nasca and into his own net, giving the Falcons the 1-0 lead.
Just over a minute later, with 6:48 left, BG doubled their lead as sophomore Jaden Grant won the draw back to freshman Gustav Stjernberg, who fired a missile from the point that was tipped by Grant out in front, giving Grant his first goal of the season.
Twenty-five seconds later, the Lakers netted their first goal on a delayed penalty as O’Hara was called on a trip, but with no Falcon’s touching the puck, Lakers alternate captain Steven Agrogians got a breakaway, beating Christan Stoever on the top shelf with 6:23 left in the opening 20 minutes. The Falcons killed the two-minute minor following Agrogians’s goal.
With under three minutes left, Mercyhurst defenseman Adrien Bisson headed to the box on a two-minute tripping minor. BG capitalized on the man advantage as O’Hara scored his third goal of the season after his pass attempt to Brody Waters was tipped by Laker defenseman Trent Sambrook into the back of his own net, putting the Falcons ahead 3-1 with 1:35 left in the first.
In the second period, Mercyhurst cut the BG lead back to one as Laker Spencer Smith passed the puck to freshman Connor Pelc, scoring his first of his career by shooting it bar-down, making it 3-2 with 13:52 left in the second.
Halfway through the third, senior Spencer Kersten was sent to the box for tripping. The Lakers scored seven seconds later as sophomore Tommy Bannister fired a puck from the point, tying the game at three goals apiece.
Three minutes later, BGSU’s Dalton Norris fell to the ice hard as Marko Reilfenberger stuck his leg out, colliding knees with Norris.
No call was made on the ice, but BG would challenge the call for a five-minute major. That review was successful for the Falcons, sending BG up a man for most of the 7:42 left in play.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, chance after chance, the Lakers killed the man advantage with no damage and sent the game into overtime.
Mercyhurst controlled much of the five-minute, three-on-three period until 3:11 left as Dustin Geregach crushed Stoever and was called for goalie interference, but the Falcons did not get the powerplay because Eric Parker headed over with a cross check in retaliation.
Mercyhurst stole the game with just 38 ticks left in the period. Phillip Waugh was the hero, giving the Lakers their first win of the season and coach Rick Gotkin the 600th win of his career.
