By Ben Shanahan
Special to the Sentinel-Tribune
BERMIDJI, Minn. — Thanks to the Bowling Green State University virtually hunkering down in the penalty box, Bemidji State University took down the Falcons, 5-2, Friday at The Sanford.
As a result, the Beavers swept the two-game Thursday-Friday series and captured first place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. BGSU falls to 7-13 overall and 5-7 in the CCHA while Bemidji State improves to 8-10 and 7-5.
The story of the game was special teams, with Bemidji State going 3-for-9 on 29 power play minutes and the Falcons going 0-for-4 on the power play on eight penalty minutes.
As a result, BG was outshot, 40-18 and saw freshman goaltender Cole Moore leave the game in the early minutes of the third period.
The first period saw an astonishing 25 minutes of penalty time served by both teams, with the Falcons taking 21 minutes and the Beavers taking four.
The first penalty came a minute and twenty-four seconds into the first period, as fifth-year player Josh Noddler was called for a trip. BSU sophomore Lleyton Roed got Noddler out of the box only a minute and five seconds into it with a power play goal with 17:41 left in the first.
Freshman Brandon Santa Juana headed to the box for a trip as well with 14:45 left and the Beavers capitalized again, this time with sophomore defenseman Vince Corcoran scoring his power play goal to make it 2-0 with 13:56 left.
Once the Falcons had their chance on a power play because of a slash, the Beavers gained even more momentum by killing the penalty with 9:44 remaining in the opening frame.
BGSU junior Ben Wozney was added to the Falcon penalty minutes with 9:15 remaining as he when he was whistled for a trip, but fortunately for the Falcons, they would kill this penalty off and stop the bleeding.
What was unfortunate for the Falcons was that Ben Wozney left the box with 7:15 left, and senior Seth Fyten was ejected for the game with a five-minute major penalty for committing a boarding major penalty.
On the major penalty, the Beavers dug the Falcons into a deeper hole. With 3:50 remaining in the Falcons’ horrendous opening 20 minutes, Bemidji State junior Alexander Lundman made the score 3-0 with a power play goal.
The Falcons managed to kill off the rest of the major penalty and end their first period, even though BSU sophomore Adam Flammang ended the first period frenzy with a holding, but the Beavers would kill it off, ending the first period 3-0.
The first ten minutes of the second period was more in BG’s favor than the first period. Flammang started his second period the same way he ended his first period, in the box for a trip with 16:02. Just like that first period penalty, the Beavers killed off that power play.
Bowling Green would finally get on the scoreboard, making it 3-1, as Santa Juana sent a bank pass off of junior Owen Ozar’s skate and into the back of the net with 12:34 remaining in the middle frame.
Four and a half minutes later, Bemidji State took back the momentum when the Falcons headed back to the box, with freshman Nick O’Hanisain whistled for a charge. The Falcons killed off the penalty with 5:52 left in the second.
A minute and forty-two seconds later, Bemidji State junior Tony Follmer’s initial shot was saved by Moore, but the puck went right to sophomore Kirklan Irey, who scored, sending the Beavers up 4-1 heading into the last period.
Bowling Green went straight to the box to start the third period as sophomore Quinn Emmerson was called for roughing. Twenty-four seconds later, the Beavers headed on the 5-on-3 as BGSU freshman Gustav Stjernberg joined Emmerson by committing a slash.
Things would only get worse for the Falcons, as after killing off both penalties, Moore left the game with an injury and was replaced by redshirt sophomore Salvatore Evola.
With 12:37 remaining, the Falcons headed to the power play because of a hook. But for the Beavers, it was business as usual, and they killed off the power play.
Bemidji State would add their last and fifth goal of the night; this time, Jakub Lewandowski fired a dot-to-dot pass to Flamang, beating Evola with 8:14 left.
Four minutes later, Bowling Green would get one back, but it would be their last of the evening as Brody Waters’ blue line blast was tipped by senior Spencer Kersten, making it 5-2.
The final notable would be one last failed power play for the Beavers, with Santa Juana back in the box for kneeing, making it the ninth Beaver power play of the game.
