By Ben Shanahan
Special to the Sentinel-Tribune
On a late goal by senior Ethan Scardina, Bowling Green State University hockey defeated Minnesota State 4-3 in a Central Collegiate Hockey Association game on Friday at Slater Family Ice Arena.
Scardina broke a 3-3 tie with 1:03 remaining in the game. For Scardina, scoring the game-winner to secure BGSU’s first win over Minnesota State since 2019 is a new career highlight.
“It feels amazing that they have been at the top of our league for a while, but it was great to get that win. We deserved it, in my opinion.” Said Scardina.
The Falcons improve to 8-15 overall and 6-7 in the CCHA, while the Mavericks fall to 11-9-3 and 7-5-1. BGSU coach Ty Eigner saw his team battle the full 60 minutes to get the win.
“We are very proud of our guys. We hung and stayed with it and played really hard from start to finish,” said Eigner.
Both teams traded chances back and forth in the first seven minutes until a puck squirted loose in the BG defensive zone.
Just like that, Minnesota State captain Sam Morton took advantage, getting on the board first as the loose puck found him alone in front of BGSU goaltender Cole Moore and Morton scored with 13:06 remaining in the opening frame.
Minnesota State had a chance to extend their lead halfway through the first as BGSU junior Ryan O’Hara was called for interference, but the BG penalty kill unit stood tall, and O’Hara left the box with 7:03 left in the first.
A few minutes later, BG got a bounce of their own as players collided going for the puck in front of the MSU net.
Jaden Grant ended up with the puck out front, beating Minnesota State junior goalie Keegan Rancier to tie the game, and both teams headed into the intermission tied one piece.
The Falcons went on the power play 42 seconds into the middle frame when MSU sophomore Mason Wheeler was called for an earlier interference.
Late in the power play, the Falcons capitalized. With nine seconds left in the man advantage, sophomore Brett Pfoh passed a puck to fifth-year senior Spencer Kersten, who fired a left-dot shot in the back of the net to go up 2-1 with 17:26 remaining.
About three and a half minutes later, Mankato tied the game as fifth-year senior Lucas Sowder found himself in the sloth with the puck, beating Moore on his right side.
Minnesota State went back on the power play with 11:42 left in the second period when a Gustav Stjernberg mistake at center ice would cost him two minutes in the box for kneeing. Luckily for him, his penalty killers killed it off, and the game remained tied at two.
That was until junior Owen Ozar broke loose on a breakaway and held onto the puck just long enough to pop it over the Mavericks’ goalie, who was sprawled out, and the Falcons retook the lead 3-2 heading into the third period.
It only took 19 seconds for the game to go back to a tie, as MSU junior Brian Carrabes scored to start the final twenty minutes of play.
With one minute and three seconds left, the Falcons got a puck to bounce their way right onto Scardina’s stick on a mini breakaway, ending the 13-game losing streak against Minnesota State and winning the game 4-3.
