Bowling Green has improved defensively this season.
But it hasn’t translated into many wins since the Falcons are struggling to score.
They’ve allowed three or fewer goals in eight of their last nine games entering this weekend’s Central
Collegiate Hockey Association playoff series at Northern Michigan.
The best-of-3 series starts tonight and continues Saturday and, if needed, Sunday.
The Falcons are only 1-5-2 in those eight games as they’ve scored two or fewer goals in 19 of their last
21 games, including 14 straight contests.
"(Not scoring) puts a lot of pressure on the goaltenders, on the defensemen, on your defensive zone
play and we’re not great at that yet, either," BG coach Chris Bergeron said. "We don’t give up
a lot of goals. But when you’re (scoring) one goal a game, you can’t give up two. Absolutely, that
messes with your head."
OFFENSE: BG is last in the CCHA in power-play conversions (10.6 percent, 17-of-161) and shots per game
(22.4).
"We haven’t bought into the rule that when you take more shots on net, the better the chance you are
going to score," Bergeron said. "For a team that struggles to put shots on net, you’d think
every shot would be focused to hit the net."
IN GOAL: Although Andrew Hammond has started seven of the last nine games, Bergeron hasn’t announced BG’s
goaltending plans for the series.
Hammond has a 1.82 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage in his last seven games.
NMU: Although NMU finished sixth in the CCHA at 14-17-5 overall and 12-13-3-0 in the league, it’s ninth
in the league in scoring (2.33 goals per game) and last in goals allowed (3.06 per game).
The Wildcats have the league’s second-best power play (17.9 percent, 25-of-140), but are next-to-last in
penalty-killing (79.1 percent, 155-of-196) and are the most-penalized team in the league (18.2 minutes
per game).
LEADERS: Junior forward Tyler Gron leads NMU with 16 goals and 31 points, while junior forward Justin
Florek has 12 goals and 26 points.
Senior forward Phil Fox has 11 goals and seven assists this season. He has six goals and one assist
against BG this season, while Florek has a goal and five assists.
Junior Reid Ellingson and freshman Jared Coreau have split time in goal, combining for a 3.01
goals-against and a .910 save percentage.
