Falcons Defuse Chargers, Cruise to 3-1 Victory

Saturday, December 9

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:07PM

Bowling Green State University

(8-5-6, 7-2-5WCHA)

Alabama Huntsville

(6-10-2, 5-5-2WCHA)

Alabama Huntsville

Bowling Green

December 09, 2017 | Ice Hockey

Box Score

By: by Matthew Daley, Athletic Communicationis Assistant

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University hockey team built a 3-0 and permitted a season-low 12 shots on goal en route to a 3-1 victory over Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday night (Dec. 9). Alec Rauhauser, Connor McDonald, and Stephen Baylis each scored for the Falcons, while Ryan Bednard made 11 saves. The victory gives BGSU a four-point weekend following Friday night's 3-3 tie against the Chargers. Bowling Green's record is now 8-5-6 overall and 7-2-5-2 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) contests. With 28 points, the Falcons maintain first place by one point over Minnesota State.

Box Score
Rauhauser Goal Call 1-0
McDonald Goal Call 2-0
Baylis Goal Call 3-0
Final Score Call 3-1

Rauhuaser opened the game's scoring in the middle of the first period with an unassisted goal. After two penalty kills, BGSU added to the lead with McDonald sent in a wrist shot from deep in the UAH zone. The Falcons then took a commanding 3-0 lead at the 11:52 mark of the second period on a Baylis snipe from the right circle. The Chargers cut their deficit to 3-1 with a re-directed shot early in the third period, but UAH got no closer as they managed only five shots against Bednard in the final frame.

Scoring Plays

At the end of a two-minute 4-on-4 stretch, Alec Rauhauser gives BGSU a 1-0 lead. He took a shot from the left circle and drove it high past Chargers' goaltender Jordan Uhelski with 8:44 remaining in the opening period. It was his fifth goal of the season and was unassisted.
Bowling Green doubled their lead late in the first period after a successful penalty kill. A pass from Tyler Spezia left Connor McDonald open at the right point. His wove a ahot through traffic in front of Uhelski, and the puck found its way into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead with 2:02 left in the first. Spezia and Justin Wells assisted on McDonald's third goal of the year.
BGSU scored on the power plate and grabbed a 3-0 lead with 7:08 left in the second period. Two Charger penalties gave the Falcons a 5-on-3 advantage, and a deft Rauhauser pass set up Stephen Baylis from the right circle. Baylis fired past a sprawled-out Uhelski for his seventh goal of the season. Brandon Kruse also assisted on the play.

Statistical Standouts

BGSU extends their unbeaten streak on Saturdays to eight games. They are 4-0-4 in the final half of a weekend series since losing to Michigan State in their first Saturday game of the season.
Baylis' goal was his second of the weekend and his team-leading seventh of the season. When you add his nine assists, he also leads the team with 16 points.
The Baylis goal was BGSU's 15th power play score of the season and their fourth with a 5-on-3 advantage.
Rauhauser posted his third multi-point game of the season with a goal and an assist. He leads the Falcons with 11 assists and is tied with Baylis at 16 points. His goal was the fifth of his season; the Falcons are 7-0-2 all-time when he scores.
Rauhauser entered the weekend tied for 13th nationally in points per game among defensemen. This weekend, he improved to 0.84 points per game.
McDonald joined Baylis with a two-goal weekend when he notched tonight's game-winner. He has three goals and four assists this season and a three-game points streak. In fact, he has a point in seven of his last ten games played.
Tyler Spezia earned his second assist of the season and has a point in three of six games since returning to the lineup.
Justin Wells and Brandon Kruse each tallied assists and finished the weekend with assists in each game.
Wells posted a point in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
Kruse now has points in six of his last seven games.
Bednard saved 11 of 12 shots and now has a 1.93 goals against average and a .926 save percentage. He entered the weekend ninth nationally in both categories.
BGSU's 42 shots on goal are the most for the team since also taking 42 against UAH on Feb. 26, 2017.
The 12 shots on goal allowed by the Falcons is the fewest by an opponent since Nov. 26, 2016, when Alaska-Anchorage took only 11.
The last time BGSU took 30 more shots on goal than an opponent was Oct. 19, 2013 against Colgate. The Falcons attempted 50 shots and allowed only 20 in a 7-0 victory.
Bowling Green was 1-for-4 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.
The Falcons also blocked 15 shots and were led by Jacob Dalton, who blocked three.
BGSU is now 5-0-5 when scoring first and 7-0-4 when leading after two periods.

Postgame Interviews

Coach Bergeron

Alec Rauhauser

Up Next

Bowling Green will rest for two weeks before returning to action shortly after Christmas. The Falcons welcome the Western Michigan Broncos to the Slater Family Ice Arena for non-conference action at 7:37 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28. The Broncos are currently ranked 11th in this week's USCHO Top 20 poll and are 9-8-1 so far this season (through Friday, Dec. 8). WMU defeated Bowling Green 3-1 in Kalamazoo, Mich. on Oct. 10 in the Falcons' regular season opener. BGSU is 71-58-8 all-time against the Broncos and tied them 4-4 last season, in the teams' last meeting at BGSU.
Following the home contest with WMU, the Falcons will travel to Detroit, Mich. for the 2018 Great Lakes Invitational, which will be held at Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 1-2, 2018. BGSU will face the University of Michigan at 6:00 p.m. on New Year's Day, then will play either Michigan State or Michigan Tech at 2:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 2.

Follow the Falcons

For more information on the hockey program, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGFalconHockey and @BGAthletics) and now on Instagram (bgfalconhockey) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.