Bowling Green Hockey Picked Fourth In 2013-14 Preseason Media Poll

Official Release

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – In the dawning of a new era of the storied 62-year historic Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), the Bowling Green State University men's ice hockey team will open its first season as the number four choice to win the league for the upcoming 2013-14 season, according to media.

The 2013-14 WCHA Preseason Media Poll, which was conducted and ran thru the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer, listed the Falcons fourth overall behind Minnesota State (22), Ferris State (2) and Alaska Fairbanks among the league's 10 schools.

The WCHA plans to announce the Mankato Free Press WCHA Men's Head Coaches Preseason Poll tomorrow (Sept. 25) morning in conjunction with the conference's preseason coaches' media teleconference.

Minnesota State was a near unanimous media choice to win the WCHA with 22 first-place votes and 244 total points in a panel of 25 total league media members, who voted not only on a predicted order of team finish but individual awards as well. The Mavericks will be following a season in which they reached the NCAA Tournament.

Ferris State finished second, receiving two first-place votes and racked up 218 total points. Alaska was picked to place third after receiving 168 total points.

Bowling Green is one of three teams that were separated by just 12 points. The Falcons (149 points), Michigan Tech (144) and Northern Michigan (137) placed fourth thru sixth respectively. Lake Superior State (117) was chosen to finish seventh, Bemidji State (108) was picked to finish eighth and Alaska Anchorage ninth (54). Alabama-Huntsville was picked to finished 10th with 36 total points.

The 25 media members also selected the league's Preseason Player and Rookie of the year, as well as an All-WCHA team. Minnesota State's forward Matt Leitner was named the media's choice of preseason Player of the Year while the Mavericks forward Zach Stepan was picked to win preseason Rookie of the Year. Bowling Green's rookie goaltender Tomas Sholl, who is from Hermosa Beach, Calif., received votes for Rookie of the Year.

Junior Ryan Carpenter, who will serve as one of two captains on BGSU's roster, was named to the preseason All-WCHA team. Carpenter led the Orange and Brown last year in goals (18), power-play goals (6), game-winning goals (3) and points (33). Carpenter was also named to the second-team All-CCHA for the 2012-13 campaign. Carpenter will join forwards Leitner from Minnesota State, Alex Petan of Michigan Tech.

The Falcons' Ralfs Freibergs received votes from the media members for the preseason All-WCHA defensemen. Freibergs, who is from Riga, Latvia, played in eight games for Bowling Green. Freibergs scored one goal and added six assists for seven total points in his short time on the ice in 2012-13.

Jason Binkley of Ferris State and Zach Palmquist of Minnesota State was voted on as defensemen for the All-WCHA team. Goaltender Stephon Williams of Minnesota State will join Carpenter, Petan, Binkley and two other Maverick teammates for the All-WCHA team, voted on by the media.

With the program's first season in the WCHA, BGSU fans will get the opportunity to see numerous teams in the BGSU Ice Arena for the first time in recent history. Conference opponents that will visit Bowling Green include Alaska Anchorage, Minnesota State, Alabama Huntsville, Alaska Fairbanks, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech and Bemidji State.

This year's slate of home games will feature two exhibition games and 17 regular season games in 2013-14.

The Falcons wrapped up their final season of Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) last year, earning a trip to the second-round for the third consecutive year after defeating Lake Superior State in three games in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. After losing the first game to the Lakers, the Orange and Brown won the final two games, including the series-deciding game, 7-0.

Bowling Green will officially open the 2013-14 season on the road at Union in a non-league series set for Oct. 11-12 in Schenectady, N.Y. The regular-season home opener is set for Tuesday, Oct. 15, as non-conference foe Ohio State University comes to town to play the Falcons at the BGSU Ice Arena. The First WCHA home series is slated for Nov. 1-2 against the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Single game tickets are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BGSU Ticket Office (Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.) or by calling 877-BGSU TICKET, or by CLICKING HERE

POLL RESULTS
Team (First-Place votes)      Total Points
1. Minnesota State (22)                      244
2. Ferris State (2)                                218
3. Alaska                                             168
4. Bowling Green State                       149
5. Michigan Tech 144
6. Northern Michigan                          137
7. Lake Superior State                        117
8. Bemidji State (1)                             108
9. Alaska Anchorage 54
10. Alabama Huntsville                       36

Preseason Player Of The Year
Matt Leitner, F, Minnesota State
Others receiving votes: Garrett Thompson, F, Ferris State; Stephon Williams, G, Minnesota State

Preseason Rookie Of The Year
Zach Stepan, F, Minnesota State
Others receiving votes: Tomas Sholl, G, Bowling Green; Brendan Harms, F, Bemidji State; Mathias Dahlstrom, G, Northern Michigan; Cliff Watson, D, Michigan Tech

Preseason All-WCHA Team

Forwards
Matt Leitner, Minnesota State; Alex Petan, Michigan Tech; Ryan Carpenter, Bowling Green
Others receiving votes: Cody Kunyk, Alaska; Reed Sekel, Northern Michigan.

Defensemen
Jason Binkley, Ferris State; Zach Palmquist, D, Minnesota State
Others receiving votes: Stephan Vigier, Northern Michigan; Matt Prapavessis, Bemidji State; Ralfs Freibergs, Bowling Green; Colton Paraynko, Alaska; CJ Ludwig, Northern Michigan

Goaltender
Stephon Williams, Minnesota State
Others receiving votes: CJ Motte, Ferris State; Andrew Walsh, Bemidji State.

The following media members took part in the Bemidji Pioneer WCHA Preseason Media Poll:
Justin Bradford, ESPN Radio Nashville; Bruce Cech, KCBF 820/UAF play-by-play; Dave Danis, Northern Michigan play-by-play; Erik Drygas, KCBF 820 AM/UAF color analyst; Drew Evans, BGSUHockey.com; Casey Ford, ESPN Radio UP; Shane Frederick, Mankato Free Press; Kevin Gordon, Bowling Green Sentinel Tribune; Kurt Haider, KENI News/KTZN Sports/UAA hockey play-by-play; Dirk Hembroff, 93.5 FM/MTU play-by-play; Dom Henning, Ferris State Bulldog Sports Network/Ferris Television; Jack Hittinger, Bemidji Pioneer; Dan Kowalski, Ferris State Bulldog Sports Network/Ferris Television; Budd McLaughlin, AL.com hockey writer; Geof Morris, UAHHockey.com; Kevin Meyers, Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization; Tim O'Donnell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner; Rob Roos, Sault Evening News; Martin Slatger, Big Rapids Pioneer; Jerry Taylor, ABC10 UP; John Wagner, Toledo Blade; Matt Wellens, Marquette Daily Mining Journal; Kevin Wells, KTUU-Channel 2; Scott Williams, Lakeland Public Television/KBUN Sportsradio, Brandon Veale/Michael Bleach, Daily Mining Gazette

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results