Falcon Weekly With Evan Pivnick: Week 10 - Idle - Bowling Green State University Athletics

NEXT TILT

WINTERFEST
No. 13 BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY FALCONS

Winterfest Video

Falcon Weekly

Falcon Weekly

Moving On Up (USCHO Poll)
The Bowling Green State University ice hockey team is ranked for the fifth consecutive week in the USCHO poll in as many weeks, moving up one slot the No. 13 in the latest polls. Bowling Green is one of three Western Collegiate Hockey League (WCHA) teams that earned a spot in the Top 20, as Minnesota State (3) and Michigan Tech (4) secured spots in the top 5.

More National Spotlight
The Falcons, who have gone unbeaten at 4-0-1 over their last five games, stayed steady at No. 14 slot in the USA Today/USA Magazine poll, marking their third appearance in the poll this season in as many weeks. The Orange and Brown join Minnesota State (3) and Michigan Tech (4) as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) representatives.

Please Don't Kill My Vibe
The Falcons have played well on special teams this season; ranking second in the penalty kill in the WCHA this season. The Orange and Brown killed off 22 straight power play opportunities their opponents had, until Northern Michigan scored on the first chance Friday (Dec. 5) night. However, the Falcons killed off five in a row into Saturday – going 5-for-6 on the PK over the weekend. Overall, BGSU is 56-for-61 (92%) on the season, which is ranked fourth in the nation.

More Special Teams
The Falcons have played well on the penalty kill this season, going 56-for-61 on the season. However, the Orange and Brown have gone 13-for-65 (20%) on the power play in 16 games throughout the first half. In all, BGSU is 69-for-126 (54.8) on special teams, which is 10th in the nation for combined special teams.

Unbeaten Falcons
The Orange and Brown's last loss came at the hands of Ohio State on November 15, giving the Falcons a 4-0-1 record since, which is ranked second in the nation for the longest unbeaten streak. During the stretch, Bowling Green has outscored its opponents by a 19-10 margin, including 5-1 on the power play and one shorthanded goal. The Falcons are averaging 3.8 GPG to 2.0 allowed, which is a +1.8 margin during the stretch.

Just Keep Winning
11-3-2 is where the Falcons sit at before the second half of the season begins (January 3), giving them the sixth best winning percentage (.750) in the nation. The Orange and Brown currently sit in third place in the league (8-1-1, 17pts), behind only Michigan Tech (10-2-0, 20pts) and Minnesota State (10-2-0, 20pts).

Falcon First Goal Challenge
The Orange and Brown have found success this season when scoring the game's first goal, going 10-2-0 when completing that feat. The Falcons are also 8-1-1 when leading after the second period. For the season, Bowling Green has outscored their opponents 37-15 through the first two periods of play – good for a +22 margin.

Back Together Again
After playing together for most of the first half together, sophomore forwards Kevin Dufour, Pierre-Luc Mercier and Matt Pohlkamp played together again this weekend after take a few weeks playing on other lines. The three classmates totaled 2-5-7 against No. 19 Northern Michigan. For the season, the three Falcons have combined for 16 goals (30%), 21 assists (24%) for a total of 37 points (26%) of the Orange and Brown's scoring.

More Underclassmen
The Falcons will enter the break with its best start to the season since the 1995-96 season at 11-3-2. Playing a big factor to that statistic is the Falcons' underclassmen. The freshman and sophomores have combined for 38 goals and 54 assists for the season. The 38 goals are good for 70 percent of the team's scoring output, and the 54 helpers have accounted for 61 percent of the Falcons' first-half success.

Nell's Big Performance
Nell stopped all 26 shots he faced on Saturday night, recording his fifth shutout of the season as No. 14/14 BGSU earned a 5-0 triumph to take three out of four possible WCHA points against Northern Michigan. The freshman from Green Bay, Wisconsin turned away a total 20 shots in the first two periods and then stopped all six shots fired his way in the third to solidify the shutout. Nell also helped the Falcons go a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill – including a key 5-on-3 penalty kill in the third period—, making six saves throughout the Wildcats' four opportunities. In all, Nell has a perfect 5-0-0 record and a .945 save percentage in 299:35 minutes between the pipes.

Greiner For Two
Freshman forward Ben Greiner tallied his first two goals of his collegiate career during Friday night's 5-5 overtime tie with Northern Michigan. The forward from Newport Beach, California, played in his fifth game this season, netting back-to-back goals in the first period to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead at the time.

Bowling Green WCHA Ranks
Scoring Offense:    3.31 G/GM (2nd)
Scoring Defense: 2.19 G/GM (4th)
Power Play:  13/65 (20%)
Penalty Kill:  56/61 (92%)

Bowling Green Leaders
Points: Matt Pohlkamp (13)
Goals: Kevin Dufour (9)
Assists: Mercier/Pohlkamp (9)
Shots: Brandon Hawkins (45)
Penalties: Mark Friedman (33:00)

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Falcon Weekly With Evan Pivnick: Week 10 - Idle

Players Mentioned

Kevin Dufour

Mark Friedman

Ben Greiner

Brandon Hawkins

Pierre-Luc Mercier

Matt Pohlkamp