Bowling Green State University Athletics
Winterfest Update: Friday Practice
January 02, 2015 | Ice Hockey
The Falcons practiced on Fifth Third Field Firday, Jan. 2 prior to opening faceoff in a historic showdown with Robert Morris.
Coach Bergeron Interview: Wintefest Practice
Tyler Spezia Interview: Wintefest Practice
Tommy Burke Interview: Wintefest Practice
Photo Gallery (Todd Pavlack/BGSUHockey.com)
TOLEDO – The Bowling Green State University ice hockey team skated on the outdoor rink that was built at Fifth Third Field for the first time since announcing the historic game last February Friday (Jan. 2) afternoon. The Falcons and Robert Morris, in conjunction with the Toledo Walleye, announced the two programs will play outdoors for the first time in programs' history 10 months ago.
The Walleye are nearing an end to a 10-day community winter celebration at Fifth Third Field, which included an outdoor rink in the middle of Fifth Third Field. The stadium is home to the Triple-A Toledo Mudhens –affiliate of the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team – and was converted into a full-size 200'x85' rink stretching across the infield with goals near first and third base.
The first "modern-era" collegiate hockey game was played on Oct. 6, 2001 when Michigan State and Michigan played in Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. By the end of the 2013-14 season, there will have been 26 NCAA Division I men's hockey games played outdoors, but this will be the first for either Bowling Green or Robert Morris and just the second to ever be played in the state of Ohio.
The home-and-home series will begin tomorrow (Jan. 3) at noon, and the two-game series will conclude Sunday (Jan. 4) evening on the campus of Robert Morris. Below are notes prior to opening faceoff. You can also find the Game Day Central page by CLICKING HERE!
National Spotlight
The Bowling Green State University ice hockey team will enter the week ranked 13th in the USCHO poll. The Falcons earned a No. 19 slot five weeks ago and have jumped six spots to No. 13 since. The Falcons earned their first ranking in the poll since 2007. BGSU
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 (5) secured spots in the top 5.
More National Spotlight
The Falcons, who have gone unbeaten at 4-0-1 over their last five games, will enter the week ranked 13th in the USA Today/USA Magazine poll. The Orange and Brown join Minnesota State (3) and Michigan Tech (5) as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) representatives.
#WinterfestIsHere
The first "modern-era" collegiate hockey game was played on Oct. 6, 2001 when Michigan State and Michigan played in Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. By the end of the 2013-14 season, there was 26 NCAA Division I men's hockey games played outdoors, but this will be the first for either Bowling Green or Robert Morris and just the second to ever be played in the state of Ohio (Ohio State vs. Michigan at Progressive Field in 2012).
"Home" Ice Advantage?
In what will be only the second-ever meeting between the two programs on January 3rd, Bowling Green and Robert Morris will each be able to claim playing a "home" game after the outdoor game. The Falcons and Colonials dueled last December at the Three Rivers Classic at the CONSOL Energy Center, eventually being ruled a home game for RMU. BGSU will be able to call the outdoor game at Fifth Third Field a home game, marking each of the first two games in the all-time meeting between the two clubs hosting the other on unfamiliar ice.
Highest Ranking EVER
#FalconHockey's 11-3-2 start marks the best start to a season since 1995-96. However, that's not the only historic fact coming away with their tremendous start. Bowling Green jumped to No. 13 in the USCHO.com poll, marking the highest ranking for the Orange and Brown since the poll began in 1997.
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 headed into the Saturday matchup with the Wildcats– going 5-for-6 on the PK over the weekend. Overall, BGSU is 56-for-61 (92%) on the season, which is ranked second 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 9th 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 third 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 its 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 the Falcons' second game of the WCHA weekend series against then-No. 19 Northern Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 6,as No. 14/14 BGSU earned a 5-0 triumph to take three out of four possible WCHA point. 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 the Falcons' 5-5 OT tie against then-No.19 Northern Michigan on Friday, Dec. 5. 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)
WCHA.TV
The season, fans of the WCHA can watch more than 180 games of its games live and in high definition thanks to WCHA.tv. Powered by America One Sports and Eversport.tv on WCHA.tv the platform enables fans to watch all 10 conference teams in action throughout the season. Every league game will be streamed live, along with each team's non-conference home contests, the league's postseason and the WCHA Final Five. With WCHA.tv, fans can follow their team wherever they are. Each game will be available on multiple platforms, including traditional web browsers on PCs, tablets and mobile phones using the iOS and Android platforms.
#FalconHockey/Social Media
The Bowling Green Falcons hockey team is on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow along all season long by following the Falcons on Twitter @BGFalconHockey. The Orange and Brown use their official hashtags FalconHockey and WeAreBG throughout the entire season. You can also follow the Falcons' Instagram account, BGFalcons.
Evan Pivnick "The Voice" On The Mic
All games this season can be heard on the radio by tuning into 88.1 WBGU-FM. Evan Pivnick will provide the play-by-play commentary throughout the season. The pregame show will air 30 minutes prior to the opening face-off. The broadcast can be heard globally on www.bgsufalcons.com.
LiveStats
Live stats for all BGSU home games are available on the BGSU website- www.bgsufalcons.com - via Live Scoring. The stats can be accessed from the schedule page in the hockey section of the website by clicking on the "details" icon on the right hand side of the page, then by clicking "live scoring".
Players Mentioned
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