Falcon Hockey Heads To Houghton For Winter Carnival Clash

HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Bowling Green Falcons hockey team (13-12-3, 10-9-1-2) will travel to the Upper Peninsula for a series against No. 14 Michigan Tech (17-8-2, 14-5-1-1). The Falcons and Huskies will meet for the first time this season on Friday, Feb. 11, with a 7:07 p.m. ET puck drop. The series continues the following night (Feb. 12) with a 5:07 p.m. ET start. Both games will be held in the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

How to Follow
Both games will be streamed live on FloHockey, broadcast HERE. The games will also be broadcast by BGRSO on 88.1 FM, found online HERE. Live stats for Friday are available HERE. Live stats for Saturday are available HERE.

The games will also have live updates on Bowling Green Hockey's official Twitter page, @BGFalconHockey.

Tickets, Parking, and Attendance Guidelines
Tickets for both games are available for online purchase beginning at $20. Friday's tickets can be purchased HERE. Saturday's tickets can be purchased HERE. Parking is available for $5 in Lots 23 and 24, located next to MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Per Michigan Tech University policy, face coverings are required indoors for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. This weekend will also be the 100^th Winter Carnival in Houghton, with several events and entertainment for spectators. For more information and a full schedule of the Winter Carnival events, visit the official website HERE.

Falcon Facts

Sam Craggs enters the weekend with 172 games played in his career, tied with Andy Gribble for fourth on the program's all-time list. The forward can tie Marc Potvin for third place by participating in both games this weekend. Craggs has seven goals and four assists this season, including three power play scores, a shorthanded goal, and a game-winning goal.
Taylor Schneider and Austen Swankler have identical lines of eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points, leading the Falcons in assists and points. Hobey Baker nominee Nathan Burke leads the Orange and Brown with 14 goals, tied for fifth in the CCHA.
Burke and Schneider are among nine players tied for second in the conference with five power play goals. Schneider leads BGSU with 13 points scored on the power play.
The Falcons and Huskies will play a total goal series for the MacInnes Trophy. A Winter Carnival MVP will also be presented after Saturday's game.

Series Info
This is the first matchup of the season between the Falcons and Huskies, with the all-time series knotted at 19-19-5. The series began in 1972, with MTU taking a 10-2 victory in the inaugural game. Bowling Green has had the upper hand as of late, holding a 7-2-1 record in the last ten matchups. The Orange and Brown earned a win and a tie in their last trip to MacInnes Student Ice Arena, held in January 2020. Taylor Schneider scored a goal and tallied an assist, with Sam Craggs also adding an assist. In their lone series of the 2020-21 season, BGSU swept MTU, winning by a combined score of 11-5. Alex Barber notched two goals, including a power play score, and one assist. Taylor Schneider added a pair of assists, Sam Craggs scored a shorthanded goal, and Evan Dougherty and T.J. Lloyd each logged one assist. Zack Rose started the second game of the series, picking up the win after making 15 saves.

Opponent Outlook
Michigan Tech currently sits at second place in the CCHA standings, still in contention for the MacNaughton Cup. MTU has already played once this week, dominating Northern Michigan, 8-1, on Tuesday. In their last eight games, the Huskies are 7-0-1. They have not lost a conference game since Dec. 4. Last week, Tommy Parrottino was named CCHA Forward of the Week after tallying six points in three games. Brian Halonen leads the Huskies with 18 goals and 37 points, with Trenton Bliss tallying a team-high 23 assists. Blake Pietila has played over 95% of the minutes in goal, being the goalie of record in all 27 games. He has 1.75 GAA, ranking fifth in the NCAA. He has a .922 save percentage, the second-best in the CCHA. The Huskies' power play unit has been impressive, ranking second in the country with a .299 conversion rate.

Ty's Take
"We know it's going to be a difficult task. They're (Michigan Tech) really good. They're in second place in our league for a reason, they're ranked nationally for a reason, so it's going to be a tough task. They have an experienced team that knows how they want to play, and they're really good at home. This weekend is their 100^th Winter Carnival, so it'll be a really fun atmosphere for our guys."

Up Next
Bowling Green will return to the Slater Family Ice Arena for the final home series of the regular season. The Falcons will host Northern Michigan on Friday, Feb. 18, and Saturday, Feb. 19. Both games begin at 7:07 p.m., with Saturday's game being Senior Night.

Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons hockey team on social media
Twitter - @BGAthletics and @BGFalconHockey
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgfalconhockey'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube - 'Falcon Athletics'

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Alex Barber

Nathan Burke

Sam Craggs

Evan Dougherty

T.J. Lloyd

Zack Rose

Taylor Schneider

Austen Swankler

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