Falcons Start 2022-23 Campaign With Conference Series In Marquette

MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Bowling Green Falcons are slated to begin the 2022-23 hockey season with a road series against CCHA foe Northern Michigan. The Falcons and Wildcats face off in the Berry Events Center on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2. Puck drop for both games is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. ET.

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 (use WBGU link). Live stats for both games are available HERE. The games will also have live updates on Bowling Green Hockey's official Twitter page, @BGFalconHockey.

Ticket and Parking Information
Tickets for both games are available starting at $10 and can be purchased HERE. Parking is available at the Berry Events Center. Handicapped parking is available in designated areas

Falcon Facts

Saturday marks the first time BGSU opens the season with a conference game and no prior exhibitions since 1991, when the Falcons split with Ohio State. The last time Bowling Green opened regular season play with a conference game was 2016, when they visited Bemidji State.
The Falcons return 72.8% of their point production from last season's roster, more than double the percentage they had entering the 2021-22 season. Over 75% of the goals scored last season were scored by players on the current roster. BGSU also returns all four goaltenders from the 2021-22 squad. In total, the team's 28 players have combined for 1,416 games of college hockey.
Taylor Schneider (team-high 22 assists and 30 points) and Nathan Burke (team-high 16 goals) return for their fifth season of college hockey, as do Alex Barber (team-high 85 career points) and Evan Dougherty (third on team with 91 games played at Bowling Green).
For the second consecutive year, Barber was named team captain and Dougherty was named assistant captain. Rounding out the leadership group are defensemen and assistant captains Max Coyle and Anton Malmstrom. The last time the team's leadership group included four players was 2014-15, when the quartet of Dan DeSalvo, Adam Berkle, Mark Cooper, and Brett Tate led the Falcons to a 23-11-5 record.
The 2022-23 roster features eight new faces, including transfers Chase Gresock, Hunter Lellig, and Zach Vinnell. The freshman class boasts forwards Quinn Emerson, Jaden Grant, and Brett Pfoh, as well as defensemen Jack Blake and Dalton Norris.
Bowling Green was tabbed to finish third in the CCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll, tallying just three fewer votes than second-place finisher Northern Michigan. The Falcons also received votes in the USCHO and USA Today preseason polls.

Opponent Outlook
Northern Michigan enters the 2022-23 season with two first-place votes in the CCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll, finishing second overall. The Wildcats received 61 votes in the USCHO Preseason Poll and ranked No. 20 in the USA Today Preseason Poll. AJ Vanderbeck returns after a 24-goal, 43-point season that earned him Second Team All-CCHA honors. The senior was a Preseason All-CCHA selection and fellow forward Joey Larson was named Preseason Rookie of the Year. Charlie Glockner returns between the pipes after being named to the All-CCHA Rookie Team last season. NMU finished 20-16-1 overall and 12-13-1 in conference play last season, with their season ending in the Mason Cup Semifinals against eventual champion Minnesota State.

Series Info
The all-time series favors the Falcons by a slight 57-56-10 margin. The teams met four times last season, with the Wildcats taking three of four games. The fourth game was a tie that led to the CCHA's first shootout, which was won by NMU. Two of the last four games played in Marquette have ended in a tie, with the teams splitting the other two contests.

Ty's Take
"We'll get a chance real early to see where we're at. Northern Michigan's a team that has some really high aspirations and feels like they've got a team that can compete for a regular season league championship. We're going to find out a lot about who we are. We feel like for us to be successful, we have to stick to our identity and play the way we feel like we've been recruited to play and been built to play. We have to stay disciplined."

The full press conference with Head Coach Ty Eigner can be found HERE. Coach Eigner and Alex Barber appeared on the ZiggyCast with Todd Walker. Fans can listen HERE. Coach Eigner's interview begins at 36:33 and Barber's interview starts at 51:48.

Up Next
Bowling Green plays a home-and-home series against non-conference opponent Michigan State. The series starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, in East Lansing. On Saturday, Oct. 8, the Falcons and Spartans face off in Slater Family Ice Arena at 7:07 p.m. for the 2022-23 home opener. Tickets for the home opener are still available for purchase HERE.

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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