Falcons Score Five to Beat No. 12 Huskies on Friday

HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Bowling Green Falcons (15-14-2, 12-9-2 CCHA) took a decisive 5-2 victory over the No. 12 Michigan Tech Huskies (20-8-4, 13-6-4 CCHA) on Friday (Feb. 10). Both teams scored in the opening period, but Seth Fyten scored his first two goals of the season to give the Falcons a 3-1 lead after two. Bowling Green scored two more times in the third, including a shorthanded tally from Alex Barber. Christian Stoever was spectacular, saving 37-of-39 shots, combining for 31 saves in the first and third periods. Tonight's win puts the Falcons three points behind the Huskies in the CCHA standings, with three more crucial points on the line tomorrow night.

Scoring Plays

The Falcons opened the scoring with 7:23 to play in the opening frame. Anton Malmstrom swung the puck into the right corner, where it was dug out by Nathan Burke. He dropped it to Taylor Schneider, who sent it back up the zone. As it bounced it, Alex Barber tipped it to Hunter Lellig. The defenseman fired from the blue line and his shot was perfectly redirected into the net by Burke for the game's first goal.
During a 4-on-4 session in the first, Michigan Tech tied the game. Kyle Kukkonen brought the puck into the zone on a 3-on-2 rush, then fed it to Chris Lipe on the right. He dished it back to Kukkonen, who fired from the slot. The initial shot was saved, but Kukkonen was able to collect the rebound and slip it through for MTU's first goal.
Early in the second, Bowling Green regained the lead. The puck was caught along the left boards in the BGSU offensive zone, but Ethan Scardina was able to push it to Adam Pitters. As he entered the faceoff circle, Pitters made a beautiful left-to-right move around a defender, then placed a perfect pass between two more Huskies that found the stick of a crashing Seth Fyten. Fyten fired it in for his first goal of the year, giving the Falcons a 2-1 lead.
With under four minutes to play in the second, Fyten scored again to extend the lead. Zach Vinnell sent it through the neutral zone, where it was chased down by Fyten. He threw it at the net from the right corner, then it bounced off a MTU defender and into the net for the eventual game-winning goal.
As a third period power play expired, Ryan O'Hara scored to make it a 4-1 game. The Falcons worked the puck around the zone, with Austen Swankler feeding it to Chase Gresock at the point. He sent it down to the left circle, where Ethan Scardina collected and fired. The rebound went to O'Hara, who batted it in from the right side of the crease.
Two minutes later, a sensational effort from Stoever and the penalty kill unit led to a shorthanded goal. Stoever saved a shot from the point, then Anton Malmstrom made a lunging effort to block the rebound shot from the right side. The Huskies fired thrice more, with Taylor Schneider blocking the first shot before Stoever regained his footing and saved the final two. The puck escaped MTU's possession and landed on the stick of Malmstrom, who sent it up the ice, where it was obtained Schneider. He entered the zone on the left side and made a nifty hesitation move before hitting Alex Barber in stride, who swung in a shot for a beautiful shorthanded goal.
Michigan Tech added a second goal in the final minutes, once again scored by Kukkonen. A big hit from Brett Thorne forced the puck away from the Falcons, then Jed Pietila secured it at the goal line. He weaved through the defense and skated into the offensive zone before dropping a pass back to Kukkonen, who lit the lamp with a shot from the right circle.

Falcon Facts

Seth Fyten recorded his first career two-goal game, marking his first goals and points of the season. This is his second career multi-point game and marks the first time in his career he has scored the game-winning goal. Through 66 career games, he has nine goals and 11 points.
Alex Barber had a goal and assist to extend his season line to 7G-15A-22P. It marked his ninth multi-point effort of the season, pushing his career total to a team-best 27. His goal was a shorthanded tally, his first of the season and second of his career. In his 172-game career, the captain has 42 goals and 65 assists for 107 points.
Ethan Scardina had two assists, marking his third two-point game of the year. This season, he has five assists and 15 points. In his career, he has 13 assists and 29 points, as well as four multi-point performances.
Nathan Burke scored his 15^th goal of the year, the second-best total on the team. He has 25 points this season, ranking fourth on the team. In his 68-game BGSU career, he has 31 goals and 48 points. In his 152-game collegiate career, he has 44 goals and 76 points.
Ryan O'Hara scored his 11^th goal of the year, giving him a point total of 27 that ranks second on the team. In his career, the sophomore has 15 goals and 35 points through 64 games.
Chase Gresock logged an assist, putting his season total at 16 and career total at 54. He has 26 points this year and 99 points in his career. The fifth-year forward has scored in four consecutive games, tallying three goals and two assists for five points in this stretch.
Taylor Schneider tallied his 13 assist of the season, giving him 23 points. This extends his scoring streak to seven games, where he has collected three goals and five assists for eight points. He has 63 assists and 106 points in his 177-game career.
Adam Pitters registered his fifth assist of the year, putting his point total at seven. The senior has 17 assists and 23 points in his 97-game career.
Anton Malmstrom earned his third assist and sixth point of the year. The assistant captain has played 82 games in his career, totaling six assists and 13 points.
Hunter Lellig tallied his third assist of the season, giving him 13 in his collegiate career. The fifth-year defenseman has played 127 games and scored 15 points.
Christian Stoever made 37 saves, his fourth-highest total of the year. The sophomore now has 20 wins in his career.
The Bowling Green penalty kill was perfect for the fifth straight game, extending their streak to 18 consecutive successful kills. The Falcons scored their seventh shorthanded goal of the season, tying for second in the nation.

Ty's Take
"We're really proud of our guys tonight. We had a bunch of guys that played really well."

Up Next
The Falcons and Huskies conclude the Winter Carnival series tomorrow (Feb.11). Puck drop is set for 5:07 p.m. ET.

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Team Stats

Seth Fyten

Alex Barber

Ethan Scardina

Hunter Lellig

Players Mentioned

Alex Barber

Nathan Burke

Seth Fyten

Chase Gresock

Hunter Lellig

Anton Malmstrom

Ryan O'Hara

Adam Pitters

Ethan Scardina

Taylor Schneider

Christian Stoever

Austen Swankler

Zach Vinnell

Players Mentioned

Alex Barber

Nathan Burke

Seth Fyten

Chase Gresock

Hunter Lellig

Anton Malmstrom

Ryan O'Hara

Adam Pitters

Ethan Scardina

Taylor Schneider

Christian Stoever

Austen Swankler

Zach Vinnell

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