Falcons Head to Houghton For Winter Carnival Series With No. 12 Huskies

HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Bowling Green Falcons (14-14-2, 11-9-2 CCHA) make the trip to the Upper Peninsula for their final road series of the regular season, facing off against the No. 12 Michigan Tech Huskies (20-7-4, 13-5-4 CCHA). The Friday (Feb. 10) game is set for a 7:07 p.m. ET puck drop, then the teams rematch on Saturday (Feb. 11) at 5:07 p.m. ET. Both games will be played in the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Falcons currently rank third in the CCHA with 38 points, trailing the second-place Huskies by six points.

How to Follow
Both games will be streamed on FloHockey, found HERE. The games will also be broadcast on 88.1 FM by BGRSO, which can be found online HERE. Use the WBGU Listen Now link, which is found on the right side of the desktop site and the bottom of the mobile site. Live stats for Friday's game can be found HERE. Live stats for Saturday's game can be found HERE. The games will also have live updates on Bowling Green Hockey's official Twitter page, @BGFalconHockey.

Tickets, Parking, and Attendance Information
Tickets for the games can be purchased HERE. Parking will be available in Lots 23 and 24 for $5. This will be Michigan Tech's annual Winter Carnival Series, taking place during the famed Winter Carnival that has been hosted in Houghton for over 100 years. The teams will play a total-goals series for the MacInnes Trophy and a Winter Carnival MVP will be honored after the series finale.

Falcon Facts

The Falcons rank second in the CCHA in power play percentage (24.4%) and penalty kill percentage (83.6%). Nationally, they are 11^th on the power play and 13^th on the penalty kill, making them the only team with both special teams units in the top-13. Bowling Green's total of 30 power play goals is fifth in the nation, while the total of six shorthanded goals ranks third.
Austen Swankler leads the team in goals (16), assists (23), and points (39). He ranks second in the CCHA in goals while leading the league in assists and points. Nationally, he is third in points, is tied for eighth in assists, and tied for 11th in goals. The sophomore sensation is a nominee for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, fan voting is still open HERE.
Alex Barber (41G-64A) and Taylor Schneider (43G-62A) each have 105 career points, tying for 12^th among active players and 62^nd in school history. Schneider leads all active skaters with 176 games played, a total that is fourth in program history. Barber is second among active players with 171 games played, putting him at seventh in the BGSU record book. The duo has combined for 50 multi-point efforts in their careers. Barber has 20 points this year, marking his fourth consecutive 20-point season. Schneider is riding a team-best six-game scoring streak, totaling three goals and four assists for seven points in this stretch.
Chase Gresock's three-goal weekend puts him at 98 career points, with 45 of those being goals. He is ninth among active players in career goals and will look to make the Falcons the only team in the country with three 100-point scorers. Fellow fifth-year forward Nathan Burke has a single-season career-best 24 points this year, scoring 14 goals, including seven on the power play.

Opponent Outlook
The Huskies are the highest-ranked team in the CCHA and are the first team in the conference to reach 20 wins. They currently sit at second in the standings with 44 points, trailing Minnesota State by one point. Goal-tender Blake Pietila leads the nation with eight shutouts while ranking second in save percentage and fifth in goals against average. He leads the CCHA in all three categories as well. The team has the second-best penalty kill percentage in the nation, allowing just 12 goals in 107 chances. Three of those goals were scored by the Falcons in the 6-1 win on Nov. 5. Following that series, Christian Stoever was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week. Since then, the Huskies are 15-4-3, winning the Desert Classic and compiling a 12-3-3 mark in CCHA play. Offensively, Ryland Mosely leads the Huskies in goals (11), assists (18), and points (29). He has three shorthanded goals this season, tying for first in the nation.

Series Info
The all-time series between Bowling Green and Michigan Tech is deadlocked at 21-21-5. The last four games have been split, with the Falcons outscoring the Huskies, 12-10. In each series, MTU has won the opener before the Falcons take the finale. All four games have featured a goaltending matchup between Christian Stoever and Blake Pietila.

Ty's Take
"They've (Michigan Tech) had a really good year. They're a difficult team. It starts in net with their goalie (Blake Pietila), he's a really good goalie. They come at you with different groups, it hasn't been the same guys every night up front. They've got some guys that can skate and get on you on the forecheck. They're a really confident team right now. They're playing really well in the second half. It'll be a tough task for us. "

Coach Eigner's full press conference from Feb. 7 can be found HERE.

Up Next
The Falcons have a weekend off before closing the regular season at home against Northern Michigan. The series will be played on Feb. 24-25, with both games starting at 7:07 p.m. in Slater Family Ice Arena. Friday's game will be Senior Night, tickets can be purchased HERE and parking can be purchased HERE. Saturday is Scott Hamilton Bobblehead Night and the SICSIC Reveal, tickets can be purchased HERE and parking can be purchased 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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