BGSU Hockey Soars to First Win in the Dennis Williams Era

Friday, October 4

Erie, Pa.

7:07 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

1-0-0

Mercyhurst

0-1-0

Bowling Green

Mercyhurst

Photo by: Lauren Laudato, BGSU Athletics

October 04, 2024 | Ice Hockey

Box Score Support BGSU Ice Hockey Box Score vs Mercyhurst Game 1 (PDF) Box Score vs Mercyhurst Game 1 (XML)

By: By Krissy Kowalski, BGSU Athletics

ERIE, Pa.- The Bowling Green Falcons (1-0-0) opened the 2024-25 season with an impressive performance, defeating the Mercyhurst Lakers (0-1-0) by a score of 2-1. Junior Jaden Grant opened the scoring for 2024-25 season at 11:38 in the first period. With tonight's, win the Falcon's gain their first win under new Head Coach Dennis Williams.

Graduate Ville Immonen played in his 100^th career game and his first as a Falcon, along with senior Jackson Niedermayer, sophomore Matvei Kabanov and freshman Maxwell Martin who all appeared in their first game in a Falcon uniform.

Notables

The Falcons recorded their first win under new Head Coach Dennis Williams with tonight's, 2-1 win over Mercyhurst and remain undefeated against the Lakers on the road, 4-0.
Junior Jaden Grant tallied his seventh career goal at 11:38 in the first period to open the 2024-25 goal scoring.
Sophomore Brody Waters scored his seventh career goal and first game-winning goal of his career at 5:07 in the second period.
Multiple falcons recorded firsts: Freshman Maxwell Martin (1^st career assist), Sophomore Matvei Kavanov (1^st point at BGSU).
Graduate Ville Immonen played in his 100^th career game and his first as a Falcon
BGSU went 43-25 on faceoffs, with graduate students, Immonen and Ethan Scardina going 16-8 and 15-6, respectively.

By The Numbers

Goals: 1: Jaden Grant, Brody Waters
Assists: 1: Maxwell Martin, Ryan O'Hara, Breck McKinley, Matevi Kabanov
Blocks: 4 : Gustav Stjernberg
Shots: 4: Breck McKinley (career-high)
Saves: 32: Cole Moore
Faceoffs:16: Ville Immonen

How it Happened

Grant opened the scoring for the Falcons with off a shot from sophomore Breck McKinley from the blue line. Robert Morris goalkeeper, Simon Bucheler ended up saving the initial shot but was then tapped in behind Bucheler by Grant at 11:28 in the first period
Sophomore Cole Moore made a spectacular break-away save on Mercyhurt's Borris Skalos with 36 seconds left in the first period to keep the Falcons ahead 1-0 going into the first break
At 5:07 left in the second period, Waters doubled the Falcon's lead off the rush into the offensive zone. Kabanov took the puck into the zone and passed it to O'Hara on the left-hand side who found Waters on the right-hand side of the net to extend the lead, 2-0.
The Lakers were able to get one back in the second period at 8:30 from Boris Skalos to cut the lead to 2-1.

Up Next
The Falcons will be back in action tomorrow night, Oct. 5 at 7:05 p.m. for the second game of the series against Mercyhurst at Mercyhurst Ice Center.