BOWLING GREEN — The first goal on Bowling Green’s list this season was to win the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
And for any program hoping to win the league, that goal starts with one objective: Beating Minnesota State.
The two programs met in the WCHA championship game last year — a stunning Minnesota State comeback — and split the first two meetings earlier this season. Now comes a two-game series Friday and Saturday at Slater Family Ice Arena, six possible points that will play a key role in determining seeding in the WCHA playoffs.
No. 15-ranked Bowling Green believes it can challenge for the top of the conference, but there is no doubting that No. 3 Minnesota State has been the standard-bearer in recent years.
“As we’re trying to ramp it up and continue to improve and raise the level, the more we play them, the better, because that’s the bar,” Falcons coach Ty Eigner said. “We know if we can beat them and compete with them, then we’re right where we want to be.”
For this weekend, at least, the Falcons’ task is to keep Minnesota State from running away with the WCHA.
The Mavericks (20-3-1) have won 14 of 16 conference games to build a five-point lead on the WCHA field and a 14-point lead on Bowling Green, which is currently in fourth place.
BG has won three of the past five against Minnesota State dating back to last year, but coughed up a 2-0 lead in the final minutes of last year’s WCHA championship game, which the Mavericks won in overtime.
Conference realignment last decade placed the two schools with little history in the same league, but the proximity paired with Minnesota State’s success has borne something of the rivalry between them.
“It’s not a geographic rival and there isn’t a long history of nonconference series with them,” Eigner said. “I believe [it’s] because of how they’ve done their business and approached it and what they’ve done from a wins-and-losses perspective. And I honestly think there’s a genuine respect between the coaching staffs and the programs.”
Minnesota State has been arguably the most complete team in college hockey thus far.
The Mavericks rank first in the country in goals allowed per game (1.33), an average that dips even lower when No. 1 goaltender Dryden McKay starts (1.14). Minnesota State also boasts the best special teams in the country, ranking first nationally in both power play (29.5 percent) and penalty kill (93.3 percent).
However, there is ample chance for movement in the standings in the weeks to come. Minnesota State plays second-, third-, and fourth-place teams in the next three weeks, and BG goes to second-place Bemidji State after an open weekend.
“This is going to be a really exciting finish to the WCHA,” Eigner said. “Our next two weekends are teams that are ahead of us in the standings. Then you look at other teams’ schedules, there’s going to be a lot of cross-over games between people who want to have home ice for the playoffs.”
But, with the No. 3 team coming to town first on the list, the Falcons have a showcase opportunity coming this weekend.
“I do know our guys do get excited,” Eigner said. “I don’t know if there’s more hype, but they do get excited. When you’re playing the team that’s been the gold standard in the league, you know you’ve got to be ready.”
First Published January 15, 2020, 3:00 p.m.
