BOWLING GREEN — A red-hot Bowling Green State University hockey team went ice cold on Friday night.
The Falcons suffered their worst loss in the last two and a half seasons as Michigan Tech blanked BGSU 7-0 in a Central Collegiate Hockey Association game at Slater Family Ice Arena.
The seven-goal defeat was BGSU’s biggest since losing 9-2 at Minnesota State on Nov. 12, 2021, and the Falcons were shut out for just the third time this season and first since late November. BGSU (13-17-1, 11-9-1 CCHA) allowed a season-high 56 shots on goal to a Michigan Tech team (13-13-6, 10-9-2) that was just 3-6-3 in its last 12 games.
“The start was pretty good. We had some chances, we had a good look a couple shifts in, we had a good look on the power play, and we didn’t capitalize. And then we stopped playing hockey, and Michigan Tech didn’t,” BGSU coach Ty Eigner said. “They deserve all the credit because there isn’t a single facet of the game that they didn’t completely outplay us.”
BGSU (35 points), which suffered its first loss since Jan. 20, dropped into a tie for third in the CCHA standings with Minnesota State, after entering the night tied for second. Bemidji State (39 points) edged St. Thomas (36) 6-5 in overtime on Friday to slightly extend its first-place position.
The Falcons had some good looks offensively early in the first and second periods. Those were the only positives of the night, though.
Michigan Tech’s Arvid Caderoth, Alex Nordstrom, and Isaac Gordon each scored even-strength goals in the final 10 minutes of the first period as the Huskies took a 3-0 lead. Gordon’s goal came with just eight seconds left in the frame.
Brody Waters and Owen Ozar both had scoring chances in transition for BGSU in the opening minutes of the second period, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Jack Works and Tyrone Bronte scored at even strength for Michigan Tech in the final six minutes of the frame in giving the Huskies a 5-0 lead.
Marcus Pedersen’s power play goal early in the third and Nordstrom’s second even-strength goal with just over two minutes left capped off the scoring for Michigan Tech.
“I think we’ve got to learn from it,” BGSU senior forward Ethan Scardina said. “Obviously coming down the stretch, we’ve got to play a full 60 minutes. Our game, our style, the way it’s been working, and we weren’t that tonight.”
Tempers flared early in the third period when BGSU’s Ben Doran and Quinn Emerson, as well as Michigan Tech’s Chase Pietila and Caderoth, were involved in multiple scuffles in front of the Huskies’ bench. All four players received roughing penalties.
Six of BGSU’s seven penalties came in the third period.
“We did not play to our identity tonight in any way. We lost our discipline, we took dumb penalties, we weren’t playing the game,” Eigner said. “We weren’t playing how we need to play.”
Blake Pietila stopped all 28 shots he saw in goal for Michigan Tech.
“They’re a good team,” Scardina said. “They possess the puck really well. Their defensemen skate with it, they hold onto it, they get it in our zone, and they win races.”
BGSU’s Cole Moore had 37 saves before being pulled after the second period. Christian Stoever had 12 saves in the final 20 minutes for the Falcons.
“I feel really bad for our goalies tonight because we didn’t play well in front of the net, and I’ll take responsibility for that,” Eigner said. “This week’s practices, we tried to do the same thing. We felt like we were going to be ready to play here come our last home series of the regular season. But obviously, we weren’t.”
BGSU will try to bounce back in the series finale at 7:07 p.m. Saturday night. It will be the Falcons’ final home game of the regular season before heading to Northern Michigan next weekend.
First Published February 24, 2024, 4:21 a.m.
