Bowling Green’s hockey team has its final tune-up this weekend before starting the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association portion of its schedule.
The Falcons travel to Colgate of the Eastern College Athletic Conference for a
two-game series Friday and Saturday.
BG is coming off 5-3, 4-1 losses to eighth-ranked Union last weekend in the Ice
Arena.
The Falcons, 0-2-1 overall, are playing five straight nonleague games to open the
season before hosting Ohio State to start league play Oct. 26-27.
Colgate is 1-2 after losing twice last weekend (3-0, 5-1) at fourth-ranked Miami,
BG’s CCHA rival.
The Raiders opened the season with a 10-2 win at home against Niagara on Oct. 9, just
three days after the Falcons had played a 2-2 tie at Niagara.
"They’re really fast," Bergeron said of Colgate. "They’re a team that
wants to get up and go. They want to push the pace and their (defensemen) really
get involved offensively."
Colgate was 19-17-3 overall and 11-10-1 for fourth place in the ECAC last season.
The Raiders return 16 lettermen, but lost three of their top five scorers. They have
eight freshmen and five sophomores.
"We can expect a really hard opponent," Bergeron said. "We’re going to
have to take care of the puck and play through bodies just like the focus going
into Union. We have to make them earn what they get versus us giving them
thing."
Colgate finished eighth in the ECAC media poll and ninth in the coaches poll.
FACEOFFS: The Falcons have won 52 percent of their faceoffs this season, but the
figure is only 46 percent when Andrew Wallace’s 38-15 record on draws is taken
out.
Of particular concern is Ryan Carpenter and Cam Wojtala have combined to win only 49
percent of their draws. They take a lot of the faceoffs in the BG’s offensive
zone.
"We put a lot of emphasis on faceoffs," Bergeron said. "Faceoffs are
one of those things you can take ownership of and get better at. Both Ryan and
Cam want to be better."
EFFORT: With BG’s increased talent and depth, junior forward Ryan Viselli was one
player who appeared to be in danger of losing his spot in the lineup this
season.
But he’s worked hard and has played in all three games. He entered the season with
just six goals and eight assists in 70 career games.
"His effort has always been outstanding," Bergeron said. "He wants to
be that agitator, that’s what he was in junior hockey. When he’s at his best,
that’s what he is. He’s a guy who’s always right there and always in the way. He
gives you 100 percent every day. He’s earned the opportunity to play and he’s
taken advantage of it.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder skated on BG’s fourth line against Union. Despite Friday’s
loss, Viselli, Wallace and Marc Rodriguez formed one of BG’s best lines in the
game.
Including BG’s non-counting exhibition contest, Viselli has an on-ice rating of
plus-1, despite having no points.
TATE: Bergeron said Brent Tate isn’t expected to play this weekend and it would be
"a stretch" to expect him to play against OSU. The freshmen forward
has missed the first two weekends with a back injury.
PENALTIES: The Falcons took just 12 minor penalties against Union, including only
three in the Game 1 loss. The Dutchmen scored on all three of their power-play
chances.
"If you say we’re going to get three penalties against Union, I’d have taken it
in a heartbeat," Bergeron said. "I would have said we’re going to kill
three out of three. I don’t think you can ask these kids to give us everything
they have and be as intense as we expect them to be and not take a penalty or
two based on a poor decision."
Union has a terrific power and the Dutchmen were 5-of-9 in the series. The three
power-play goals Union scored in Game 1 came after BG turned the puck over in
its defensive zone.
"It was more of a focus on how poor our penalty-kill was (than it was the
penalties)," Bergeron said.
LAST TIME: The Falcons are playing Colgate for the first time since Jan. 3, 2006.
RETURN: BG hosts Colgate next season to complete the home-and-home contract.