Bowling Green’s offense is starting to score consistently.
The Falcons have scored 26 goals in their last eight games. BG averaged just 1.67
goals per game during the regular season.
The production has enabled BG, 13-24-5 overall, to advance to the Central Collegiate
Hockey Association semifinals Friday night against third-ranked Michigan
(23-11-4) at 8 p.m. in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.
Those eight games have been against three solid defensive teams – Michigan, Northern
Michigan and Ferris State.
"We’re doing it against good defensive teams and we haven’t done it with the
power play," BG coach Chris Bergeron said. "When we add the power play
to the mix, and add more people who are capable of scoring goals at this level
and capable of scoring them at a pretty good clip, encouraging is absolutely the
word."
Freshman forward Dan DeSalvo has scored 10 of BG’s 22 playoff goals. The 10 goals are
a CCHA playoff record and his 13 points tie the league record for playoff
points.
Linemates Ryan Carpenter and Adam Berkle have combined for four goals and 11 assists.
Both are freshmen
Although Cam Wojtala and Bryce Williamson have just three playoff goals, the
sophomores have combined for 19 goals and 18 assists this season. BG’s defense
corps has four goals and 11 assists in the playoffs.
BG has only two seniors, and has what is expected to be another excellent freshmen
class lined up for next season.
"The encouraging thing is we have one guy scoring and we have other guys capable
of doing that," Bergeron said. "That takes pressure off Hammond (BG
goalie Andrew). That takes pressure off of everything."
POWER PLAY: Although the BG power play is 1-of-26 in the playoffs and has only 16
goals in 42 games this season, Bergeron said the unit has been improved down the
stretch.
"We’re this close," Bergeron said, holding his fingers about an eighth of
an inch a part. "We’re getting more zone time. We’re making more plays.
We’re getting more chances.
"We’ve looked more like a power play, even though we’re not getting the results
in terms of goals."
HOT: Michigan, which tied Western Michigan for second place in the CCHA, is 16-3-2 in
its last 21 games.
"There’s not going to be much to choose from between the two teams. You can put
their season records behind them, and it really comes down to one game,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "They’ve got the momentum. They’ve played
six games the past two weekends. They’ve got a lot of emotion, a lot of
confidence, and this is going to be a good challenge for us as well."
KEYS: Because of Michigan’s speed and skill, the Falcons can’t afford turnovers and
defensive mistakes.
"We really need to take care of the puck in all areas of the ice," Bergeron
said. "Michigan is going to create opportunities on their own, and we
cannot afford to give them opportunities based on poor puck play or puck
management by us."
The Falcons have allowed three or fewer goals in six of their last eight games.
"Offensive-skilled type people want time and space, and we need to take that
away from them," Bergeron said. "I don’t think we can take the
approach that we can sit back and wait, we need to be proactive and take away
time and space from these guys, and those two things, amongst many, many others,
are going to be the focus of us.
"But ultimately, come Friday night, it will come down to our guys being able to
execute at a bunch of different levels, but those two things in
particular."
STATS: The Wolverines lead the league in scoring (3.29 goals per game), are second in
goals allowed (1.97), fourth in penalty-killing (85.1 percent, 137-of1-61) and
ninth in power-play conversions (15.6 percent, 22-of-141).
FORWARDS: Freshman Alex Guptill (16 goals, 16 assists, 32 points) and senior David
Wohlberg (15-17-32) are tied for the team scoring lead.
They’re joined on the team’s top line by junior Chris Brown (12-17-19).
DEFENSE: Junior Lee Moffie (6-24-30) leads the Michigan defense, while second-round
NHL New Jersey Devils’ draft pick Jon Merrill has played well during the second
half.
STOPPER: Michigan senior Shawn Hunwick is one of the country’s top goalies, ranking
fourth in save percentage (.934) and seventh in goals-against average (1.97).