No team has won more games than Minnesota State this season.
The No. 2-ranked team in the country has 31 wins — more than either of its WCHA title-winning seasons
four and five years ago.
“They’ve been the model program for six years in a row and all they’ve done is win,” BG head coach Chris
Bergeron said. “That’s hard because you can’t teach winning. You have to earn you, you have to live it.”

Bowling Green’s hockey team, which swept the Mavericks during the regular season, is tasked with edging
Minnesota State for a third time this season.
The Falcons, though, are riding a five-game winning streak, have won 25 games and will play in their
second WCHA championship in the past three years at 8:07 p.m. on Saturday.
A pair of 4-1 wins over the Mavericks in December and its recent stretch of wins has BG — ranked No. 13 —
well-equipped for the challenge.
“I feel we’re playing pretty good. From a number of games in a row, yes I do think it is our best stretch
of hockey,” Bergeron said. “There’s no reason to think we’re going to stop now.
The last taste in our mouth when we played this team was good. The last couple weeks, the vibe’s been
good.”
BG has pumped in 24 goals in its past five games, while allowing just seven. Twelve different players
have found the net in the five-game wining streak with Max Johnson leading with six.
“When our group plays it’s A-game, we know we can be a handful,” Bergeron said. “We’ll just rely on that.
I think the momentum is something we’ve created.”
The Falcons, who’s 130 goals scored is fifth most in the nation, can find paydirt from nearly any
position on the ice across every line.
Minnesota State trails just one team in the rankings for a reason.
The Mavericks have scored 141 goals, third in the nation, and have allowed the second fewest goals with
68. Cornell, which leads with 65 goals allowed, has played eight fewer games.
State also has its own momentum. The Mavs have won six straight — while not allowing more than one goal
in any contest — and eight of their past nine games.
“Beating a team three times hasn’t really come to my mind as much as their lineup at all three positions.
They’re depth is the biggest challenge they bring,” Bergeron said.
BG will rely on its experience for Saturday’s hostile environment.
The program’s senior and juniors played in the WCHA championship game against Michigan Tech two seasons
ago. The Falcons fell 3-2 in double overtime, but the repetitions cannot be taught.
“It’s something we talk about all the time, especially at the start of the year. It’s something we
motivate ourselves with,” BG senior Stephen Baylis said.
Two of the elite teams meet on Saturday. For BG, an NCAA berth is at stake as it tiptoes the line of an
at-large bid or not.
The Mavericks earned the right to host, but the Falcons — who can clinch an aoutright NCAA berth with a
win — may have their own advantage.
“I think that’s good to have coming in to a championship game,” Baylis said. “The things that are
(happening) are going our way right now.”