Falcons hang tough against No. 8 Minnesota, losing 3-2

By Momo Pfaff, [email protected]

Bowling Green State University hockey lost 3-2 in overtime against the Minnesota State Mavericks on Friday in Mankato.

After a week of rest due to the canceled Adrian exhibition game, the healthy Falcons were ready to take on the No. 8-ranked Minnesota State.

With BG sophomore Christian Stoever and MSU freshman Alex Tracy between the pipes, puck drop got underway against one of BGSU’s toughest opponents.

The first period started off slow for both teams, with a shot count of 4-1 in favor of BG almost eight minutes into the period.

At the 8:33 mark, Falcons defenseman Max Coyle went to the penalty box for highsticking.

During the two-minute advantage, the Mavs threw a slew of six shots toward Stoever. Ultimately, the score stood at nil.

After the power play, the Falcons gained some momentum with shots, led by top-liner Nathan Burke.

At the 13-minute mark, a hooking penalty was called on Mavericks defenseman Jake Livingstone and BGSU got their first PP of the night.

Not many chances would come from the advantage, and MSU killed off the penalty.

It was the Mavericks’ turn to play strong 5-on-5 hockey following the kill, increasing their shot count quickly.

With just under three minutes left in the first, MSU center Ondrej Pavel caught Stoever outside of his crease and scored to make it 1-0.

The Falcons spent the last minutes in their defensive zone, ending the period with a shot count of 8-3 MSU.

The second period started with shots back and forth between the two teams.

Mavs sophomore Tanner Edwards shot the puck past Stoever while falling, making the score 2-0.

With a two-goal deficit, the Falcons were desperate to find scoring chances.

Instead, they were met with tilted ice toward BGSU’s net. The period ended with a shot count of 17-7 favoring the Mavericks.

It only took three minutes into the third for BGSU to get on the board, as Falcons center Adam Pitters fired one past Tracy to make it 2-1.

Tempers were flaring following the goal, leading to multiple penalties against both teams.

With five minutes left, the Falcons seemed to get back into the game with a solid penalty kill and great chances on the power play.

However, a holding penalty on BG winger Spencer Schneider forced the Falcons to focus their energy on defending Stoever’s net.

As the PK ended, a glimpse of hope came with a crosschecking penalty against MSU junior Connor Gregga for a late period effort for Bowling Green to equalize.

With a two-man advantage and an empty net, Falcons center Austen Swankler fired from the point to tie the game 2-2.

In overtime, the Falcons managed to kill off a Barber slashing penalty, but the Mavericks came out victorious from a goal by Toledo native Brendan Furry.

The Falcons and Mavericks meet again at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center Saturday to finish out the series. Puck drop is at 7:07 p.m.