BG’s Quinn Emerson, left, battles for the puck alongside Michigan’s Tech’s Jake Crespi Saturday.
J.D. Pooley | Sentinel-Tribune
The Bowling Green men’s hockey team’s confidence is taking flight after a 6-1 win against the Michigan Tech Huskies last weekend.
After breaking a six-game losing streak, Bowling Green (3-7-0, 2-4-0 in CCHA) has brought their play back to the “identity” that head coach Ty Eigner wants to emphasize.
“We’re really trying to get back to our identity that is effort-based,” he said.
Sophomore goaltender Christian Stoever had an impressive weekend, with 71 saves on 75 shots.
Stoever earned Central Collegiate Hockey Association Goaltender of the Week for his performance against the Huskies, showing Eigner he can fill in the vital role between the pipes.
“We’re really happy for him to receive that award,” Eigner said.
Along with the goaltending, Eigner has seen improvements in the defensemen.
He pointed out junior Anton Malmstrom and senior Hunter Lellig.
“You’ve got guys like Hunter and Anton who lead the way in shot blocks for us and you’ve got the other defensemen buying into that,” he said.
The Falcons are hosting a CCHA series against the Tommies on Friday and Saturday.
St. Thomas is 2-8-0 this season, with a 1-3-0 record in the CCHA.
Their lone win was against the Ferris State Bulldogs, beating them 5-2 on Oct. 29.
Bowling Green has had a successful history against St. Thomas, with a 4-0 overall record.
The Tommies’ last matchup was against No. 6 Minnesota State, losing by only a single goal.
“We told our guys that we need to be ready,” Eigner said. “St. Thomas is certainly going to get on the bus full of confidence after playing well against a really good team.”
Zack Rose is projected to play in goal in the upcoming series, potentially starting one of the games.
While Stoever has filled in the starter role, Rose had been recovering from injuries.
Eigner says that Rose has been coming to practices and seems to be comfortable on the ice.
“We’re hoping to see Zack this weekend,” Eigner said. “We were really encouraged by how he practiced on Monday.”
The Falcons will take on the Tommies at the Slater Family Ice Arena. Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday is at 7:07 pm.
