vs. Bemidji State (1/10-11)

[mbenecke]

Following a Laker sweep that ran our win streak to 5 games, our Falcons (10-7-2) will be back home again this weekend, this time against the Bemidji State Beavers (8-9-3). Both games at the Slate this weekend will be available to stream through Midco Sports Plus, and will begin at 7:07pm.

This Bemidji team is a bit challenging to figure out. Their resume is all over the place, from a results standpoint. They have wins over Duluth, Minnesota State (shutout!), Minnesota, and North Dakota. But they also have losses to Ferris and Lake Superior, and they had 9 goals dropped on their heads just 3 weeks ago at home against Tech. So, they’re a little bit all over the place from night to night. When they are on their game, they are one of the best teams in the league. They were picked 2nd in the CCHA coaches poll, and 1st in the media poll, so they haven’t met expectations yet - but that doesn’t preclude them from starting a 2nd semester run in our building. We’ll have our hands full with their grabbing and holding in this one.


NOTABLE STATS:

-Bemidji averages 2.60 goals per game, compared to our 2.26. They also give up 2.90 goals per game, compared to our 2.42. I would not have expected us to have the “better” defense statistically, considering their program’s identity.

-BG continues to be the #1 team in the CCHA in shots on goal per game, while Bemidji is in the middle of the pack at #5.

-Our power play converts at a .214 clip, good for 4th in the league. They are sitting 5th in the league, but theirs hits at .188, which is a decent drop off. PK is similar, where we are 5th in the league at .781, and they are 7th at .766, which feels low for them. Judging by the PK and PP numbers, we will have an opportunity to score when they take penalties - however, they get called for the least penalties in the CCHA and we essentially get called for the most, so playing clean will be a real challenge this weekend.

-BG might have an advantage in the face-off circle, where we continue to be 1st in the CCHA by a significant margin at .533, and they are 5th at .491.

-Mattias Sholl, brother of former Falcon Thomas Sholl, was the preseason goalie of the year by both the coach and the media, so we will have our hands full from that perspective this weekend.


GOALIES:

Bemidji
Mattias Sholl (Sr.) - 20 GP, 2.73 GAA, .902 SV%

BGSU
Christian Stoever (Sr.) - 6 GP, 1.21 GAA, .963 SV%
Cole Moore (So.) - 14 GP, 2.90 GAA, .906 SV%


Go Falcons! Keep it rolling!

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

We need 4 points. Beavers have had our number for the past few years. Good news for us is they are bussing both directions (14h without any stops or accounting for Chicagoland traffic).

[mbenecke]

BG up 1-0 after a Doran goal in the first.

Extremely sparse crowd again tonight with students still on winter break. Incredible how tiny the crowds have been this year with our bad schedule luck.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

The weather isn’t helping with the crowd.

I think the scorekeepers are being stingy on the SOGs.

[pdt1081]

The weather isn’t helping with the crowd.

I think the scorekeepers are being stingy on the SOGs.

Big game for all the T-Shirt alums tonight also.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

That was not a good period. We chased them around in our end all period. Thank goodness the horn ending the period sounded when it did. We seemed to lose every puck battle.

[mbenecke]

2-1 Bemidji early in the third. This has not been a good performance from anyone in white. 8 shots on goal in 42 minutes.

[mbenecke]

Oh! And BG gets one back. 2-2 with 17:52 to play.

[mbenecke]

BG up 3-2 with 7:19 to play.

[BGhockeyfan94]

Well there are some very egregious non calls tonight

[mbenecke]

Bemidji gets a 6 on 5 goal with their net empty to tie it with less than 50 seconds left. Damn.

[pdt1081]

Well there are some very egregious non calls tonight

BG is 0/0 on the powerplay, despite many obvious opportunities.

[mbenecke]

Going to OT tied at 3.

[mbenecke]

Falcons win, 4-3!

[BGhockeyfan94]

Well there are some very egregious non calls tonight

BG is 0/0 on the powerplay, despite many obvious opportunities.

Coach went off on the refs after the game before the offsides challenge. Not sure how you call 0 penalties when there were at least 3 very obvious penalties. And then Stjernberg’s hit somehow gets reviewed for a major?