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Posting this 2 weeks ahead of the game because the holidays get busy and a Monday exhibition can sneak up on us.

Following a long layoff, on Monday, December 29, our Falcons (8-5-3) will be home at the Slater Family Ice Arena again for an exhibition against the USNTDP. The game will begin at 7:07pm, and should be available to stream on Midco. Tickets are $7 for GA, and parking is free.

This opponent has a ton of prospects who will likely end up in the NHL someday, so it would be a great time to get in the building for a game. Their players are committed to Notre Dame (x4), Denver (x4), Boston U (x3), Duluth (x2), Michigan State, (x2), Boston College (x2), Michigan, Minnesota, and Harvard.

They have played a number of college teams in exhibitions this year, and here's that track record:
L 5-2 vs. Notre Dame
L 7-0 @ Western Michigan
L 6-0 @ Wisconsin
L 6-2 vs. Lake Superior State
L 5-0 vs. Ferris State
L 4-1 @ Niagara
L 5-4 @ Cornell
L 6-1 @ North Dakota
W 3-2 @ St. Lawrence

I would love if we came in and absolutely dominated this exhibition, but it will have been 3 weeks since we played a competitive game and we rarely ever come in and dominate the teams we should, so I am skeptical. We lost this exhibition last year in their building, 6-4, but it's all new players for pretty much both teams, so hard to say how to expect this to go. I'm sure we will be rotating in a ton of guys to get everyone ready to go for the 2nd half of the season, so perhaps not a true representation of what our team actually is, but a good measuring stick exhibition against a talented squad regardless.

Go Falcons!

Line chart is out. 5 full forward lines and 5 defensive pairs.

Ty Higgins in the lineup at D. Stjernberg back. Niedermayer still at D.

Steinman the only scratch.

Higgins was ineligible the first half, don't know the details.

Gus opened the scoring to put BG up 1-0 halfway through the first.

Jaden Grant nets one and makes it 2-0 BG

Noah Morneau adds one early in the middle frame to put BG up 3-0.

Quinn Emerson put BG up 4-0, then the USNTDP counters with 1 of their own.

It’s 4-1 Falcons halfway through the 2nd.

BG leads 4-1 after 2 periods.

Minville makes it 5-1 Falcons.

Higgins is getting a lot of ice time tonight. As expected.

Morneau makes it 6-1.

That did not look like a good USA team that I’m used to is playing against

Forgot I didn’t come back to post the end of the game.

BG officially won 6-1. Dominant performance. Falcons hit the road for Columbus on Friday and they’ll be home on Saturday night for a sold out game against Ohio State.

BGhockeyfan94 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 29, 2025 9:35 pm That did not look like a good USA team that I’m used to is playing against

Just a hard game to get into. Pretty much everything expected to happen, did. I almost wonder if the pre game message to both teams was similar. Knock the rust off, don't injure anyone, don't get injured. Their last game was December 13th, so they were off almost as long as BG.

pdt1081 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 30, 2025 7:16 am

BGhockeyfan94 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 29, 2025 9:35 pm That did not look like a good USA team that I’m used to is playing against

Just a hard game to get into. Pretty much everything expected to happen, did. I almost wonder if the pre game message to both teams was similar. Knock the rust off, don't injure anyone, don't get injured. Their last game was December 13th, so they were off almost as long as BG.

This team used to come in and wax us and It was ugly. If anyone has looked at their schedule and results they are getting hammered by everyone. It's been a long time since we can say that a team we've played like this looks small. Though NIL money and the new rule with junior hockey players allowed to play college hockey. They playing men and we're playing boys. 25+ lbs a player and a few inches is a big deal. They may be talented 17 year old but they may not play college hockey for 2 to 3 years from now.