The Falcon hockey team will finish off its regular season on the road against the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers on Friday and Saturday night, as the team looks to improve its seeding going into the playoffs.
The team comes into this weekend holding the No. 3 seed in the WCHA standings; however, it could pass the Northern Michigan Wildcats for the second seed. The series also has playoff implications for Alabama-Huntsville as well, as they are currently in a playoff spot but are only three points above the cutoff line.
The team believes Alabama-Huntsville will come out with a lot of energy for their final home series.
“I’m looking for a hungry team and a team that’s fighting for the playoffs,” Falcons head coach Chris Bergeron said. “They haven’t guaranteed a playoff spot yet, so they’re a team that’s playing that way. It’s also their senior night, so there’s going to be some energy and excitement to say goodbye to their seniors.”
The team also played Alabama-Huntsville earlier in the season on Dec. 8 and 9. The teams split the series, as Alabama-Huntsville took the first game 4-3 in a shootout and the Falcons came back to win the second game 3-1.
“The last time we played them, especially on Friday, they showed that they’re capable,” Bergeron said. “They played fast, they played hard and I thought this team got some guys back. (Forward) Max McHugh, for example, didn’t play in the series here in BG, and he’s back and is one of their key guys, so I’m expecting a very difficult series.”
In Alabama-Huntsville’s most recent series against the Minnesota State Mavericks, who hold the No. 1 spot in the WCHA standings, they were able to force overtime in the first game before ultimately losing. However, the Falcons believe it also shows the energy that Alabama-Huntsville is capable of.
“I’m expecting them to be good,” Bergeron said. “That’s what you get from the Minnesota State game and beating Northern Michigan earlier. This team has been in it all year long.”
While the Falcons swept the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves last Friday and Saturday 5-2 and 2-1, respectively, the team still believes there is room for improvement.
“One of the things I try not to do, both (for the) individual and collective, is set unrealistic goals,” Bergeron said. “But what we’re also trying to do is hold ourselves to the standards that we’ve set individually and collectively, and that wasn’t the process, habits or detail of our game last weekend.”
