For the second time this season the Bowling Green hockey team will compete in a home-and home series against Western Michigan.
Tonight the Falcons will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., but they will return tomorrow to face the Broncos at the BGSU Ice Arena. Face-off is set for 7:05 p.m. both nights.
“The split series is kind of neat,” BG coach Scott Paluch said. “I’m glad we’re able to do that with Western this year. It’s a neater way to split the weekend up instead of playing two at one site. In one weekend you’re getting the ability to play at home, but also need to be effective on the road.”
However, the last time these two teams faced off in the same fashion, and the Broncos came away with two victories (6-5 in OT, 3-2).
Both teams come into this weekend on winless streaks. The Falcon look to snap a five-game losing streak, while the Broncos will try to break a four-game losing streak.
Western is currently in the seventh spot in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association rankings. They are looking for two wins this weekend to move up into the sixth position, which will put the Broncos in the top 50 percent and, thus, give them home ice advantage in the playoffs.
Western’s four losses were all one or two goal games and they even held a shot advantage in their last game against Ferris State.
“[The Broncos] are a team that, offensively, they have thrown a lot of punch out there, and they are able to do it with some smaller skilled guys, Jeff Campbell, but they also have some power forwards, Dana Lattery and Vince Bellissimo, that really can make it difficult to play against, especially down low in your own end,” Paluch said.
Bellissimo scored the two game-winning goals for Western back in October against the Falcons.
“He’s a freshman who’s really had a great impact his first year in college hockey,” Paluch said. “He’s got a lot of savvy to his game. He’s a power forward in that he’s a strong guy. He’s tough to handle down low, but he’s got a great release on his shot and he’s a terrific offensive player.”
In order to stop Bellissimo and the Bronco offense the Falcons are going to have to play well defensively.
“We need to play extremely well in transition through the neutral zone, picking up a lot of their players because they like to get active offensively,” Paluch said. “We also have to be able to stop their cycle down low, handle their bigger, stronger forwards down low. We can’t let them man handle us down below the circle.”
Once the Falcons control Western’s offense they will be able to turn the puck around and start creating some offense of their own.
“We are continuing to be a team that can create some different kinds of offense,” Paluch said. “Even though we didn’t score a lot over the weekend we were still able to create a lot of chances. If we continue to do that, but also really clean things up and handle Western’s forwards it will give us an opportunity this weekend.” “If we play solid for both games and continue that I think we’ll be fine,” forward Roger Leonard said. “We’re changing our forecheck and going harder against these guys, so I think that will be a lot different.”
Along with working on their forecheck the Falcons have also been trying to create more contact on offense.
“We have to work hard getting to the pucks and just keep creating offense,” Leonard said. “We need to make a lot of contact, a lot of body checking. Through body checking we create loose pucks, which turns into shots on net, turns into opportunities and creates turnovers.”
