Another BGSU Hockey season is upon us, but what does that mean for the Falcons and the fans?
This year, it means a combination of uncertainty and confusion.
The Falcons finished third in the CCHA last year, ending the year with a 15-19-2 record and a 12-12-2 record in conference play.
Last year also ended with the orange and brown wrapping up the season on a five game losing streak, including getting swept by Ferris State in the Mason Cup Quarterfinals.
This is not new for any Falcon fans however, as the season prior, the team had a familiar 15-19-3 record, with a 11-14-1 record in the CCHA.
In other words, the Falcons only improved by one and a half games in the conference and one less tie.
Pretty consistent right?
So it would make sense to ask Ty Eigner what the team can do to improve more drastically than what has been demonstrated.
The short answer is, he can’t.
Eigner was placed on administrative leave back on September 18 due to alleged off-campus hazing violations. He, along with three unnamed players, who were suspended due to the same alleged case, will not be with the team to begin the season as well as the investigation continues.
So for the time being, it is Curtis Carr’s responsibility to carry on as head coach.
Carr has been a successful associate coach for this Bowling Green team. In four consecutive years, Carr has advised an all-CCHA caliber defenseman and has consistently fielded a top three defense in the CCHA.
He is known for his defensive leadership and his ability to recruit, which helps a Falcon team that is chalked full of youth.
Carr and the Falcons this offseason brought in massively promising prospects comprising of four transfers (forwards Josh Nodler, Spencer Kersten, Owen Ozar, and defenseman Tommy Pasanen), as well as eight freshmen (forwards Ben Doran, Brandon Santa Juana, Brody Waters, defensemen Michael Bevilacqua, Nick O’Hanisain, Gustav Stjernberg, Breck McKinley, and goaltender Cole Moore).
Yet, the uncertainty still resides.
An interim coach and uncertain suspensions are immense challenges for a strong team to overcome, much less a team with twelve new players.
That’s eight freshmen to develop, and five of the top seven scorers from last season to replace.
No, that is not a typo- five of the seven (175 out of 311 points).
And out of all these obstacles for the Falcons to overcome, there is one more.
The best of those top seven scorers from last season, Austen Swankler, transferred out of BGSU after news of Eigner’s suspension and the alleged hazing incidents broke.
The 2022 Hobey Baker Award nominee moved his game to Northern Michigan University, also in the CCHA, and takes his 19 goals and 25 assists with him.
This was a brutal turn of events for BGSU not only because of the 44 points he is taking out of the box score, but also due to the fact that Falcon fans will most likely see him many times against their team down the line.
That’s not something this team right now can afford. But it is the hand that the university has to play now.
So now that BG knows what they don’t have, what would constitute a good year for them?
The CCHA Coaches poll ranked the conference as follows:
- Michigan Tech (4 first-place votes)
- Northern Michigan (3 first-place votes)
- Bowling Green
- Bemidji State
- St. Thomas (1 first-place vote)
- Minnesota State
- Ferris State
- Lake Superior State
- Augustana (does not qualify for the tournament)
This poll was taken before Eigner’s suspension and Swankler’s transfer. Nevertheless, this or a finish reasonably close to this ranking is the goal for this team.
This includes achieving a winning record in the conference, in which they have not broken above .500 in back to back seasons. A third place and above .500 finish, without your tenured head coach, star player, three players to be announced as suspended, and with eight new freshmen, is one season that Curtis Carr could not possibly be upset about.
Do I think the Falcons can accomplish these lofty goals? Yes, I think they can, and here is why.
That seventh top scorer from last year is Ryan O’Hara. The junior forward tallied 11 goals, four of which on powerplays, 19 assists in all 37 games.
30 points for a forward with five skaters ahead of him in the scoring chart means his touches and shots should go way up this year, and gives the veteran a chance to accelerate with those opportunities.
Defense is going to be the strength of this Bowling Green team, especially when led by Ben Wozney, who was nominated by the CCHA Coaches poll as an All-Conference defenseman.
The 6’4 junior scored 15 points in 36 games, racking up 24 blocked shots.
Wozney is accompanied by sophomores Dalton Norris and Eric Parker who, while not tremendous offensive players, play incredible defense with an even plus/minus ratio and 62 blocked shots between them last season.
Another name to keep an eye on is senior Spencer Kersten, who transferred into BGSU out of Princeton, where he was honored as a captain in his fourth year.
He scored 143 points in his 134 games as a Tiger, with a faceoff win percentage of 54%, an area in which the Falcons have needed some improvement (BGSU forwards recorded a .471 faceoff percentage last year).
The freshmen should be looked at as a group to make way in offensive improvement. Santa Juana scored 198 points in 164 games during his time as a forward for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the BCHL, including eight powerplay goals and two playoff goals, along with two game-winners.
Bevilacqua projects to be a top defenseman for the Falcons. An assistant captain on the Des Moines Buccaneers, Bevilacqua scored 31 points and four game-winners in his last season amidst leading the team to a national tournament.
Gaining a winning record is attainable for this team but is not the only proof of improvement. The Falcons have not had a winning record in front of home fans in two seasons.
A team that cannot win games at home will find it tough to win games away, especially in the playoffs. Therefore, the home series against Northern Michigan (Nov 24-25), Minnesota State (Jan 19-20), and Michigan Tech (Feb 23-24) are key series in determining that winning record.
A playoff win becomes easier when a team has experience winning big games, and a playoff win has eluded this team since the re-establishment of the CCHA.
All of this is to say that Curtis Carr needs to bring back some consistency. The team has a history of winning streaks followed by losing streaks and given the records, more losing streaks than winning streaks.
Finding consistency throughout the season is a sure way for a team playing decently to win extra games, leap in rankings, and find their way into the Mason Cup Finals, and hopefully the NCAA tournament.
And yet, we have no idea what this team may or may not look like in the coming days.
Get your popcorn ready and seatbelts clicked- it’s gonna be an interesting ride.
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