On Friday, Bowling Green Hockey led Mercyhurst in shots and shots on goal yet lost in overtime 4-3.
But on Saturday, BG had fewer shots and shots on goal but won 4-2 in regular time.
Both teams had 14 minutes of penalty, and even though Mercyhurst led slightly, the two teams were relatively even in shots and shots on goal.
One of the few differences between the games and the reasons for the BG win is represented in two players: Ryan O’Hara and Cole Moore.
O’Hara scored his second and third goals of the weekend, one in the first period with assists by Brett Pfoh and Brayden Krieger, and one in the second period with an assist by Brody Waters.
In the end, those two goals set up the game-winning goal by fellow forward Owen Ozar and essentially discounted Mercyhurst forwards Garrett Dahm and Marko Reifenberger. O’Hara has eight points and five goals on the season after scoring 30 points and 11 goals in 22’-23’.
The other story of the night was goaltender Cole Moore.
Coming into this series, Ty Eigner was unsure of his starter for both games. Christian Stoever, while having the statistically worst game of the year by a Falcon goalie, was the starter Friday saving only 23 shots and allowing four goals in the overtime loss.
In Saturday’s win, Moore recorded 31 saves and only two goals, and Moore was 1-5 killing powerplays, giving up the lone power-play goal to Dahm.
Moore set the tone for the defense, allowing no goals in the first two periods of the game. He remained calm and collected through 14 penalty minutes and executed in all but the one powerplay goal in the beginning of the third.
While Stoever was the consistent starter last year, one cannot help but wonder whether the freshman will get the start next week against their first CCHA opponent, St. Thomas, or if Eigner will decide to go with the veteran in the crease on that Friday, Nov. 10.
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