Winners of six in a row and seven out of eight- how many weeks will Bowling Green hockey be able to keep their hottest win streak this season?
Michigan Tech comes to town to try and stop it.
Bowling Green is in a three-way tie for second place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings with Minnesota State and St. Thomas. Michigan Tech is five points behind BG in fifth place.
Six points are on the line every weekend series, so this five-point disparity is not as great as one might think. It is a key weekend for both BG and MTU, and they happen to faceoff against each other.
The Huskies are a formidable opponent every year, no matter the talent level. Despite being a small town in the upper peninsula of Michigan, Houghton loves hockey, with the highest attendance in the CCHA and an extraordinary history in NCAA hockey.
The Falcons had tried their hand in Houghton on Dec. 1 and 2, taking two points with an OT win and leaving their opponents with four points from an OT loss and a 3-2 win.
Michigan Tech has changed very little in the months following their matches, still a dangerous team. The team centers around essentially three players; Blake Pietila, Ryland Mosley, and Isaac Gordon.
Pietila has played 28 of 31 games in net for the Huskies. The senior is a top-three goaltender in the CCHA, with 2.54 goals per game (3rd), 26.93 saves per game (1st), and .922 save percentage (3rd).
With these impressive stats comes an issue. Although certainly a top goalie in the CCHA, his stats have fallen dramatically since 2021 with a lower save percentage, saves per game, and more goals allowed. Additionally, Pietila has struggled to win games this year, with an 11-11 record, already tying his loss total for last year.
Mosley is a senior forward and a strong scorer, with 14 goals and nine assists this season. In the 11 games that Michigan Tech has lost, nine of them come when Mosley does not score a point, the only player on the team to have such a pattern.
“Mr. Consistent” in the black and gold, Mosley has scored 23 points in 17 separate games, and, while not a captain, he is highly experienced and a smart player on the ice.
An electric player, the freshman leads the team in scoring with 14 goals and 12 assists. With a hat trick and three powerplay goals, Gordon is a top skater in the CCHA and a true playmaker, a weapon for Michigan Tech.
If not yet impressed by Gordon’s stats, then look at his penalties. University of Wisconsin hockey is the only team that has drawn a penalty from Gordon this year. He has not spent time in the penalty box since Oct. 20, 2023.
The Huskies travel to Bowling Green for a Friday and Saturday game, losing their incredible home advantage for what will prove to be an incredible atmosphere in the Slater Family Ice Arena.
On Friday, BG celebrates senior night, honoring seniors Josh Nodler, Spencer Kersten, Ethan Scardina, and Seth Fyten.
While injured for the last two weeks and questionable for the BG games, the storyline of Austen Swankler will be traveling with Michigan Tech and into the arena. While he may not play, and while there may be no fights that come from his presence on the ice, his connection with both teams can only add to the atmosphere of the weekend.
And if both senior night and Swankler’s return weren’t enough, Saturday’s game marks the celebration of the 1984 national championship hockey team. On both nights but especially on Saturday, the company of BG legends in the arena should spark the fans and the players into a phenomenal weekend of hockey.
With two Husky wins and six CCHA points, Michigan Tech leapfrogs Bowling Green in the standings. Bringing them into the fourth spot where BG is currently.
On the flip side, with two Falcon wins and six CCHA points, the Falcons can clinch home playoff games in the Slater Arena on March 8 and 9.
In the event of a split weekend, Michigan Tech will need a sweep of St. Thomas, and Northern Michigan to sweep Bowling Green to bring a playoff game to Houghton. Bowling Green would need one regulation, OT, or shootout win to clinch their home playoff game.
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