They took the long way around but did it in the end. BGSU hockey has clinched a home series in the Mason Cup quarterfinals with their 5-3 win over Lake Superior State in the final game of the regular season.
In 2023-24, head coach Ty Eigner was let go on the heels of a four-game collapse to end the season, taking BG out of a home series. Dennis “Willy” Williams avoided repetition in that final game in his first year leading the Falcons.
The competition BG will have is even more interesting than the journey to get there. For the second season in a row, BGSU will face Joe Shawhan and the Michigan Tech Huskies in the first round of the Mason Cup.
Shawhan certainly got the advantage over Eigner last season, sweeping the Falcons in the series 5-0 and 6-5. His advantage was great, playing in front of a crowd of almost 3,000 both nights in the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The home barn in Houghton, Mich., is regarded as one of the toughest places to play in the CCHA.
The rival arena in atmosphere to MacInnes is Bowling Green’s Slater Family Ice Arena, where the two teams meet this season for a second time. The first did not go too well for BG, with two points taken on a loss and shootout win.
The last two series have not gone well either, the worst four-game stretch of the 2025 segment against both Bemidji State and Lake Superior State. Even in the one 5-3, win BG had a five-goal lead halfway through the third, allowing three straight goals on LSSU desperation and somewhat sloppy play.
In 2025, BG fans have seen five well-played series and three mediocre/poor series. Willy will need to bring his “A” game to Michigan Tech if he wants a home Mason Cup series win against an underrated and dangerous rival.
“This is a team that’s got good offense, good defense, good special teams,” said Willy. “We just need to focus on how we want to play. The team that plays to their own identity has the best success.”
