BGSU hockey (0-2) secured its first win of the season in a 6-2 victory over the University of Windsor in an exhibition game last weekend.
This weekend, the Orange and Brown will take on the Lake Superior State University Lakers (2-2) at LSSU’s Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to kick off their Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) schedule.
The Lakers are also coming off a weekend of exhibition play as they secured a 6-2 victory over the USA Hockey National Developmental U-18 Team and a 3-2 win over Simon Fraser University.
While both teams recently secured victories in exhibition matches, their regular seasons have had different paths.
In the Falcon’s lone series of regular season play, Bowling Green suffered a sweep at the hands of the Niagara University Purple Eagles while falling 2-0 and 5-2.
Lake Superior started their season by sweeping Stonehill College 5-3 and 3-2 before suffering a sweep of their own the following weekend against Lindenwood University in 5-4 and 7-4 losses.
Last season, the Falcons were one game short of clinching the season sweep over the Lakers and went 3-1 on the season against LSSU.
While it’s still very early in the season, certain players for both teams have stood out over the teams’ first handful of games.
LSSU’s freshman forward Calem Mangone has impressed early in his collegiate career. The Sault Ste. Marie, an Ontario native, has scored three goals and three assists over the first four games of his college career, including a goal and an assist in his collegiate debut on Oct. 4 against Stonehill. Mangone has also taken a team-leading 15 shots on goal so far this season.
Junior Branden Piku had a strong showing last season as the forward recorded nine goals and seven assists for 16 points during his sophomore campaign. He is looking to do even better this season and has started this season by scoring three goals and two assists over the first four games of the season. While they don’t count towards his season stats, Piku also tallied two goals in the Lakers’ 3-2 exhibition win over Simon Fraser University on Oct. 18.
Another standout has been senior forward Connor Milburn, who has recorded a goal and three assists in four games while leading the Lakers in +/- rating with a +4 rating on the season.
While the Dennis Williams-led Falcons have only scored two goals this season that count towards statistics, the team has still had multiple players impress early in the campaign.
Junior forward Tyler Hotson currently leads the team in points with two, after scoring his first goal as a Falcon and then assisting on freshmen forward Noah Morneau’s first career collegiate goal in the Falcon’s 5-2 defeat to Niagara on Oct. 11. Hotson, who transferred to Bowling Green from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), has routinely played with the top two lines in his games with the Falcons and has recorded seven shots on goal so far this season.
Freshman defenseman Brayden Crampton currently leads the Falcons in shots after recording nine over the course of the weekend series against the Purple Eagles. Crampton also recorded his first career collegiate point after assisting on Morneau’s goal during the second game of the series. While not counting toward his career stats, Crampton scored a goal of his own during BG’s 6-3 exhibition victory over the University of Windsor.
Ivan Korodiuk, a sophomore defenseman, has also impressed early by leading the team in blocked shots with six throughout the team’s series against Niagara. Korodiuk also impressed offensively during the Falcons’ exhibition game against Windsor by scoring a goal and adding two assists to the scoresheet throughout the game.
Neither team has had one specific goaltender entirely claim the starting job for their respective team.
Lake Superior has had sophomore Rorke Applebee and freshman Andrew Oke both start two games this season.
Applebee has made 75 saves so far this season while conceding eight goals and recording a .904 save percentage and a 3.56 goals against average, while making an appearance in three of LSSU’s four games.
Oke has started his college career by making 46 saves and conceding eight goals while making appearances in two games. Oke has also recorded the less-than-ideal stat line of a 4.80 goals against average and .852 save percentage.
Junior goaltender Cole Moore has started both of Bowling Green’s games in the regular season, with freshman net minder Tyler Palmer making his collegiate debut in the third period of the 5-2 loss against Niagara on Oct. 11.
Cole Moore has made 32 saves so far this season while conceding six goals and recording a .839 save percentage.
Palmer faced four shots in the period he played and stopped all four shots he faced.
This weekend will be an important series for both teams as they start their respective CCHA schedules.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Ben Corak will have the call for both games on WBGU 88.1 FM.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Freshman Forward – Noah Morneau, Bowling Green
Morneau scored his first career collegiate goal against Niagara and then scored another goal during BG’s exhibition match against Windsor a week later. The freshman forward has impressed early and will be eager to impress in his first game against a CCHA opponent.
Junior Forward- Brody Waters, Bowling Green
While Waters is yet to record a point this season, the Heidelberg, Ontario native led the team in goals last season with 16. Against LSSU alone, Waters recorded three goals and an assist. Waters will be looking to get himself on the scoresheet and has had success against Lake Superior in the past.
Freshman Forward – Calem Mangone, Lake Superior
Mangone leads the Lakers in points and shots, and is tied with Piku for the team lead in goals. Mangone scored a goal and an assist in his collegiate debut against Stonehill and has yet to go a game without recording a point since. Mangone will not want his four-game point streak to end as he continues to impress early in his collegiate career.
Junior Forward- Branden Piku, Lake Superior
Piku scored three goals and two assists during LSSU’s series against Lindenwood and scored two additional goals during Lake Superior’s exhibition game against Simon Fraser University. Piku also scored a goal and two assists last season against Bowling Green.
The junior forward is not only on a two-game point streak, but also a two-game point streak against the Falcons as he scored all three of his points during the two teams’ last series at the Slater Family Ice Arena back on Feb. 28 and March 1.
