BGSU hockey (8-5-3, 6-3-3) wrapped up the 2025 calendar year with an exhibition game against the USA Hockey National Team Developmental Program U-18 team (8-15-1) at the Slater Family Ice Arena on Dec. 29.
While the game will not count towards the Falcons’ record or the players’ statistics, the game served as a good way to help the Falcons return to form as they prepare for the second half of the season following the CCHA winter break.
“It’s always nice to get back and get that exhibition game in and not be a game that necessarily counts,” said head coach Dennis Williams.
The USNTDP U-18 team is the U.S. National U-18 team and spends their season playing in international competitions, playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL), and playing exhibition games against universities.
One benefit of exhibition play is that teams are not constricted by the usual roster restrictions of a college game and can play extra players. Bowling Green would take full advantage of this by playing a total of 15 forwards and 10 defensemen.
Bowling Green would have two goalies play in the contest, with junior goaltender Cole Moore playing the first half of the game and sophomore netminder Tyler Palmer taking over following the media timeout in the second period.
Moore finished his portion of the game having saved all nine shots he faced to finish with a perfect 1.000 save percentage.
Palmer made 10 saves during his ice time and finished with a .909 save percentage.
USNTDP’s goaltender and Western Michigan (12-6-0, 6-4-0) commit Luke Carrithers would play the full game for the Red, White, and Blue and would make a total of 36 saves while finishing with a .857 save percentage.
BGSU’s alternate captain and junior defenseman Gustav Stjernberg would start the scoring via a shot from the slot after receiving a pass from behind the goal line from freshman forward Dominik Rymon. An additional assist was awarded to freshman forward Noah Morneau.
Fellow alternate captain and senior forward Jaden Grant would continue the scoring by backhanding a shot past Carrithers for the Falcons’ second goal of the first period. Seniors Jackson Niedermayer and Brett Pfoh were credited with the assists on the play.
The Falcons would continue their scoring ways early in the second period when Morneau would steal a puck away from a USNTDP defender and out-stickhandle Carrithers to score just 28 seconds into the second frame. While the goal was unassisted, senior forward Quinn Emerson did make a key contribution to the play by stick lifting the Team USA defender, allowing for Morneau to steal the puck and score the tally.
Quinn Emerson would score a goal of his own later in the second period via a shot on a fast break in a play that started a faceoff win for the Falcons in their own defensive end. Stjernberg and Morneau were both credited with assists on the play.
University of Minnesota Duluth (14-6-0, 7-5-0) commit Victor Plante would erase the goose egg for the Development Team by firing a shot past Palmer on a power-play opportunity. Boston University (9-8-1, 6-5-0) commit Jamie Glance, and Boston College (11-6-1, 7-3-0) commit Casey Mutryn were awarded with assists on the play.
The Falcons would continue their scoring ways in the third period as freshman forward Jérémie Minville would beat Carrithers on a wraparound opportunity. Stjernberg and Niederemayer would both be awarded their second assists of the game on the goal.
Morneau would score his second goal of the contest and the final goal of the game off a rebound opportunity following an initial shot from junior forward Tyler Hotson during a power-play opportunity. Along with Hotson, junior defenseman Breck McKinley was credited with an assist on the play.
Bowling Green would finish the game having outscored and outshot USNTDP in every period of the contest, with the Falcons amassing a total of 42 shots throughout the game.
Morneau would lead the Falcons in shots on goal with six throughout the contest, with Grant’s five shots and Stjernberg and freshman Brayden Crampton’s four apiece following close behind.
Another notable performance for the Falcons was that of junior defenseman Rihards Simanovics, who blocked a total of three shots throughout the match.
The Falcons will kick off the 2026 calendar year with a home-and-home series against in-state rival Ohio State (6-10-0, 2-6-0) as the Buckeyes and Falcons will faceoff at OSU’s Schottenstein Center on Jan. 2 before completing the series at BG’s Slater Family Ice Arena on Jan. 3.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Ben Corak and Nathan Burkett will have the call for both games on WBGU 88.1 FM.
