BGSU hockey (16-7-6, 13-5-3) opened their series against No. 18 Augustana University (18-10-3, 12-8-3) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, by claiming a 1-0 victory for their first ever victory over the Vikings.
Prior to the game, the Falcons had gone 0-3-1 over the two teams’ previous four meetings since Augustana joined the Division I hockey ranks during the 2023-24 season.
The victory and the three points towards the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) standings that came with it allowed the Falcons to jump over Augustana into third in the CCHA standings with 43 points. The Falcons are trailing behind St. Thomas (18-9-3, 15-5-2) with 47 points and Michigan Tech (20-10-3, 15-5-3) with 46 points, while leading Augustana’s 42 points and Minnesota State’s (16-8-5, 12-6-3) 40 points.
Goaltending would be the story of the game as Augustana’s junior netminder and Bowling Green’s junior goaltender Cole Moore would combine for a total of 70 saves while only one goal beat either netminder for the entirety of the contest.
That lone goal would come off the stick of BG’s junior forward Tyler Hotson, who would score off his own rebound while up close with Kotai during a power-play opportunity less than five minutes into the first frame of play. Assists on the play would be awarded to redshirt senior defenseman Jackson Niedermayer and junior defenseman Breck McKinley.
BGSU would outshoot the Vikings 43-28 over the course of regulation, including putting up 27 shots in the first period alone.
16 different Falcons would take at least one shot over the course of the game, with 12 different players taking multiple shots.
Junior forward Brody Waters would lead the Falcons in the category with six shots on goal, as senior forward Quinn Emerson (five) and freshman defensemen Ty Higgins (four) and Brayden Crampton (four) followed closely behind.
Augustana would have 13 different players take shots throughout the game as junior forward Owen Bohn and freshman forward Leonid Bulgakov led the team with four shots apiece.
Moore would finish the game for the Falcons, having stopped all 28 shots he faced as he obtained his first shutout of the season and the first shutout for the Falcons as a team this season. This marks Moore’s third career shutout, having previously claimed one apiece during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
Despite the loss on the scoresheet, Kotai would finish the game having made 42 saves while recording a .977 save percentage. His 42-save effort marks a season high for the Abbotsford, British Columbia native and the fourth performance of the season where Kotai finished with 40 or more saves.
Head coach Dennis Williams and the Falcons will look for the weekend sweep over the Vikings tonight, Feb. 14, as they wrap up their series at Augustana’s Midco Arena with puck drop scheduled for 7:07 p.m.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Ben Corak and Lucas Kleimeyer will have the call live from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on WBGU 88.1 FM.
