Gutsy effort earns Falcons split with MSU, 3-1

Mankato, MN – On Saturday night the Falcons played a much tighter game, and we’re rewarded with a 3-1 win over Minnesota State.

In an identical battery to the night before, the Falcons started Chris Nell in net. The Falcon net minder made 32 saves on 33 shots faced. Cole Huggins got the nod from Mike Hastings and stopped 21 of 24 shots faced.

First Period

Mark Cooper tallied the game’s first goal at 18:22 of the first period. Cole Huggins skated behind the net to play the puck, losing the puck between his skates. Cooper took possession and tapped the shot in to an empty net. The marker was Cooper’s 11th of the season.

The Falcons finished the first period with 11 shots on Huggins, scoring on one of the chances. The Mavericks had eight shots on Nell, all saved by the sophomore tender.

Second Period

Dylan Margonari gave the Mavericks their first goal at 9:17 while on the power play. Sean Flangan wristed a shot from the blue line, which was tipped by Margonari.

The Falcons responded at 14:31 of the second period with a power play goal of their own. Pierre-Luc Mercier fed the puck to Stephen Baylis. The freshman forward Baylis skated in on Huggins, making a series of moves before getting a shot on the Mavericks goaltender. The rebound would find Mark Cooper’s stick who buried his second goal of the game.

The Falcons finished the second period with nine shots on Huggins, scoring on one chance. The Mavericks had 11 attempts, also scoring on a single chance.

Third Period

The Falcons extended their lead to 3-1 at 15:23 of the third period. Matt Pohlkamp broke out into a 2-on-1 rush. After skating in just outside the face-off circle, Pohlkamp fed the puck across the slot to Stephen Baylis, burying a one-timer for his fourth goal of the season.

With 4:24 to play in the third period Mike Hastings pulled Huggins for an extra attacker. However, the Falcon defense was up to the task and kept the Mavericks off the board, preserving a 3-1 win.

The Falcons finished the final period with three shots on Huggins. The Mavericks had 14 attempts in the final frame.

With the win the Falcons officially clinched a spot in the WCHA playoffs. They improve to 16-9-6, 12-5-5 on the season. The Mavericks fall to 15-10-5, 13-4-5. Bowling Green will head home to finish their season series with Miami at home Friday.