Bowling Green, OH – Eighteenth-ranked Bowling Green rallied from two-goal deficits, including a 4-2 deficit with less than eight minutes remaining, to earn a 4-4 tie Friday against No. 17 Michigan Tech in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game at the Ice Arena.
The Falcons improved to 15-7-6 overall and 11-3-5 in the WCHA. Tech is 13-7-5, 10-6-3.
BG moved within two points of WCHA leader and No. 19 Minnesota State and remained four points ahead of third-place Tech. The Falcons moved five points ahead of fourth-place Ferris State.
The teams play again Saturday night in the Ice Arena at 7:07.
Chris Nell started in goal for BG, while Jamie Phillips was in goal for Tech.
FIRST PERIOD
Tech struck first at 10:03 off a 2 on 1 rush after breaking a BG rush at the Falcons’ offensive blueline.
Dylan Steman scored the goal from the left side of the crease, firing in Alex Petan’s cross-ice pass as Nell had no chance to make the save.
Matt Roy increased the lead to 2-0 with just 4.1 seconds remaining in the period. His shot from the right point hit the boards over Nell’s right shoulder. The puck rocketed back towards the goal crease and went in off Nell’s back.
The teams traded scoring chances early, but Tech later dominated and finished with a 17-5 edge in shots on goal. BG had just two shots in the final 15 minutes.
SECOND PERIOD
The Falcons cut the deficit in half, scoring just 33 seconds into a power play.
Mitch McLain poked the puck in to finish a wild goalmouth scramble. The assists went to Mark Cooper and Mark Friedman.
Tech regained its two-goal lead, just 1:42 later, on Joel L’Esperance’s power-play goal.
L’Esperance, parked alone on the edge of the crease in front of Nell, tipped in Petan’s shot from the right point.
The Falcons closed within 3-2 on Stephen Baylis’ goal with 1:27 to play in the period.
Baylis chipped the puck at the net, but Phillips misplayed it and Baylis slid in the rebound. The goal came off a 2 on 1 rush. Hawkins fed a perfect pass across to Baylis from the right-wing boards.
The Falcons out-shot Tech by a 9-4 margin in the period.
THIRD PERIOD
Steman’s second goal at 10:44 gave Tech a 4-2 lead.
He scored on a rebound in front of the net after the Huskies started the play on a semi-breakaway, the result of a poor BG line change.
Hawkins’ wrister, on a screen shot from the right circle, brought BG within a goal at 12:37. Chris Pohlkamp and Nell assisted on the goal.
The Falcons tied the game just 14 seconds later on Brent Tate’s goal, assisted by Jordan Ernst and Shane Bednard.
Tate scored from the top of the crease. Phillips made the initial save on Ernst’s shot from the point, but failed to control the rebound. Tate gained control of the puck and scored.
The Falcons had 11 shots in the third period, while Tech had eight.
OVERTIME
Neither team scored in the extra period.
Each had one shot on goal.
The Huskies held a 30-26 advantage in shots for the game. Nell finished with 26 saves, while Phillips had 22.
Stats
Three Stars
- Dylan Steman (MTU) – 2 G
- Brandon Hawkins (BGSU) – 1G, 1A
- Joel L’Esperance (MTU) – 1G, 1A
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