Beavers open home league play with Bowling Green this weekend

The No. 17 Bemidji State men’s hockey team will host Bowling Green this weekend to open regular-season CCHA play at Sanford Center. The Beavers and Falcons open the series with a 7:07 p.m. puck drop Friday before a 6:07 p.m. start for the series finale.

The Beavers and Falcons initiated their rivalry in 2011 as non-conference foes. BSU swept the series at Sanford Center (4-1 and 2-1) Dec. 3- and 31 of that season but would earn just one victory over BGSU in the next eight meetings (6-1-1) as members of the WCHA. IN all, Bowling Greens owns a 15-13-3 edge in the all-time series, but BSU is 5-1-1 versus the Falcons since Feb. 23, 2019, and enters the weekend series riding a three-game winning streak. In addition, BSU is 9-5-2 when hosting the Falcons and has won the last four times the teams have met at Sanford Center.

Tickets for each game of the series are still available and begin at just $12 (plus taxes and fees). Stop by the Sanford Center Box Office between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and from 10 a.m. until puck drop Friday. Tickets are also available at anytime online by visiting Ticketmaster.com.

Bemidji State continues Central Collegiate Hockey Association play this weekend when it returns to Sanford Center to host Bowling Green State University. The puck drops on the series at 7:07 p.m. Friday and will wrap up with a 6:07 p.m. opening faceoff Saturday. The Beavers open the weekend series as the nation’s No. 17 team according to USCHO.com, while Bowling Green is among “teams receiving votes.” It marks BSU’s fifth straight week among the top 20 teams in the country.

BSU trails Bowling Green 13-15-3 in the all-time series dating back to the first meeting between the teams in 2011, however, the Beavers open Friday’s series opener 5-1-1 versus the Falcons since Feb. 23, 2019, which includes a nonconference series sweep at Sanford Center Jan. 21-22 of last season. BSU is also 4-0-1 in its last five games versus the Falcons at Sanford Center.

Owen Sillinger leads all current BSU players with eight points (5g-3a) in 10 career games versus Bowling Green, while Alex Ierullo has six points (3g-3a) versus the Falcons, which includes a game-winning goal, and Ethan Somoza leads the team with two of his three career goals versus BGSU standing as game-winners.

None of the Beavers’ current goaltenders have made a previous appearance versus Bowling Green. However, Rookie goaltender Mattias Sholl has a connection to the Falcons’ hockey program. His older brother, Tomas Sholl, was a goaltender for BG from 2013-17 and posted a career record of 7-10-0 in 1,004 minutes with a 2.93 goals-against average and .891 career save percentage. He went on to play professionally for Idaho Steelheads (ECHL), Texas Stars (AHL) and is currently he is playing for Italian club HC Pustertal Wölfe in the ICEHL.

Sholl is the reigning CCHA Goaltender of the Week earning the award for the first time of his career. He posted a 2-0-0 record last weekend leading BSU to a league series sweep at Northern Michigan. He finished the weekend with 89:53 between the pipes, a 2.00 goals-against average, and a .942 save percentage in his collegiate debut weekend.