No. 19 Beavers host Bowling Green as playoff push heats up

The Bemidji State University men’s hockey team is back at Sanford Center this weekend, where it is 8-1-3 this season and has averaged over four goals per game, to host Bowling Green State University for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series. With just five weeks left in the 2019-20 regular season, the Beavers own second place in the league standings at 14-4-2-1. Meanwhile, the Falcons hold down sixth with an 8-8-2-2 record versus the league.

Adam Brady leads the Beavers in scoring with 23 points (12g-11a) and a team-best 12 goals. He has also been a vital cog in the BSU power play, netting seven goals and a team-best 11 points (7g-4a) on a unit that ranks third in the WCHA (.294). Recently, no BSU player has contributed more than Owen Sillinger. The sophomore has posted at least one point in six of the last eight games and leads all BSU players during that span with 10 points (3g-7a).

Zach Driscoll is 13-6-3 in net for the Beavers and is coming out of a career-high 48-save victory at No. 3 Minnesota State. His 1.76 goals against average ranks third in the nation, while his .930 save percentage places him 10th in the NCAA Division I goaltender ranks.

Backed by Driscoll, the BSU penalty-kill unit has been stingy all season. It has allowed just seven power-play goals in 76 opponent opportunities (.916) to rank second in the nation. On the other hand, its power-play unit has nine power-play goals in its last seven games (9-for-20) and was a perfect 2-for-2 last weekend at Minnesota State.

Bowling Green arrives in Bemidji, Minn., following a weekend free of competition. The Falcons are 13-11-2 overall but have just one victory since Dec. 14 (1-6-1) with three overtime losses.

The Falcons’ offense has been led by senior Alec Rauhauser (8g-18a). The defender ranks second among all WCHA skaters with 18 assists this season. Junior forward Cameron Wright leads BGSU with 15 goals, which include six power-play tallies and a team-best four game-winners.

Eric Dop has been in the crease for most of the Falcons’ 2019-20 season, backstopping a BGSU team that has allowed 2.56 goals per WCHA contest and is .844 on the penalty-kill. He is 13-10-1 in 24 appearances and is sixth the league with a 2.28 goals against average, while his .899 save percentage ranks 10th.