BGSU hockey (12-6-4, 9-4-3) entered its weekend series against the Lake Superior State Lakers (19-14-1, 6-10-0) sitting in fifth place in the CCHA standings with 27 points. The Falcons were only three points away from first place in the conference, which was tied between St. Thomas (14-7-3, 11-3-2) and Augustana (16-6-3, 10-4-2), both holding 30 points apiece.

The Falcons split their series with the Lakers, claiming a 3-1 victory on Friday night, followed by a narrow 1-0 loss on Saturday. While many would argue that the Orange and Brown outplayed their opponent on both nights—outshooting LSSU in both games and finishing the weekend with a cumulative shot advantage of 66-41—Bowling Green secured three out of a possible six points in the CCHA standings. This brought their season total to 30 points.

Although the Falcons left some points on the table, their weekend performance allowed them to move up to fourth place in the standings, overtaking Minnesota State (12-8-5, 8-6-3). This improvement puts Bowling Green in a favorable position to have home ice advantage in the first round of the CCHA Mason Cup playoffs.

Currently, the Falcons sit fourth in the standings behind St. Thomas (36 points), Augustana (35 points), and Michigan Tech (16-8-2, 11-3-2, 34 points). They are followed closely by Minnesota State (28 points) and Bemidji State (9-12-3, 7-6-3, 25 points).

Had Bowling Green completed the weekend and season sweep over the Lakers, they would have remained in fourth place but would have been only one point behind Michigan Tech in third place, two points behind Augustana in second, and three points away from tying St. Thomas for first place.

This is not the first time the Falcons have left points on the table this season. Notably, during a weekend series against Northern Michigan earlier in the season, the Falcons managed only two points, with the Wildcats—who were winless before the series—claiming both a regulation victory and an overtime loss against Bowling Green.

With the CCHA standings so tight, the Falcons cannot afford to continue letting points slip through their fingers, especially if they want to make a serious run at claiming the MacNaughton Cup, awarded to the CCHA regular-season champion.

Looking ahead, the Falcons’ remaining conference schedule sets them up to face only teams ranked among the top six in the CCHA standings. Over the next six weeks, Bowling Green will host St. Thomas (Feb. 6 and 7) and Minnesota State (Feb. 20 and 21) and travel to Bemidji State (Jan. 23 and 24), Augustana (Feb. 13 and 14), and Michigan Tech (Feb. 27 and 28).

While the Falcons will be facing tougher opponents during this stretch, these matchups also give them the opportunity to compete directly with the teams vying for top positions in the standings. In essence, Bowling Green will have control over their own destiny as the regular season winds down.
https://bgfalconmedia.com/176031/sports/on-the-blue-line-moving-up-the-standings-but-leaving-points-on-the-table/