# 2021–22 Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey season

The 2021–22 Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey season was the 53rd season of play for the program and the 43rd season in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Falcons represented Bowling Green State University and were led by third-year head coach Ty Eigner.

## Season

Bowling Green joined with six other members of the WCHA to restart the CCHA for the 2021–22 season. Before the CCHA resumed play, an eighth member, former NCAA Division III member St. Thomas, joined the league.
After narrowly missing out on the NCAA tournament the year before, Bowling Green got a good start to the season, going undefeated through their first five games. The Falcons ran into a bit of trouble when they started playing ranked teams, losing 7 consecutive games against top-20 opponents. The losses didn't put Bowling Green in good standing with the rankings and the Falcons remained unlikely to earn a berth despite getting up to a 13–9–3 record.
In the last nine games, however, the team's offense all but vanished and the Falcons went 1–8 to end the regular season. Despite all the momentum moving against them, Bowling Green managed to win the first game in the playoff series against Bemidji State. Unfortunately, they weren't able to repeat the performance and their season ended on a down note.

## Departures

| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
| Will Cullen | Defenseman | United States | Transferred to Miami |
| Eric Dop | Goaltender | United States | Graduate transfer to Boston College |
| Connor Ford | Forward | United States | Graduate transfer to North Dakota |
| Gavin Gould | Forward | Canada | Graduation (signed with Greenville Swamp Rabbits) |
| Max Johnson | Forward | United States | Graduate transfer to Wisconsin |
| Brandon Kruse | Forward | United States | Graduate transfer to Boston College |
| Carson Musser | Defenseman | United States | Graduate transfer to Long Island |
| Brett Rich | Goaltender | United States | Graduation (retired) |
| Tim Theocharidis | Defenseman | Canada | Transfer to Arizona State |
| Justin Wells | Defenseman | United States | Graduate transfer to Boston College |
| Cameron Wright | Forward | Canada | Graduate transfer to Denver |

## Recruiting

| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
| Nathan Burke | Forward | United States | 22 | Scottsdale, AZ; transfer from Minnesota |
| Gabriel Chicoine | Defenseman | Canada | 24 | Saint-Dominique, QC; transfer from Norwich |
| Brayden Krieger | Forward | Canada | 20 | Elora, ON |
| Coale Norris | Forward | United States | 24 | Oxford, MI; graduate transfer from Ferris State |
| Ryan O'Hara | Defenseman | Canada | 20 | Calgary, AB |
| Spencer Schneider | Forward | United States | 21 | Lakeville, MN; transfer from Norwich |
| Christian Stoever | Goaltender | United States | 21 | Northville, MI |
| Austen Swankler | Forward | United States | 20 | North Huntingdon, PA |
| Ben Wozney | Defenseman | Canada | 20 | Richmond, BC |

## Roster

As of August 20, 2021.

## Standings

2021–22 Central Collegiate Hockey Association Standingsvte :
| | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Conference record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record | Overall record |
| | GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA |
| #2 Minnesota State †* | 26 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 115 | 28 | 44 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 178 | 60 |
| #14 Michigan Tech | 26 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 54 | 93 | 53 | 37 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 118 | 75 |
| Bemidji State | 26 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 83 | 81 | 39 | 19 | 20 | 0 | 118 | 121 |
| Lake Superior State | 26 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 69 | 64 | 37 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 107 | 104 |
| Northern Michigan | 26 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 86 | 99 | 37 | 20 | 16 | 1 | 132 | 136 |
| Bowling Green | 26 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 67 | 87 | 37 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 94 | 119 |
| Ferris State | 26 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 66 | 99 | 36 | 11 | 24 | 1 | 90 | 135 |
| St. Thomas | 26 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 45 | 112 | 36 | 3 | 32 | 1 | 61 | 168 |
| Championship: March 19, 2022 † indicates conference regular season champion (MacNaughton Cup) * indicates conference tournament champion (Mason Cup) Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll ||||||||||||||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date | Time | Opponent$^#$ | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record |
| Exhibition ||||||||||
| October 2 | 7:00 PM | at #3 Michigan* | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan (Exhibition) | | Rose | L 1–7 | 5,407 | |
| Regular Season ||||||||||
| October 8 | 7:00 PM | at Rensselaer* | Houston Field House • Troy, New York | | Rose | T 2–2 $^{OT}$ | 484 | 0–0–1 |
| October 9 | 7:00 PM | at Rensselaer* | Houston Field House • Troy, New York | | Rose | W 3–2 $^{OT}$ | 361 | 1–0–1 |
| October 22 | 7:05 PM | at Miami* | Steve Cady Arena • Oxford, Ohio | | Rose | T 2–2 $^{OT}$ | 3,209 | 1–0–2 |
| October 23 | 7:07 PM | Miami* | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Rose | W 6–4 | 2,486 | 2–0–2 |
| October 29 | 8:07 PM | at #17 Bemidji State | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | | Rose | W 3–2 | 2,402 | 3–0–2 (1–0–0) |
| October 30 | 7:07 PM | at #17 Bemidji State | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota | | Stoever | L 1–2 | 2,304 | 3–1–2 (1–1–0) |
| November 5 | 7:07 PM | St. Thomas | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Rose | W 4–2 | 1,676 | 4–1–2 (2–1–0) |
| November 6 | 7:07 PM | St. Thomas | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | W 3–0 | 1,811 | 5–1–2 (3–1–0) |
| November 12 | 8:07 PM | at #3 Minnesota State | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | Rose | L 2–9 | 4,260 | 5–2–2 (3–2–0) |
| November 13 | 7:07 PM | at #3 Minnesota State | Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, Minnesota | CCMk–14 | Stoever | L 3–5 | 4,187 | 5–3–2 (3–3–0) |
| November 19 | 7:07 PM | Lake Superior State | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Rose | W 5–1 | 2,561 | 6–3–2 (4–3–0) |
| November 20 | 7:07 PM | Lake Superior State | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | W 6–2 | 2,625 | 7–3–2 (5–3–0) |
| November 26 | 6:37 PM | at Northern Michigan | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | | Rose | L 3–6 | 2,053 | 7–4–2 (5–4–0) |
| November 27 | 6:37 PM | at Northern Michigan | Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan | | Stoever | T 3–3 $^{SOL}$ | 2,107 | 7–4–3 (5–4–1) |
| December 10 | 7:07 PM | Ferris State | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Rose | L 3–6 | 2,392 | 7–5–3 (5–5–1) |
| December 11 | 7:07 PM | Ferris State | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | W 2–1 | 2,302 | 8–5–3 (6–5–1) |
| December 16 | 7:00 PM | at #17 Ohio State* | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | BTN | Stoever | L 3–4 $^{OT}$ | 5,232 | 8–6–3 |
| December 17 | 7:07 PM | #17 Ohio State* | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | L 2–3 | 5,000 | 8–7–3 |
| Holiday Face–Off ||||||||||
| December 28 | 5:07 PM | vs. #16 Providence* | Fiserv Forum • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Face–Off Semifinal) | BSD, BSN, BSO, BSW | Stoever | L 2–6 | - | 8–8–3 |
| December 29 | 5:07 PM | vs. Yale* | Fiserv Forum • Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Face–Off Consolation Game) | BSN, BSO, BSW | Stoever | W 2–1 | - | 9–8–3 |
| January 7 | 8:07 PM | at St. Thomas | St. Thomas Ice Arena • Mendota Heights, Minnesota | | Stoever | W 4–2 | 504 | 10–8–3 (7–4–1) |
| January 8 | 8:07 PM | at St. Thomas | St. Thomas Ice Arena • Mendota Heights, Minnesota | | Rose | W 2–1 $^{OT}$ | 540 | 11–8–3 (8–4–1) |
| January 14 | 7:07 PM | Bemidji State | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Rose | L 3–5 | 3,686 | 11–9–3 (8–5–1) |
| January 15 | 7:07 PM | Bemidji State | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | W 3–2 $^{OT}$ | 2,465 | 12–9–3 (9–5–1) |
| January 28 | 7:07 PM | at Ferris State | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | | Stoever | W 4–3 | 1,507 | 13–9–3 (10–5–1) |
| January 29 | 6:07 PM | at Ferris State | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | | Stoever | L 1–2 | 1,547 | 13–10–3 (10–6–1) |
| February 4 | 7:07 PM | #1 Minnesota State | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | L 1–3 | 2,854 | 13–11–3 (10–7–1) |
| February 5 | 7:07 PM | #1 Minnesota State | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | L 0–5 | 3,711 | 13–12–3 (10–8–1) |
| February 11 | 7:07 PM | at #14 Michigan Tech | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | | Stoever | L 0–4 | 3,017 | 13–13–3 (10–9–1) |
| February 12 | 5:07 PM | at #14 Michigan Tech | MacInnes Student Ice Arena • Houghton, Michigan | | Stoever | W 4–2 | 2,960 | 14–13–3 (11–9–1) |
| February 18 | 7:07 PM | Northern Michigan | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | L 3–6 | 2,611 | 14–14–3 (11–10–1) |
| February 19 | 7:07 PM | Northern Michigan | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | | Stoever | L 2–4 | 3,734 | 14–15–3 (11–11–1) |
| February 25 | 7:07 PM | at Lake Superior State | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | | Stoever | L 1–5 | 1,192 | 14–16–3 (11–12–1) |
| February 26 | 6:07 PM | at Lake Superior State | Taffy Abel Arena • Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan | | Stoever | L 1–3 | 1,396 | 14–17–3 (11–13–1) |
| CCHA Tournament ||||||||||
| March 4 | 8:07 PM | at Bemidji State* | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota (Quarterfinal game 1) | | Stoever | W 2–1 | 1,422 | 15–17–3 |
| March 5 | 7:07 PM | at Bemidji State* | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota (Quarterfinal game 2) | | Stoever | L 2–4 | 1,601 | 15–18–3 |
| March 6 | 6:07 PM | at Bemidji State* | Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota (Quarterfinal game 3) | | Stoever | L 1–3 | 1,512 | 15–19–3 |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source: ||||||||||

## Scoring statistics

| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
| Taylor Schneider | LW | 37 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 20 |
| Austen Swankler | C | 36 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 14 |
| Alex Barber | F | 32 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 32 |
| Nathan Burke | F | 37 | 16 | 7 | 23 | 14 |
| Coale Norris | LW | 33 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 26 |
| Gabriel Chicoine | D | 37 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 24 |
| Sam Craggs | LW | 37 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 80 |
| T. J. Lloyd | D | 35 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 20 |
| Eric Parker | D | 37 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 2 |
| Ethan Scardina | F | 27 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 8 |
| Christopher Collin | C/LW | 20 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 75 |
| Adam Pitters | F | 30 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 28 |
| Ryan O'Hara | LW | 33 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Spencer Schneider | F | 32 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Brayden Krieger | F | 31 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Evan Dougherty | RW | 15 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 17 |
| Max Coyle | D | 36 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 43 |
| Anton Malmström | D | 36 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 23 |
| Ben Wozney | D | 36 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| Seth Fyten | F | 35 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 43 |
| Adam Conquest | RW | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Garrett Daly | D | 34 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Peter Eigner | G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Babiak | D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Danol | F | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor St. Jean | F | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Zack Rose | G | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Christian Stoever | G | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bench | - | - | - | - | - | 14 |
| Total | | | 94 | 160 | 254 | 535 |

## Goaltending statistics

| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals Against | Saves | Shut Outs | SV % | GAA |
| Christian Stoever | 28 | 1542 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 74 | 654 | 1 | .898 | 2.88 |
| Zack Rose | 13 | 668 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 36 | 266 | 0 | .881 | 3.23 |
| Empty Net | - | 31 | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 38 | 2242 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 118 | 920 | 1 | .886 | 3.16 |

## Rankings

| Poll | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 (Final) |
| USCHO.com | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | - | NR |
| USA Today | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 24.

## Awards and honors

| Player | Award | Ref |
| Eric Parker | CCHA Rookie Team | |
| Austen Swankler | CCHA Rookie Team | |