Falcons clamp down on Chargers, 3-1

UAH had very few chances to score Saturday night in a 3-1 loss at Bowling Green.

UAH (6-10-2 overall, 5-5-2 WCHA) only managed 12 shots on goal against the Falcons (8-5-6, 7-2-5), who dominated with 42.

BOX SCORE

It was the stellar play of Charger goaltender Jordan Uhelski and his 39 saves that UAH was even in it to the end.

The lone Charger goal came early in the third period by Tyler Poulsen on the power play, but that was all UAH could manage.

UAH leaves Ohio taking two of six points in the series. The Chargers got a 3-3 tie with a shootout point on Friday.

Bowling Green, which retained first place in the WCHA standings, scored the first goal again, as Alec Rauhauser found the net on a wrister from the left circle at the 8:44 mark of the game.

The Falcons made it 2-0 as Connor McDonald, just as he did on his goal Friday, launched the puck high from the right point through traffic. Jordan Uhelski never got a good look at it as it found the net with 2:02 remaining in the period.

The Chargers had two power plays in the first and the Falcons had none, but both opportunities found very few offensive chances. Bowling Green outshot UAH 11-4 in the opening frame.

It got worse in the second period, as the Chargers simply could not get any pressure on the Falcons and goaltender Ryan Bednard. UAH only had three shots on goal (and only six attempts) in the period.

Meanwhile, Bowling Green kept humming, thanks in part to four power plays. The Falcons had six shots on goal on the first one, matching UAH’s total for the whole game at the time, and had 17 for the second period.

Uhelski stopped all six in that power play, but was not so fortunate later. Back-to-back penalties by Brandon Parker and Cody Champagne put the Falcons two men up, and Stephen Baylis made them pay with a one-timer from the right circle for a 3-0 lead with 7:08 left in the second.

At 4:19 of the third, the Chargers finally got on the board after a Brandon Kruse high sticking penalty. Tyler Poulsen redirected a Levi Wunder shot from the left point for his fourth goal of the season.

Wunder’s assist was his second, and Cam Knight got his eighth helper of the year.

But the Falcons took control and fired away at Uhelski immediately afterward. The Chargers had a few chances late, including a Josh Kestner breakaway with about nine minutes left, but Bednard (11 saves) made the stop.

Uhelski continued to make huge saves to keep UAH within striking distance. With about five minutes left, he made a stop on Tyler Spezia’s breakaway, and then gloved the rebound attempt by Kruse immediately after.

Next up for the Chargers is a trip to Mankato, Minn., next week to face second-place Minnesota State. It’s the third of six straight road series.