For a good chunk of the game, the Chargers played better than a 1-11 team against the 12th-ranked team in the country, but two power play goals early in the third period lifted Bowling Green to a 6-2 win over UAH at the Von Braun Center on Saturday.
UAH (1-12-0 overall, 1-6-0 WCHA) hung with the Falcons (9-3-2, 4-2-1) in shots on goal (30-28 BGSU) and shot attempts (53-48 BGSU), but Bowling Green was able to get the better of the Charger penalty kill, which came into the game rated sixth in Division I. The Falcons were 2-for-4 with the advantage.
It wasn’t a typical good night, either, for UAH goaltender Mark Sinclair, who made 23 saves and allowed six goals. Falcon netminder Ryan Bednard made 26 saves in the win.
The Falcons scored first on a sloppy line change by UAH, which resulted on a two-on-none break. Sam Craggs had the finisher at the 6:40 mark of the first period.
The Chargers tied the game on the power play. Jack Jeffers’ pass from the right side across the slot found an open Christian Rajic, who buried it for a 1-1 game with 2:41 left in the first. It was Rajic’s first goal of the season, assisted by Jeffers and Cam Knight.
Bowling Green regained the lead at 2-1 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the second, when Adam Smith’s shot from the point made it past Sinclair through a screen. It was 3-1 Falcons with 7:40 left in the period when Lukas Craggs scored on a wraparound.
UAH didn’t break then, and cut the deficit to 3-2 on Ben Allen’s first collegiate goal. The Texas native scored from the slot after taking a centering pass from Rajic with 6:16 left in the second.
Bowling Green pulled away with two power play goals early in the third period. After Bailey Newton was called for holding, Max Johnson capitalized to make it 4-2 at the 3:46 mark. Then Cameron Wright put in a rebound off the pipe at 6:13 following a Connor James high-sticking penalty.
Lukas Craggs added a goal with 3;13 remaining for the final 6-2 count.
The series finale is Sunday at 3:07 p.m. at the VBC.