Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: BGSU Marketing and Communications
BG Falcon Hockey Releases 2016-17 Schedule
May 19, 2016 | Ice Hockey
WCHA Composite Schedule (.pdf)
Complete 2016-17 Schedule
Bowling Green, Ohio – Coming off of back-to-back 20-win seasons, the Bowling Green State University hockey team, in conjunction with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), has announced its 2016-17 hockey schedule.
The Falcons will play 36 regular season games and one exhibition contest. Seventeen regular season games (as well as the Oct. 1 exhibition against Windsor) will take place in the BGSU Ice Arena as well as the team's annual contest at the Huntington Center in Toledo. BGSU will host RIT, coached by Falcon alumnus Wayne Wilson, Dec. 30 in the first game of a back-to-back doubleheader with the Toledo Walleye.
The 28-game conference slate features a January weekend set at regular season WCHA champion Minnesota State as well as a November home series against WCHA Tournament champion Ferris State. The Falcons will travel to Big Rapids, Mich. for another weekend series in late January. BGSU closes the regular season at home for the entire month of February.
With the recently announced change to the WCHA Playoff structure (CLICK HERE for details), the Falcons have the potential to play at home in the BGSU Ice Arena for six consecutive weeks leading into the NCAA Tournament March 24-26.
"We are excited about the 2016-17 schedule," BGSU Head Coach Chris Bergeron said. "The non-conference games are very difficult and include both MAC and in-state rivals. As always, the WCHA regular season games are tough week-in and week-out. We look forward to taking BG Hockey another step forward."
Following the exhibition game with Windsor, Bowling Green opens the regular season with conference action at Bemidji State Oct. 7-8. A year ago, the Falcons allowed just one goal in a weekend road sweep against the Beavers and then defeated Bemidji State in three games in the first round of the WCHA Tournament in the BGSU Ice Arena.
The Falcons will then play consecutive weekends of home-and-home non-conference series with Western Michigan and Ohio State. BGSU will host each of those teams on Friday before playing in their arenas Saturday. The Falcons swept Ohio State to open the season in 2015-16.
BGSU will continue a three-week stretch of non-conference action with a series at rival Miami before returning to conference play to host Ferris State Nov. 4-5. BGSU swept the Bulldogs at home last year before Ferris State earned an NCAA Tournament bid by winning the WCHA Tournament.
The Falcons will spend the next two weekends on the road at Northern Michigan and Alabama Huntsville before hosting Alaska Anchorage Nov. 25-26. BGSU took 3-of-4 from the Seawolves last year, including a pair of 6-2 thrashings at home.
A series at Lake Superior State follows before the Falcons return home to host Michigan Tech Dec. 9-10. BGSU concludes first semester conference action at Alaska Dec. 16-17 and will then have 13 days off before playing RIT in the Huntington Center.
"For the third straight year, we are playing a game in Toledo," Bergeron said. "The partnership with the Walleye and the Huntington Center continues to grow and is very important to us. To play RIT and welcome back BG alumni Wayne Wilson and Brian Hills to Northwest Ohio should be fun."
Following that single game, BGSU will see Bemidji State again, this time at home Jan. 5-6 before heading on the road for an important series at Minnesota State. The Mavericks ended BGSU's season a year ago with a 2-1 win in the WCHA semifinals.
BGSU is back home to host Alaska Jan. 20-21 before the final road trip of the regular season, a weekend set at Ferris State. The Falcons return home to host Northern Michigan Feb. 3-4 and then welcome non-conference foe Mercyhurst to the BGSU Ice Arena Feb. 11. The two programs have played just once before, a 3-1 BGSU victory in 2000.
The regular season concludes at home against Alabama Huntsville Feb. 24-25 and the best-of-three WCHA Tournament First Round begins the next weekend. The best-of-three WCHA semifinals is March 10-12 and the WCHA Championship game takes place March 18.
"With the change to the WCHA playoff structure, the end of the regular season sets up well for us to be home over the final three weeks," Bergeron said. "It will allow us an opportunity to close the season in front of our fans and hopefully earn home ice for as much of the playoffs as possible."
Season tickets are expected to go on sale near the end of June and single-game tickets will be available in September. Keep up to date on BGSU Hockey at BGSUFalcons.com or via Twitter @BGAthletics or @BGFalconHockey.
Saturday, Oct. 1 vs. Windsor, TBA (exhibition)
Friday, Oct. 7 at Bemidji State, 8:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Oct. 8 at Bemidji State, 8:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Oct. 14 vs. Western Michigan, 7:07 pm
Saturday, Oct. 15 at Western Michigan, 7:07 pm
Friday, Oct. 21 vs. Ohio State, 7:07 pm
Saturday, Oct. 22 at Ohio State, 7:05 pm
Friday, Oct. 28 at Miami, TBA
Saturday, Oct. 29 at Miami, TBA
Friday, Nov. 4 vs. Ferris State, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Nov. 5 vs. Ferris State, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Nov. 11 at Northern Michigan, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Nov. 12 at Northern Michigan, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Nov. 18 at Alabama Huntsville, 8:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Nov. 19 at Alabama Huntsville, 8:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Nov. 25 vs. Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Nov. 26 vs. Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Dec. 2 at Lake Superior State, 7:37 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Dec. 3 at Lake Superior State, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Dec. 9 vs. Michigan Tech, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Dec. 10 vs. Michigan Tech, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Dec. 16 at Alaska, 11:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Dec. 17 at Alaska, 11:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Dec. 30 vs. RIT, 5:07 pm (Toledo, Ohio/Huntington Center)
Thursday, Jan. 5 vs. Bemidji State, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Jan. 6 vs. Bemidji State, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Jan. 13 at Minnesota State, 8:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Jan. 14 at Minnesota State, 8:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Jan. 20 vs. Alaska, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Jan. 21 vs. Alaska, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Jan. 27 at Ferris State, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Jan. 28 at Ferris State, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Friday, Feb. 3 vs. Northern Michigan, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Feb. 4 vs. Northern Michigan, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. Mercyhurst, 7:07 pm
Friday, Feb. 24 vs. Alabama Huntsville, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. Alabama Huntsville, 7:07 pm (WCHA)
WCHA Tournament
March 3-5 in WCHA Quarterfinals, TBA (best 2-of-3 at top seed)
March 10-12 in WCHA Semifinals, TBA (best 2-of-3 at top seed)
March 18 in WCHA Championship, TBA (at top seed)
Note – All times listed as EST
BG Hockey Press Conference 10.28
Wednesday, October 29
BG Hockey Press Conference 10.21
Tuesday, October 21
BG Hockey Postgame 10.17
Saturday, October 18
BG Hockey Press Conference : Coach Williams 10.14
Thursday, October 16