Rauhauser Final-Minute Goal Leads BGSU to Draw Against Miami

Saturday, November 25

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:07PM

Bowling Green State University

6-5-2 (5-2-3WCHA)

Miami

6-6-2 (2-3-1NCHC)

OT 1

Miami University

Bowling Green

November 25, 2017 | Ice Hockey

Box Score

By: by Matthew Daley, Athletic Communicationis Assistant

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Alec Rauhauser scored a last-minute equalizer to help the Bowling Green State University hockey team preserve a 2-2 tie against Miami University on Saturday night (Nov. 25) at the Slater Family Ice Arena. The draw extended BGSU's unbeaten streak on Saturdays to six games. The Falcons are 3-0-3 during that streak. Overall, Bowling Green is now 6-5-4 and 1-3-1 in non-conference action, while Miami drops to 6-6-2.

Box Score
Photo Gallery
Kruse Penalty Shot Goal Call 1-0
Rauhauser Goal Call 2-2
Spezia Second Overtime 3-2 Goal Call

BGSU worked aggressively during the first period and had the better of the offensive opportunities with a 10-4 edge in shots on goal. However, the game remained scoreless until Brandon Kruse was awarded a penalty shot in the final minute of the period. Kruse's shot was successful, and he became the first Falcon to attempt (and score on) a penalty shot since Brandon Hawkins turned the trick on March 5, 2015. The only other BGSU player in the last ten years to score a penalty goal was Brennan Vargas in the 2009-10 season. All three occurred at home, and all three were scored by underclassmen. Hawkins and Kruse are both true freshmen.

Miami tied the game in the second period and took the lead with 6:51 to play. Bowling Green was awarded what would become their only full power play of the night when Karch Bachman was called for cross-checking at the 16:18 mark, but the Falcons could not convert. BGSU went with an empty net for the final 90 seconds, and the man advantage allowed the chance that led to Rauhauser's goal. Neither team could dent the scoreboard during the five-minute, five-on-five overtime period. With the tie in hand, Tyler Spezia scored a moral victory with a second-overtime goal.

Scoring Plays

Brandon Kruse got loose on a breakaway within the last minute of the opening period. Miami's Kiefer Sherwood tripped Kruse as he attempted to take a shot and was called for a penalty. Kruse was awarded a penalty shot and beat goaltender Ryan Larkin low through the five hole after faking a back-hander. The score gave BGSU a 1-0 lead with 0:34 left in the first.
Down 2-1 late in the third, the Falcons choose to go with an empty net for the final 1:30. Midway through the final minute, a scoring opportunity developed that resulted in a wrist shot by Alec Rauhauser from the middle point. He wove the shot through traffic to beat Larkin with just 0:37.8 left on the clock for his fourth goal of the season. Brett D'Andrea and Stephen Baylis handled the assists on the game-tying goal.
The teams skated to a scoreless overtime to officially end the game in a tie. However, in the second overtime, Tyler Spezia ended the three-on-three affair by knocking in a rebound of a Mitch McLain shot with 0:20.2 remaining.

Statistical Standouts

BGSU is now .500 all-time in penalty shots with 12 makes in 24 attempts. They are 9-for-13 (.692) at the Slater Family Ice Arena.
BGSU is 12-9-2 when attempting at least one penalty shot and 7-3-2 when they are successful.
Kruse's goal was his third of the season; he is one of six Falcons with at least three goals in 2017-18.
Rauhauser's goal was his fourth of the season and the ninth of his career in just his second season.
Rauhauser also has eight assists for a total of 12 points in his sophomore campaign and 25 career assists.
D'Andrea's assist on the Rauhauser goal was his third of the season.
The Falcons outshot Miami 26-25 and were led in shots by Stephen Baylis and Lukas Craggs with four each.
Connor McDonald led the Falcons with four of the team's seven blocks.
Goaltender Ryan Bednard saved 23 of 25 shots in 63:55 of action. That game him 32 saves in 34 opportunities during 82:09 of action during the series.
Bednard leads BGSU with a 1.93 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. His record is now 3-2-3.
Bowling Green finished the evening 0-for-4 on the power play but 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
BGSU was 32-for-62 in faceoffs; Mitch McLain (11) and Brett D'Andrea (10) led the Falcons in face-off wins.

Postgame Interviews

Coach Bergeron

Alec Rauhauser

Up Next

Bowling Green returns to WCHA play next weekend against Bemidji State. The Falcons will host the Beavers on Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 2. Friday's game will begin at 7:37 p.m., while Saturday's contest begins at 7:07 p.m.; both games will be held at Slater Family Ice Arena in Bowling Green, Ohio. BGSU is 11-7-1 all-time against Bemidji State. That record includes a 3-3-0 mark during the 2016-17 season, as the Falcons were swept in Bemidji in October, split a series with the Beavers at BGSU in January, then swept the WCHA semifinal series against BSU in Minnesota last March.

Follow the Falcons

For more information on the hockey program, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGFalconHockey and @BGAthletics) and now on Instagram (bgfalconhockey) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.