Stephen Baylis to Miss Both Games This Weekend vs. Alaska-Anchorage

Bowling Green freshman forward Stephen Baylis, tabbed by WCHA media as the preseason rookie of the year in the league, was expected to miss the Falcons' first six games of the season due to an NCAA suspension for playing with an OHL team.

Bowling Green plays their sixth game of the season on Saturday afternoon against Alaska-Anchorage, so Baylis should be ready to go for the Falcons seventh game on Sunday afternoon against the Seawolves, right? Not so fast, reports Kevin Gordon from BGSUHockey.com. NCAA rules prohibit a team from paying for the travel of a suspended player, which meant Baylis was unable to travel with the team on their trip to Anchorage. The only options would have been for Baylis to travel separately and foot the bill himself--not realistic with the high cost of getting to Anchorage--or the Falcons flying Baylis into Anchorage some time after their game on Saturday afternoon--not possible given the tight timeframe for the long trip.

So Baylis' six-game suspension will end up being a seven-game suspension thanks to some bad luck with the Bowling Green schedule, and some silliness on the part of the NCAA rulebook. Baylis will likely make his collegiate debut in two weeks when the Falcons host Lake Superior State for a two-game series.