Friday night, after years of futility, the Falcons ended the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's 18-game reign of terror. Saturday they proved that what some were calling "the Notre Dame curse" is officially over.
Notre Dame scored in the second period, as Kyle Palmieri drew first blood. Tomas Petruska scored the equalizer in the third, bringing the BGSU Ice Arena to its feet. The rest of the third period remained scoreless, as did the overtime period.
The Falcons had an earlier chance to take a lead, but the goal was waved off after an extended review by the officiating crew as the puck did not completely cross the goal line. In the third period, another would-be goal was negated after Notre Dame's Mike Johnson bumped the goal off of its pegs while scrambling to make a save.
Both goalies stopped the first attempts against them in the shootout, then both teams' second shooters converted on their chances (Dan Kissel and James Perkin). Notre Dame's third shooter, Ryan Thang, lost the puck as he tried one too many moves, and Tomas Petruska again came to the rescue, pulling off a great move and putting the puck past Johnson.
Petruska and Eno were clearly the stars of the game, with Petruska scoring the only Falcon goal in regulation and netting the shootout winner. Eno stopped 38 of 39 shots in regulation and overtime and 2 of 3 in the shootout to pick up the extra point for the Falcons. Both skated off of the ice to volleys of cheers from the BGSU faithful.
The underclassmen, after coming up big in the third period of Friday's game, were a presence again on Saturday. Ryan Peltoma notched an assist on Petruska's goal, Cameron Sinclair showed a great deal of hustle on the forecheck, and Marc Rodriguez and Max Grover brought the physical game and kept the Irish on edge all night.
Showing posts with label Notre Dame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Notre Dame. Show all posts
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Streak is Over!
Friday night the Falcons topped the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-3 in a thrilling come from behind effort. The win was the first by the Falcons over the Irish in regulation in their last 19 attempts. After trailing 3-1 in the third period, the Falcons came back to win behind the scoring of three underclassmen - Wade Finegan, Brennan Vargas, and Nathan Pageau (who scored the game-winner).
More detailed write ups of the game can be read at Bring Back the Glory, the BG News Sports Blog, and BGSUFalcons.com.
More detailed write ups of the game can be read at Bring Back the Glory, the BG News Sports Blog, and BGSUFalcons.com.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Bowling Green Falcons v. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(This will be a shortened series preview. Work, once again, interferes with my hobby writing. My apologies.)
Friday, 2/19/2010 @ 7:05PM
Saturday, 2/20/2010 @ 5:05PM
Background:
BGSU:
-Record: 4-22-4 (3-17-4-3)
-Last game: v. Miami L 2-10
Notre Dame:
-Record: 12-13-7 (8-10-6-2)
-Last game: v. Western Michigan L 1-4
Last time out...
Black Eyes for Both Teams
I'm going to keep this fairly simple, because I've covered the previous series in depth in the last three posts.
Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up:
Friday night was a hard fought game which ended in a 3-2 loss for the Falcons after the Redhawks took a late lead on a goal that found its way into the net after it deflected off of Andrew Hammond's shoulder and the Falcons failed to convert on a quality scoring chance in the closing moments of the game. There were moments of tension and some chippy play that would foreshadow the mess that would be the second game of the series.
Saturday's game was an absolute shelling, with the Redhawks winning 10-2 and over 150 penalty minutes. Dirty play by both teams, fights, and arguments led to player ejections and the ejection of Miami coach Enrico Blasi. An altogether disappointing display for any hockey fan.
Irish Looking For Their Pot of Gold, Falcons Hopeful
Let's get right to the point here - Who on the Irish team has a funny name. I know that's why you're still reading, and I aim to please.
First off, a reminder to "Always Practice Safe Checks - Use A Condon" (Nick, #14).
Next, Ryan "Shake Your Groove" Thang (#9). And, finally, the Falcons will hope the Irish are saying (Billy) Maday (#17) by the end of the series.
What to watch for: Notre Dame
Notre Dame suffered an unexpected sweep at the hands of the Western Michigan Broncos last weekend and currently stand in 10th place in the CCHA. This season has been a mixed bag for the Irish, who have gone 2-1-1 against Michigan State (T-2nd CCHA) and split with Miami (OH) (1st CCHA), outscoring them 4-1 over two games. Despite their relative success against some of the CCHA's best, they have also gone 4-3-3 against the bottom half of the league.
In terms of scoring, the Irish are led by Calle Ridderwall (17-7-24), Kyle Lawson (4-18-22), and Billy Maday (7-12-19). Three goaltenders have seen starting time, with Mike Johnson (9-9-4 record, 2.36 GAA, 92% SV) shouldering the majority of the load, Brad Phillips (2-3-3 record, 2.47 GAA, 91% SV) starting eight games, and Tom O'Brien (1-1-0 record, 2.12 GAA, 90% SV) starting two.
What to watch for: Bowling Green
Bowling Green is coming to the end of a disappointing regular season. With only four wins this season, results are certainly below expectations. A number of reasons and explanations could be given for the lack of success so far, but the team's focus needs to be on finishing the season in strong form.
If the Falcons play this series the way they played the first of the two games against Miami, we could very well see the first Falcon win over Notre Dame in regulation in the last 18 meetings.
Freshman phenom Jordan Samuels-Thomas, AKA "The Hyphen," (10-12-22) currently leads the team in scoring. Thomas Petruska (8-13-21) trails him slightly, and captain Kyle Page (3-14-17) is third.
Nick Eno (4-10-3 record, 3.25 GAA, 89% SV) has been the goaltender of choice for most of the season, starting 17 games. Andrew Hammond (0-11-1 record, 4.37 GAA, 87% SV) has been solid at times, but has yet to record his first collegiate regulation win. He was, however, very impressive in the 3-2 loss to Miami last week. Phil Greer saw his first action of the season during last Saturday's blowout loss to Miami, much to the delight of fans who have appreciated his commitment to the team the last 4 years.
Due to game disqualification penalties assessed during the Miami melee, James Perkin and Max Grover will be unavailable for Friday's game against the Irish.
Friday, 2/19/2010 @ 7:05PM
Saturday, 2/20/2010 @ 5:05PM
Background:
BGSU:
-Record: 4-22-4 (3-17-4-3)
-Last game: v. Miami L 2-10
Notre Dame:
-Record: 12-13-7 (8-10-6-2)
-Last game: v. Western Michigan L 1-4
Last time out...
Black Eyes for Both Teams
I'm going to keep this fairly simple, because I've covered the previous series in depth in the last three posts.
Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up:
Friday night was a hard fought game which ended in a 3-2 loss for the Falcons after the Redhawks took a late lead on a goal that found its way into the net after it deflected off of Andrew Hammond's shoulder and the Falcons failed to convert on a quality scoring chance in the closing moments of the game. There were moments of tension and some chippy play that would foreshadow the mess that would be the second game of the series.
Saturday's game was an absolute shelling, with the Redhawks winning 10-2 and over 150 penalty minutes. Dirty play by both teams, fights, and arguments led to player ejections and the ejection of Miami coach Enrico Blasi. An altogether disappointing display for any hockey fan.
Irish Looking For Their Pot of Gold, Falcons Hopeful
Let's get right to the point here - Who on the Irish team has a funny name. I know that's why you're still reading, and I aim to please.
First off, a reminder to "Always Practice Safe Checks - Use A Condon" (Nick, #14).
Next, Ryan "Shake Your Groove" Thang (#9). And, finally, the Falcons will hope the Irish are saying (Billy) Maday (#17) by the end of the series.
What to watch for: Notre Dame
Notre Dame suffered an unexpected sweep at the hands of the Western Michigan Broncos last weekend and currently stand in 10th place in the CCHA. This season has been a mixed bag for the Irish, who have gone 2-1-1 against Michigan State (T-2nd CCHA) and split with Miami (OH) (1st CCHA), outscoring them 4-1 over two games. Despite their relative success against some of the CCHA's best, they have also gone 4-3-3 against the bottom half of the league.
In terms of scoring, the Irish are led by Calle Ridderwall (17-7-24), Kyle Lawson (4-18-22), and Billy Maday (7-12-19). Three goaltenders have seen starting time, with Mike Johnson (9-9-4 record, 2.36 GAA, 92% SV) shouldering the majority of the load, Brad Phillips (2-3-3 record, 2.47 GAA, 91% SV) starting eight games, and Tom O'Brien (1-1-0 record, 2.12 GAA, 90% SV) starting two.
What to watch for: Bowling Green
Bowling Green is coming to the end of a disappointing regular season. With only four wins this season, results are certainly below expectations. A number of reasons and explanations could be given for the lack of success so far, but the team's focus needs to be on finishing the season in strong form.
If the Falcons play this series the way they played the first of the two games against Miami, we could very well see the first Falcon win over Notre Dame in regulation in the last 18 meetings.
Freshman phenom Jordan Samuels-Thomas, AKA "The Hyphen," (10-12-22) currently leads the team in scoring. Thomas Petruska (8-13-21) trails him slightly, and captain Kyle Page (3-14-17) is third.
Nick Eno (4-10-3 record, 3.25 GAA, 89% SV) has been the goaltender of choice for most of the season, starting 17 games. Andrew Hammond (0-11-1 record, 4.37 GAA, 87% SV) has been solid at times, but has yet to record his first collegiate regulation win. He was, however, very impressive in the 3-2 loss to Miami last week. Phil Greer saw his first action of the season during last Saturday's blowout loss to Miami, much to the delight of fans who have appreciated his commitment to the team the last 4 years.
Due to game disqualification penalties assessed during the Miami melee, James Perkin and Max Grover will be unavailable for Friday's game against the Irish.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Times, They Are A-Changing
Going into this series against Lake Superior, even casual observers of Falcon hockey can tell there's something different going on. They may not be able to put a finger on it, or spell it out completely, but there's a feel in the air that hasn't been present in some time.
To me, the only way to describe it is with one word: optimism.
This may seem a strange word to use to describe the situation of a 2-10-2 team who faced the very realistic possibility of the elimination of their program this off-season, but I stand by my point. Yes, the team faced some very scary, very dark moments in the long off-season months, but it is my feeling that the team has even more reason to feel optimistic and hopeful because of that situation.
Some outside the circle of Falcon hockey and its fans have asked me why I'm so excited about a two-win hockey team who lost most of the previous year's stars. I suppose at the root of it is the fact that where we are now, even at 2-10-2, is a heck of a lot better than where it looked like we were heading.
But beyond the feelings of, "We're just happy to be here," are some real reasons for hope.
Last week the Falcons took the #13/14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the wire in a pair of weekend contests, losing the first in the final two seconds and winning the second in a 1-0 shootout. While the series officially goes down as an overtime loss and a tie in the standings, it means a lot more to the Falcon hockey team and its community of supporters. Prior to the shootout victory, the Falcons had lost 12 straight to the Irish. That's not a blip on the radar. That's the kind of streak that cripples a fan-base. That's the kind of streak that stirs up talk of curses. So, while the Falcons didn't officially win either of the games against the Irish this year, the fact that they pulled off even the smallest of victories in the shootout is certainly cause for celebration.
Furthermore, watching the team on the ice, there is a clearly renewed sense of urgency, energy, determination, and will to win. In the later years of the Scott Paluch era, Falcon teams were often said to have "given up" on games that got away from them early. A 3-1 game in favor of the opponent could easily become 7-1 before all was said and done. This season, things seem to be different.
Take, for example, the second game of the series with the #9 Alaska Nanooks. In the first game of the series, the Falcons fought to a surprising 3-1 victory, their first of the season. Early in the second game, however, it became clear that a sweep wasn't going to come easy. The Nanooks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, and the feeling in the arena was that of dread. The fans had seen this movie before, and it didn't end well for the good guys. Instead of giving up, the Falcons fought back and went into the third period trailing 4-2. With only a few minutes remaining in the game, David Solway put home a goal that cut the Nanooks' lead to one. The arena was electric. The players were energized, and it looked for a moment like the icers might fight back and get the sweep. While the game ended in a 5-3 loss courtesy of an empty net goal, the fighting spirit shown by the Falcons served as even further evidence that change was in the air.
That change could be, and probably is, coming from a number of different sources, but it would be silly to go through this whole article without mentioning the most obvious possibility - Interim Head Coach Dennis Williams. It is apparent in his press conferences and his general demeanor that Coach Williams is a key part of the recovery and eventual resurgence of this program. While a player at BGSU, Coach Williams received the Howard Brown Coaches' Award in recognition of his professional attitude on and off the ice, and that professional attitude continues to this day.
Have the results fully materialized on the ice yet? No. This sort of turnaround takes time and patience. The team may continue to struggle in the standings for the rest of the season. They may end up surprising all of the critics and placing well in the CCHA tournament. Either way, a few things are clear: this is a team that wants to not just survive, but thrive, and they have many of the pieces in place to make that a reality.
Hopefully the next few pieces of the puzzle fall into place this weekend against the Lakers. Here's to the first Falcon sweep of the season.
To me, the only way to describe it is with one word: optimism.
This may seem a strange word to use to describe the situation of a 2-10-2 team who faced the very realistic possibility of the elimination of their program this off-season, but I stand by my point. Yes, the team faced some very scary, very dark moments in the long off-season months, but it is my feeling that the team has even more reason to feel optimistic and hopeful because of that situation.
Some outside the circle of Falcon hockey and its fans have asked me why I'm so excited about a two-win hockey team who lost most of the previous year's stars. I suppose at the root of it is the fact that where we are now, even at 2-10-2, is a heck of a lot better than where it looked like we were heading.
But beyond the feelings of, "We're just happy to be here," are some real reasons for hope.
Last week the Falcons took the #13/14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the wire in a pair of weekend contests, losing the first in the final two seconds and winning the second in a 1-0 shootout. While the series officially goes down as an overtime loss and a tie in the standings, it means a lot more to the Falcon hockey team and its community of supporters. Prior to the shootout victory, the Falcons had lost 12 straight to the Irish. That's not a blip on the radar. That's the kind of streak that cripples a fan-base. That's the kind of streak that stirs up talk of curses. So, while the Falcons didn't officially win either of the games against the Irish this year, the fact that they pulled off even the smallest of victories in the shootout is certainly cause for celebration.
Furthermore, watching the team on the ice, there is a clearly renewed sense of urgency, energy, determination, and will to win. In the later years of the Scott Paluch era, Falcon teams were often said to have "given up" on games that got away from them early. A 3-1 game in favor of the opponent could easily become 7-1 before all was said and done. This season, things seem to be different.
Take, for example, the second game of the series with the #9 Alaska Nanooks. In the first game of the series, the Falcons fought to a surprising 3-1 victory, their first of the season. Early in the second game, however, it became clear that a sweep wasn't going to come easy. The Nanooks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, and the feeling in the arena was that of dread. The fans had seen this movie before, and it didn't end well for the good guys. Instead of giving up, the Falcons fought back and went into the third period trailing 4-2. With only a few minutes remaining in the game, David Solway put home a goal that cut the Nanooks' lead to one. The arena was electric. The players were energized, and it looked for a moment like the icers might fight back and get the sweep. While the game ended in a 5-3 loss courtesy of an empty net goal, the fighting spirit shown by the Falcons served as even further evidence that change was in the air.
That change could be, and probably is, coming from a number of different sources, but it would be silly to go through this whole article without mentioning the most obvious possibility - Interim Head Coach Dennis Williams. It is apparent in his press conferences and his general demeanor that Coach Williams is a key part of the recovery and eventual resurgence of this program. While a player at BGSU, Coach Williams received the Howard Brown Coaches' Award in recognition of his professional attitude on and off the ice, and that professional attitude continues to this day.
Have the results fully materialized on the ice yet? No. This sort of turnaround takes time and patience. The team may continue to struggle in the standings for the rest of the season. They may end up surprising all of the critics and placing well in the CCHA tournament. Either way, a few things are clear: this is a team that wants to not just survive, but thrive, and they have many of the pieces in place to make that a reality.
Hopefully the next few pieces of the puzzle fall into place this weekend against the Lakers. Here's to the first Falcon sweep of the season.
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