Bowling Green Falcons v. Ohio State Buckeyes

Friday, 1/8/2010 @ 7:05PM
Saturday, 1/9/2010 @ 7:05PM

Background:

BGSU:
-Record: 3-15-2 (2-10-2)
-Last game: v. Clarkson W 4-3

OSU:
-Record: 7-12-1 (5-8-1)
-Last game: v. Miami (OH) L 4-2

Last time out...

Mixed Results in the Land of the Lakes

The Falcons started off the new year with a couple of games in the Dodge Holiday Classic in Minnesota. The tournament featured some familiar teams (like conference foes Northern Michigan) and some less common opponents (such as the hosting Minnesota Golden Gophers).

One of the bigger stories leading into the weekend was the return of former Falcon Jacob Cepis to the ice. After sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules, Cepis was able to get back on the ice for the first time against his former team. Statistically, he was essentially a non-factor in the game, totaling only six shots and an interference penalty. He was, however, selected as the third star of the game. Having only viewed the box score, this seems odd, but I recognize there is a lot that goes on in a hockey game that doesn't appear in the statistics.

The game with the Gophers started off encouragingly. The Falcons took a 1-0 lead early in the second period on a goal by Jordan Samuels-Thomas. They held the lead for a full period until Minnesota scored the equalizing goal on a powerplay just three minutes into the third. They went on to add an even-strength goal and an empty net score to put the game away.

Despite the difficult loss to the Gophers, the Falcon icers rallied back to beat the Clarkson Golden Knights by a final score of 4-3. The win was achieved thanks to goals from Kai Kantola, Kyle Page, Brennan Vargas (his first career goal), and Josh Boyd, who scored an empty net goal with just under two minutes left which would turn out to be the game winner.

Following the tournament, the Falcons' record is 3-15-2 (2-10-2).

"South 'til you smell it, east 'til you step in it."

This week the Falcons of THE Bowling Green State University head southeast for the winter to take on the Buckeyes of Ohio A&M (or Ohio State, as they are occasionally called) and Head Coach John Markell's hair.

This series will be the first action for the Buckeyes in the new year. They ended 2009 on a three-game skid, losing the back end of a home series with Michigan and dropping two games to Miami.

OSU's has been a less-than-pleasing season, beginning with an overtime exhibition game loss to Western Ontario in early October. They've been on the wrong side of a number of lopsided losses, including an 8-1 loss to Ferris St., a 4-1 loss to North Dakota, and a 6-0 laugher to Miami.

Speaking of laughers, let's take the traditional look at the names of the OSU players and coaching staff:

OSU has their share of names ripe for Berman-izing. For example, sophomore forward #18 Taylor "gone Stefishen" and sophomore forward #16 Ian "Boots with the fur."

Also amusing enough to warrant a mention is junior defenseman #4 Corey Toy.

Two final names that must be mentioned are junior forward #15 John Albert and freshman goalie #30 Jeff Michael. Keep your eyes on these Buckeyes. Everyone knows a guy with two first names can't be trusted.

What to watch for: Ohio State

The good:

The Buckeyes have played seven games against teams ranked in the top ten in the nation, picking up a couple of high-profile wins (and, as will be covered in a moment, a couple of ugly losses). On October 16th they shut out #3 Denver, returning the favor from the Pioneers' 2-0 shutout of the Bucks the night before. On November 28th, OSU beat #6 Bemidji State 2-1.

The bad:

OSU and BGSU have a similar problem when it comes to closing out games. Ohio State has lost four games this season when leading at the end of two periods. They lost their season opener against Quinnipiac 4-2 after leading 2-1 heading into the third. Later in the season, after taking a 5-2 lead early in the final period, the Buckeyes gave up four unanswered goals, including the OT winner, to lose 6-5 to Lake Superior. And in their most recent game, OSU lost 4-2 to Miami after leading 2-0 after two periods. It will be interesting to see which team can finish with more energy in these two games.

The ugly:

As was mentioned earlier, OSU has had some ugly losses this season. I don't mean slightly unfortunate, I mean full-on, fell out of the ugly tree, hit every branch on the way down, and had the tree fall on them ugly.

First, there was the 8-1 loss to Ferris State. The Buckeyes gave up a hat trick to Blair Riley and were slapped with 43 minutes of penalties, including two major misconduct penalties.

Then, just a week later, a 4-1 loss to North Dakota.

Two weeks after that came a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of the Miami Redhawks in which Miami's Tommy Wingels recorded a hat trick, scoring 4 goals and picking up an assist for good measure.

What to watch for: Bowling Green

The good:

Freshman goalie Andrew Hammond had a very strong showing in the game against Minnesota. Through the first two periods, Hammond stopped 30 shots and shut down two Gopher powerplays to maintain the Falcons' 1-0 lead heading into the third. Despite the eventual loss, Hammond managed to stop 38 shots in the game, for a .900 save percentage.

The bad:

The Falcons have been outscored by a margin of 70-40, including 22-16 in the third period. Surprisingly, but not satisfyingly, the Falcons third period scoring margin is no worse than the rest of the game. In the first period, opposing teams have scored 22 goals to the Falcons' 12. The second period appears to be the worst in terms of this statistic, with BG scoring only 12 goals to their opponents' 24.

The ugly:

Like the Buckeyes, the Falcons have had a lot of trouble holding on to leads late in their games this season. Most recently, the 3-1 loss to Minnesota, in which the Falcons gave up three goals in the third period. Prior to that was the heartbreaker against Sparty, where the Falcons lost a two goal lead in the third and ended up losing just 35 seconds into overtime.

A loss is one thing, but to drop a two or three goal lead and lose is demoralizing, and we'll have to hope the Falcons get this under control. I have faith in the will of the players and coaching staff, but too many losses like this can really have an effect on the team.

Pick me a winner:

Fantasy scoring picks:

Inspired by a BGSU Fantasy Hockey game from the spectacular Falcon fan-site Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba, I will be making fantasy scoring picks for each series. I will make five picks each game, consisting of three forwards and two defensemen each night. Players cannot be used twice in the same series. These picks will be a combination of players from either team, and I will be restricted to not picking any of the top three scorers from either team. (Thanks, Freddie!)

For this series, the top three scorers from Bowling Green are Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Tomas Petruska, and Tommy Dee. Kyle Page and David Solway are both tied with Dee in terms of total points, but Dee gets the edge because of a higher goal total.

The top three scorers from Ohio State are Zac Dalpe, Peter Boyd, and Sergio Somma. John Albert is tied with Soma in terms of points, but Somma has six goals to Albert's 4.

Friday:

Forwards: Josh Boyd (BG), Mathieu Picard (OSU), Nathan Pageau (BG)
Defensemen: Kyle Page (BG), Shane Sims (OSU)

Saturday:

Forwards: James Perkin (BG), David Solway (BG), John Albert (OSU)
Defensemen: Ian Ruel (BG), Matt Bartkowski (OSU)

Game score picks:

Friday: 5-2 BG

Saturday: 4-3 BG

Mid-Season Awards: Er... Well... All The Rest

So what happens when you run a hockey blog and promise to post six mid-season awards, then begin a string of 60-80 hour work weeks?

You feel guilty for not getting them done and end up trying to force yourself to write them at 8:45 AM on New Year's Day. Then you fall asleep again.

So here is my marathon mid-season awards post where I'll attempt to write the remaining four before the puck drops on the next Falcon game.

So, to get started, a run-down of the previously named awards:

Freshman of the Year: Jordan Samuels-Thomas
Runner-up: Ian Ruel

Most-Improved Player: Tommy Dee
Runner-up: Tomas Petruska

Now, moving on to the remaining awards. The explanations in this post will be much shorter, due to the obvious time constraints.

First up, we have the award for:

Offensive MVP

My pick for Offensive MVP is Tommy Dee. Obviously any of the top three or four Falcon scorers could have been chosen for this one. Each of them have contributed a lot on the offensive side of the puck, but Tommy Dee has impressed me the most with his overall effort, work ethic, and character.

For those unaware, Dee has six goals and five assists for a total of 11 points. He also plays a very disciplined game, having spent only eight minutes in the penalty box through 18 games this season. His leadership and hard work on the ice have been a key for the Falcons.

Runner-up: Jordan Samuels-Thomas

Defensive MVP

The FHH Mid-Season Defensive MVP is Kyle Page. Page has been an incredible asset to this team since he first suited up for BGSU. Despite his relative lack of size when compared to his opponents, Page has been able to exert his will on the ice. He plays much bigger than his 5'10", 189lb frame and has more heart than just about any player you'll see.

Looking at statistics, it's a mixed bag for the senior captain. Page is last on the team in terms of plus-minus rating, registering a -11. On the positive side, Page has blocked more shots than any other player on the team. In the 18 games thus far, he has stopped 34 shots from ever reaching the Falcon goaltender.

Runner-up: Ian Ruel

Flying Under the Radar

Even for me, the person who came up with it, this award is somewhat nebulous. As it's not based on specific offensive or defensive statistics and it's based as much on potential as anything else, it's truly the most wide-open award up for grabs in this exercise.

Pageau, Ruel and Rodriguez were all mentioned in reader comments, and all are worthy candidates for the award.

I'll be honest. I really don't have a winner for this one. I may have been a little bit hasty in adding it to the list. The main reason I even mentioned it was to give me an excuse to say this:

I think Wade Finegan has a ton of potential. He hasn't shown up much on the ice statistically, and my complete lack of hockey experience weighs against me pretty heavily, but there's something about his play that catches my eye when he's out on the ice.

He plays fast, he plays hard, and a lot of the time, he plays mean. The kid has a knack for contact and seems to come up with big emotion plays at key times, despite not seeing much ice time.

Call me crazy. That's just how I see it.

Runner-up: Nathan Pageau

And finally...:

Team MVP

While writing this post, I realized I should have named this player at least a runner-up for the Most Improved Player award.

Maybe this is a make-up call of sorts, but the FHH Team MVP is Nick Eno.

Eno has come a long way since he started here at BG. Held back by injuries, Eno had plenty of down moments last season. This season, though, he's beginning to show a renewed sense of stability.

After starting only 4 games, posting a 4.58 GAA and a save percentage of 80.5 last season, Eno's GAA this season is down to 3.14 (still higher than the Falcons and their fans would like it to be) and his save percentage is up to 90.1.

Yes, his record is 2-9. The wins haven't come yet, but thanks to Eno, the Falcons have been "in" just about every game this season right to the end. He has also showed incredible nerve in the Falcons' shootout contests.

Runner-up: Jordan Samuels-Thomas
--

So that wraps up the first annual mid-season awards here at Falcon Hockey Hooligan. Hopefully it has been fun to read. I know I've enjoyed writing them, and I have definitely enjoyed the reader commentary. Feel free to continue to voice your opinions on all of these.

Finally, I'd love to be able to get a series preview together in time for the tournament, but there's just no way it's going to happen. I'll be working all weekend, so I'm going to have to take a pass on this one.

Fortunately, there's someone else out there who did their work ahead of time, and has a preview posted for your reading pleasure. Check out the tournament preview over at Bring Back the Glory.

I'm sad I won't get the chance snark on the Goofers and the Falcons' other potential opponents, but Drew's preview should point you to all of the important information you'll need.

Thanks for reading, happy new year, and here's to a great second half of Falcon hockey!

Quid Pro Quo?

I'm fairly certain the title of this post is a misuse of the term, but I'm also fairly certain I don't care.

Just wanted to drop another post to acknowledge a blog for posting a link to my site.

I checked my Google Analytics stats today to see that I had nearly doubled my previous highest total for visitors in a day. Wondering what may have caused this jump, I checked the referrer stats to find that 12 visitors had been referred to my site by mgoblog - Michigan football, basketball, hockey, and general what-have-you.

Seeing as I didn't know a link had been posted there, this was quite a pleasant surprise. Given the amount of added traffic, I felt it was only fair to thank them for the link and provide one back.

Now, I don't know that I'll be doing this for every link to my site that gets added to the blogosphere or the internet tubes in general, but I felt this one was appropriate, both because of the boost in traffic and the fact that I grew up watching and rooting for Michigan (living in Columbus, no less!). Additionally, it turns out that mgoblog is a damn fine site, with enough recruiting information and general U of M knowledge to impress most fans of college athletics.

You'll never catch me cheering for the Weas.... Wolverines when they play BG, but I still have a bit of a soft spot for the maize and blue, and root for them in most games where I have no other rooting interest.

Anyway, that's enough for that soliloquy. Thanks for the link, mgoblog!

BG Sports Blog Links

A link to my site was featured today on what I consider to be one of the better BGSU sports blogs out there, so I figured I'd return the favor.

If you're a fan of BGSU football or basketball, check out FalconBlog--Trials and Triumphs in the Falcon Nation.

The site features great coverage of BG basketball and football (and the MAC in general), including in-depth statistical insights and coverage of games and press conferences.

Also, if you're interested in BG hockey - and if you're here I'd assume you are - pay a visit to Bring Back the Glory for Falcon Hockey commentary, previews, recaps, press conferences and liveblogs. It's a fantastic site for any BG hockey fan or hockey fan in general.

If you know of any other BG sports blogs you think are deserving of a feature, let me know in the comments section!

Fantasy Hockey!

If you're interested in a little friendly competition, check out the BGSU v. LSSU preview post and try out the Fantasy Hockey game described in the post. Comment with your picks and I'll post the scores of participants and winners before the next series. There's no prize for winning, at least not yet, but you get internet bragging rights for a week, and what's better than that?!

Remember to read the rules carefully and make sure all of your chosen players are eligible.

I have a pretty good track record in this game. See if you can beat me!

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.

Bowling Green Falcons v. Lake Superior Lakers

Friday, 12/4/2009 @ 7:05PM
Saturday, 12/5/2009 @ 5:05PM

Background:

BGSU:
-Record: 2-10-2 (2-6-2)
-Last game: v. Notre Dame T 4-4 (OT) 1-1 (SOW)

LSSU:
-Record: 6-7-3 (3-6-1)
-Last game: v. Bentley T 2-2 (OT) 0-2 (SOL)

Last time out...

Overtime: Life on the edge:

The Falcons and the Lakers are both coming off of very tightly contested series.

The Lakers dropped a pair of games in shootouts last week in the Renesselaer Holiday Tournament. LSSU and Union skated to a scoreless tie in regulation on Friday, with LSSU dropping the shootout decision 0-1. Saturday night wasn't much of an improvement, as Lake Superior ended regulation all-square at 2-2 with the Bentley Falcons before going on to lose the shootout 0-2.

Likewise, the Falcons took both of their games beyond regulation in this past weekend's series with cluster-mates Notre Dame. Friday's tilt ended in a heartbreaking overtime loss for BG as Notre Dame scored the game winning goal with 2.4 seconds remaining on the clock in the extra period. Saturday night had a decidedly better outcome. After 65 minutes of play, the game stood tied at 4-4. The Falcons jumped out early, scoring on their first shootout attempt, thanks to freshman phenom Jordan Samuels-Thomas. Nick Eno stopped all three Irish attempts to get the Falcons their second shootout win of the season.

It seems it's just that kind of year for the Irish. Bad luck on all fronts.

Falcons take on Lakers, Kobe still nowhere to be found

It's time once again for the Falcons to take on the oh-so-cleverly nicknamed Lake Superior Lakers. This series has budded into a mini-rivalry of sorts in the past few years, especially after the Falcons topped the Lakers in a thrilling three game playoff series in the 2007-2008 season, which was decided on an overtime winner by former Falcon (and current Minnesota Golden Gopher) Jacob Cepis.

Without even looking at their record, the Lakers are an embarrassment of riches for a satire writer. Glancing at their roster, names like (sophomore defenseman #17) Kyle "Wait'll we get our Haines on you," and (Athletic Trainer) Rick Mick just beg to be mocked. Furthermore, they play in the hilariously named Taffy Abel Arena.

Last season the Falcons went 1-2-1 against Lake Superior, who were led by Troy Schwab, a 5'8" captain, senior forward, and perpetual sufferer of a Napoleon Complex. Schwab has moved on to bigger (HA!) things, and is now playing for the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL.

What to watch for: Lake Superior

The good:

The Lakers are led by an upperclassman-heavy core of players, including top-scorers Chad Nehring, Zac MacVoy and Rick Schofield.

Also among the scoring leaders is senior forward Brad Cooper, who apparently had time while filming The Hangover to train in the off-season. Thus far this season, Cooper has racked up four goals and four assists, making him the Lakers' fourth-highest scorer.

Just behind Cooper in scoring is senior defenseman Simon "I'm Not Going To Take Any Chances With This Pronunciation" Gysbers. Gysbers currently has three goals and four assists. The Falcons will need to keep these scorers in check.

The bad:

After winning five of their first six games, the Lakers have fallen into a bit of a slump. Of their last 11 contests, Lake Superior has lost six in regulation, dropped three in shootouts, and won only two. Talk about a shipwreck... Hopefully their poor performance will continue, and the Falcons will get their first series sweep of the season.

The ugly:

Among the regular starters for Lake Superior, two have double-digit negative goal differential stats (Dan Barczuk, -10; Pat Aubry, -10).

Also unimpressive to this point in the season is backup goalie Pat Inglis, whose goals against average through three games is a cringe-worthy 4.88.

What to watch for: Bowling Green

The good:

Nothing excites a crowd like a phenomenal scoring talent, and the Falcons are witnessing what looks to be the beginning of a tremendous scoring career for freshman Jordan Samuels-Thomas. JS-T, as he is affectionately known, has piled up 14 points (6G, 8A) in 14 games. His impact has also been felt in the Falcons' two shootouts. Samuels-Thomas scored the disputed winning goal in the shootout win over Nebraska-Omaha on Halloween weekend, then repeated his heroics last week as the Falcons edged the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their second shootout of the season.

Also important to note is the success of the Falcon goaltenders in ensuring an extra point in the shootouts this season. Junior Nick Eno and Freshman Andrew Hammond are both perfect in shootout contests this season, stopping three attempts each.

The bad:

The Falcons have struggled with consistency this season, performing impressively against ranked Alaska, Michigan and Notre Dame squads, but dropping lopsided decisions in games against The U.S. National Team Development Program, Providence, and Ferris State. As the season continues and the players develop more stamina and more chemistry with each other and the new coaching staff, hopefully this issue will be resolved.

The ugly:

Half of the Falcons' 10 losses have come by three goals or more. The defense will have to clamp down on some of these scoring chances as the season progresses.

Pick me a winner:

Fantasy scoring picks:

Inspired by a BGSU Fantasy Hockey game from the spectacular Falcon fan-site Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba, I will be making fantasy scoring picks for each series. I will make five picks each game, consisting of three forwards and two defensemen each night. Players cannot be used twice in the same series. These picks will be a combination of players from either team, and I will be restricted to not picking any of the top three scorers from either team. (Thanks, Freddie!)

For this series, the top three scorers from Bowling Green are Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Thomas Petruska, and Tommy Dee. The top three scorers from Lake Superior are Chad Nehring, Rick Schofield, and Zac MacVoy.

Friday:

Forwards: Josh Boyd (BG), James Perkin (BG), David Solway (BG)
Defensemen: Kyle Page (BG), Steven Kaunisto (LSSU)

Saturday:

Forwards: Kai Kantola (BG), Marc Rodriguez (BG), Brad Cooper (LSSU)
Defensemen: Ian Ruel (BG), Tyson Hobbins (LSSU)

Game score picks:

Friday: BGSU 4 - LSSU 3
Saturday: BGSU 2 - LSSU 1