This is the first installment of a series of post-season awards blogs. In this post I will name the winners of two awards: the somewhat nebulous "Flying Under the Radar" award, and the "Freshman of the Year" award.
As always, my picks and opinions are open to debate, and I welcome feedback and criticism in the comments.
Now, on to the awards.
Flying Under the Radar
The Flying Under the Radar award, as I have said previously, was mostly dreamed up as a way to point out what I thought was a great deal of potential in mid-season winner Wade Finegan. He's a strong, hard-working player with a bit of a mean streak, and I like the Falcons to have a few players like that. With the physical Kai Kantola graduating and moving on to an amateur tryout with the Norfolk Admirals and trusty captain Kyle Page joining the Toledo Walleye, the Falcons are going to need someone to step up and fill that void.
But this post isn't about the previous winner, it's time to name the post-season winner - Andrew Hammond.
Hammond's season, to me, was the definition of un-tapped potential. His stat line for the season was fairly disappointing: 13 starts, 0-12-2 record, 4.30 GAA, and 88.0 save %.
That being said, every time I looked at his stats, I was absolutely shocked to see that he hadn't won a game in overtime or regulation. He showed many flashes of greatness, standing on his head to keep the Falcons in games, but just never got the breaks to put a notch in the win column. Considering his play in the Miami and Michigan State series, I don't think it will take long before Hammond makes a big impact on the BGSU hockey team.
Also, a quick story to share. During pre-season practices, I went for a ride around campus and decided to stop for a moment at the Ice Arena. I went inside and noticed the team preparing for a practice, so I sat in Section D and watched for a while. As players made their way to the ice one-by-one, others were already taking shots on the empty net and working on passing. Just as one player shot the puck around the boards, a goalie was just stepping onto the ice. The puck whipped around at face-level, but the player snagged the puck with his glove-hand without having more than a second to react. I seem to remember at the time thinking it was Hammond. It may not have been, but having seen some of the saves he made, especially in the closing moments of the MSU series, it certainly wouldn't surprise me. Maybe Andrew or someone in the know could confirm this one for me.
Of course, there are plenty of other players whose futures I am excited about as well. Cameron Sinclair, Marc Rodriguez, and Max Grover showed a ton of heart and grit in the second series with Notre Dame, helping the Falcons to buck the years-long winless streak against Notre Dame. Also on the radar is Ian Ruel, whose size and physical play brought early comparisons to a young Rob Blake.
Anyway, moving on to award #2.
Freshman of the Year
At mid-season, there was really no room for debate on this one. Jordan Samuels-Thomas wasn't just leading the Falcons in scoring, he was near the top of a number of other conference and national lists as well. He took the ice by storm and won the appreciation of many of the Falcon faithful. Naming him as the winner of the award was really just a formality. Now that the season has come to a close, the winner is:
Jordan Samuels-Thomas
I'll give you a moment to compose yourself.
It was very tempting to name a different winner for this award, but ultimately I didn't think I could. JS-T ended the season in the same position statistically as he held at the break - the top. Samuels-Thomas finished the season with 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points, a one goal edge over late-season hero Tomas Petruska.
Samuels-Thomas' play was a key to the Falcons successes this season, as he frustrated opponents early and often, making them work hard to account for him, and opening up the ice for other players in the process.
The reason I was tempted to choose a different winner, though, was that his production dropped off in the second half. Hampered by a short-lived illness and facing teams who had learned a thing or two about slowing him down, JS-T's numbers faded a bit. Through the first half of the season, he collected six goals and nine assists for 15 points. In the final 18 games, he recorded only five goals and five assists, for a total of 10 points.
Another player I strongly considered for this award was Nathan Pageau. His hustle and offensive spark bode well for the Falcons' future, and his ability to step up against high-profile opponents should make him a hit with the fans. Of Pageau's 11 points this season, six came during games against Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame.
Well, there you have it. My picks for the Flying Under the Radar award and the Freshman of the Year award.
The next two awards to be named will be Offensive MVP and Defensive MVP, followed by Most Improved Player and Team MVP.
As always, feel free to give your opinions in the comments. Tell my why I'm right, tell me where I messed it up, suggest someone for the upcoming awards, or just tell me about your day. As long as I see a couple of comments on the post, I'm a happy guy.
Showing posts with label Kantola. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kantola. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
A Fitting End
The Bowling Green Falcons' 2009-2010 regular season came to a close on Saturday night in very fitting fashion, as the Falcon seniors made an impact when it counted. The Falcons defeated the Michigan State Spartans in a shootout after a 2-2 tie in regulation.
Michigan State's Andrew Rowe scored in the first period, but Bowling Green answered with a pair of power play goals. David Solway scored in the 2nd period, set up by Jordan Samuels-Thomas and senior Tomas Petruska. In the 3rd period, Samuels-Thomas scored a goal of his own, assisted by David Solway and senior Tommy Dee.
Just when it looked like the Falcons might skate away with a 2-1 victory in regulation, MSU's Chris Forfar evened the score with five minutes of play remaining. Neither team managed to score again, and the game went to OT.
After a scoreless extra period, the teams took the ice for a shootout.
As was the case last weekend, Tomas Petruska came up big in the shootout, playing the hero for the Falcons. He beat MSU goaltender Drew Palmisano for the only successful shootout attempt, and the BGSU Ice Arena roared its approval.
(Photo by Todd Pavlack)
The raucous crowd of over 3,000 saluted freshman BGSU goaltender Andrew Hammond as he left the playing surface. Hammond stopped 34 of 36 Spartan shots, including all three OT attempts to get the Falcons to the shootout.
The Falcons will now travel to Nebraska to take on "Duh Mavs" of UN-O in a first-round CCHA Playoff series.
Other notes:
MSU forward Corey Tropp received a 10-minute misconduct penalty and sat out most of the third period as a result. Having to watch the game from there must have really given him a sore neck. Tropp was noticeably absent on the scoresheet, appearing only for his misconduct penalty.
BGSU Head Coach Dennis Williams and the senior class (Tomas Petruska, Tommy Dee, James Perkin, Josh Boyd, Phil Greer, Kyle Page, Brian Moore, and Kai Kantola) took a curtain call after the game, much to the delight of the Falcon faithful.
BGSU alumnus, 1980 Miracle On Ice player, and 4-time Stanley Cup Champion Ken Morrow was honored in a pre-game ceremony and was available for photos and autographs with fans during the game.
A special hat-tip goes out to the BGSU mascots whose identities were unveiled during Falcon athletic events during the day. For those who don't know, I spent a year as the BGSU mascot, and it is a very special and exciting honor to serve as Freddie and Frieda Falcon. The identities of the students performing as the mascots are kept secret all year and revealed at the end of the year. Congratulations to the newest class of Birds.
Michigan State's Andrew Rowe scored in the first period, but Bowling Green answered with a pair of power play goals. David Solway scored in the 2nd period, set up by Jordan Samuels-Thomas and senior Tomas Petruska. In the 3rd period, Samuels-Thomas scored a goal of his own, assisted by David Solway and senior Tommy Dee.
Just when it looked like the Falcons might skate away with a 2-1 victory in regulation, MSU's Chris Forfar evened the score with five minutes of play remaining. Neither team managed to score again, and the game went to OT.
After a scoreless extra period, the teams took the ice for a shootout.
As was the case last weekend, Tomas Petruska came up big in the shootout, playing the hero for the Falcons. He beat MSU goaltender Drew Palmisano for the only successful shootout attempt, and the BGSU Ice Arena roared its approval.
(Photo by Todd Pavlack)
The raucous crowd of over 3,000 saluted freshman BGSU goaltender Andrew Hammond as he left the playing surface. Hammond stopped 34 of 36 Spartan shots, including all three OT attempts to get the Falcons to the shootout.
The Falcons will now travel to Nebraska to take on "Duh Mavs" of UN-O in a first-round CCHA Playoff series.
Other notes:
MSU forward Corey Tropp received a 10-minute misconduct penalty and sat out most of the third period as a result. Having to watch the game from there must have really given him a sore neck. Tropp was noticeably absent on the scoresheet, appearing only for his misconduct penalty.
BGSU Head Coach Dennis Williams and the senior class (Tomas Petruska, Tommy Dee, James Perkin, Josh Boyd, Phil Greer, Kyle Page, Brian Moore, and Kai Kantola) took a curtain call after the game, much to the delight of the Falcon faithful.
BGSU alumnus, 1980 Miracle On Ice player, and 4-time Stanley Cup Champion Ken Morrow was honored in a pre-game ceremony and was available for photos and autographs with fans during the game.
A special hat-tip goes out to the BGSU mascots whose identities were unveiled during Falcon athletic events during the day. For those who don't know, I spent a year as the BGSU mascot, and it is a very special and exciting honor to serve as Freddie and Frieda Falcon. The identities of the students performing as the mascots are kept secret all year and revealed at the end of the year. Congratulations to the newest class of Birds.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Bowling Green Falcons v. Michigan State Spartans
Friday, 2/12/2010 @ 6:05PM - Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, MI
Saturday, 2/13/2010 @ 7:05PM - Bowling Green Ice Arena, Bowling Green, OH
Background:
BGSU:
-Record: 5-22-4 (4-17-5-4)
-Last game: v. Notre Dame T 1-1 (SOW)
Michigan State:
-Record: 18-11-5 (13-8-5-2)
-Last game: v. Ferris State W 3-2
Last time out...
(Bad) Luck of the Irish
Last week the Falcons broke free of the Curse of the Irish. After 18 consecutive unsuccessful attempts to beat Notre Dame in regulation, the Falcons proved they could handle the Irish by taking five-of-six points available for the weekend series. With a loss and a shootout win at Notre Dame earlier this season and last weekends results, the Falcons took a total of seven of the 12 available points from Notre Dame, winning the season series.
A few highlights from the weekend included the third period comeback on Friday night, during which underclassmen Wade Finegan, Brennan Vargas, and Nathan Pageau powered the Falcons to victory.
Also worthy of mention is senior Tomas Petruska's night on Saturday. Petruska scored the game-tying goal and then went on to score the deciding shootout goal. His workmanlike approach to the game has long been appreciated by the Falcon faithful, but probably never as vocally as Saturday night, as cheers of "Petruuuuuuuska!" rained upon the ice while the players exited the playing surface.
"Home and Away With theEgg Suckers Sparty Crew"
This week the Falcons take on familiar foes, the Michigan State Spartans. Earlier this season, the icers lost a pair of games to the Spartans, 2-3 in OT in Bowling Green and 1-4 in regulation in East Lansing.
Michigan State is currently tied for second place in the CCHA with Ferris State. Bowling Green has moved out of the CCHA cellar, with a three-point lead over 12th place Western Michigan.
Michigan State comes into the series off of a 3-2 win over Ferris State, but having gone 1-3-1 in their last five games. Bowling Green comes in after a shootout win over Notre Dame and also having gone 1-3-1 in their last five.
The standard roster snark was covered last time around, but if you know me, you know I'm always looking for new ways to pick on old opponents.
After pointing out Andrew "ducks in a" Rowe last series, the offensive weapon contributed assists on two of Corey Tropp's three goals in the Saturday game in East Lansing.
Zach Josepher (Joseph-er than what?) is one of many Spartans with a lofty +/- rating. Josepher sits in a tie for third on the team at +11.
Lastly, Matt "Grassi Knoll" has proven to be a serious pest, racking up 13 penalties for a team-third 43 PIMs (behind Torey Krug - 25/61 and Nick Sucharski - 18/47).
What to watch for: Michigan State
Michigan State's usual starting goaltender, sophomore Drew Palmisano, has been very solid. His record is currently 14-9-4. He has a save percentage of .923 (good enough for fifth in the country) and a GAA of 2.28.
Senior backup Bobby Jarosz has a record of 4-2-1, a save percentage of .911, and a GAA of 2.48.
The play of sophomore Palmisano has to be encouraging for the Spartans, who appear to have a solid starter in place for the next few seasons.
Still leading the Spartans on offense is junior forward (and noted lumberjack) Corey Tropp (20G-20A-40P).
As this is the end of the season, it is interesting to point out that MSU loses only four players to graduation at the end of this season (Justin Johnson, Jay Sprague, Nick Sucharski, and Bobby Jarosz), only one of which is a major contributor (Sucharski).
What to watch for: Bowling Green
The Seniors
As the final series of the season approaches, the focus is understandably on the senior class. A quick list of the Falcon seniors leaving after this season:
Brian Moore - D - #3
Kyle Page (C) - D - #4
James Perkin - F - #7
Kai Kantola - F - #14
Tomas Petruska - F - #18
Josh Boyd - F - #26
Tommy Dee - F - #27
Phil Greer - G - #30
Looking at this group of seniors, I see a group of hard-working, physical, committed players.
Kai Kantola's combination of offense, size, and physical presence have given the fans more than a few thrills over the past years, and he has found a new way to contribute this season, claiming the crease as his office on many occasions.
James Perkin and Josh Boyd have shown a ton of heart in their time at BG, often out-working players twice their size. It is that kind of tenacity that will be needed in future seasons as the Falcons rebuild.
Tomas Petruska and Tommy Dee have come up big in many ways this season, filling holes left by departing players, either with physical play or with clutch offensive strikes. Both have become fan favorites during their time at BGSU.
(Also, Tomas Petruska currently sits at 4th in the fan voting for the Hobey Baker award. Hat tip to Drew of Bring Back the Glory.
Brian Moore has had an impact on and off the ice. He was a nominee for the 2009 Bank of New York Mellon Hockey Humanitarian Award and the CCHA's Illitch Award for his work on a mission trip to Haiti in 2008.
Phil Greer has become a fan favorite in spite of his limited playing time over the past four years.
Finally, Kyle Page has been the rock for a defensive unit that has taken its share of criticism over the years. His leadership, hard work, and steady hand have been essential to keeping the unit together, despite the early exits of players like Nick Bailen and Dean Petiot.
I would personally like to give my thanks to all of the Falcon seniors for everything they have given to the program. Their contributions have been essential, and they have been appreciated by all BGSU fans.
Saturday, 2/13/2010 @ 7:05PM - Bowling Green Ice Arena, Bowling Green, OH
Background:
BGSU:
-Record: 5-22-4 (4-17-5-4)
-Last game: v. Notre Dame T 1-1 (SOW)
Michigan State:
-Record: 18-11-5 (13-8-5-2)
-Last game: v. Ferris State W 3-2
Last time out...
(Bad) Luck of the Irish
Last week the Falcons broke free of the Curse of the Irish. After 18 consecutive unsuccessful attempts to beat Notre Dame in regulation, the Falcons proved they could handle the Irish by taking five-of-six points available for the weekend series. With a loss and a shootout win at Notre Dame earlier this season and last weekends results, the Falcons took a total of seven of the 12 available points from Notre Dame, winning the season series.
A few highlights from the weekend included the third period comeback on Friday night, during which underclassmen Wade Finegan, Brennan Vargas, and Nathan Pageau powered the Falcons to victory.
Also worthy of mention is senior Tomas Petruska's night on Saturday. Petruska scored the game-tying goal and then went on to score the deciding shootout goal. His workmanlike approach to the game has long been appreciated by the Falcon faithful, but probably never as vocally as Saturday night, as cheers of "Petruuuuuuuska!" rained upon the ice while the players exited the playing surface.
"Home and Away With the
This week the Falcons take on familiar foes, the Michigan State Spartans. Earlier this season, the icers lost a pair of games to the Spartans, 2-3 in OT in Bowling Green and 1-4 in regulation in East Lansing.
Michigan State is currently tied for second place in the CCHA with Ferris State. Bowling Green has moved out of the CCHA cellar, with a three-point lead over 12th place Western Michigan.
Michigan State comes into the series off of a 3-2 win over Ferris State, but having gone 1-3-1 in their last five games. Bowling Green comes in after a shootout win over Notre Dame and also having gone 1-3-1 in their last five.
The standard roster snark was covered last time around, but if you know me, you know I'm always looking for new ways to pick on old opponents.
After pointing out Andrew "ducks in a" Rowe last series, the offensive weapon contributed assists on two of Corey Tropp's three goals in the Saturday game in East Lansing.
Zach Josepher (Joseph-er than what?) is one of many Spartans with a lofty +/- rating. Josepher sits in a tie for third on the team at +11.
Lastly, Matt "Grassi Knoll" has proven to be a serious pest, racking up 13 penalties for a team-third 43 PIMs (behind Torey Krug - 25/61 and Nick Sucharski - 18/47).
What to watch for: Michigan State
Michigan State's usual starting goaltender, sophomore Drew Palmisano, has been very solid. His record is currently 14-9-4. He has a save percentage of .923 (good enough for fifth in the country) and a GAA of 2.28.
Senior backup Bobby Jarosz has a record of 4-2-1, a save percentage of .911, and a GAA of 2.48.
The play of sophomore Palmisano has to be encouraging for the Spartans, who appear to have a solid starter in place for the next few seasons.
Still leading the Spartans on offense is junior forward (and noted lumberjack) Corey Tropp (20G-20A-40P).
As this is the end of the season, it is interesting to point out that MSU loses only four players to graduation at the end of this season (Justin Johnson, Jay Sprague, Nick Sucharski, and Bobby Jarosz), only one of which is a major contributor (Sucharski).
What to watch for: Bowling Green
The Seniors
As the final series of the season approaches, the focus is understandably on the senior class. A quick list of the Falcon seniors leaving after this season:
Brian Moore - D - #3
Kyle Page (C) - D - #4
James Perkin - F - #7
Kai Kantola - F - #14
Tomas Petruska - F - #18
Josh Boyd - F - #26
Tommy Dee - F - #27
Phil Greer - G - #30
Looking at this group of seniors, I see a group of hard-working, physical, committed players.
Kai Kantola's combination of offense, size, and physical presence have given the fans more than a few thrills over the past years, and he has found a new way to contribute this season, claiming the crease as his office on many occasions.
James Perkin and Josh Boyd have shown a ton of heart in their time at BG, often out-working players twice their size. It is that kind of tenacity that will be needed in future seasons as the Falcons rebuild.
Tomas Petruska and Tommy Dee have come up big in many ways this season, filling holes left by departing players, either with physical play or with clutch offensive strikes. Both have become fan favorites during their time at BGSU.
(Also, Tomas Petruska currently sits at 4th in the fan voting for the Hobey Baker award. Hat tip to Drew of Bring Back the Glory.
Brian Moore has had an impact on and off the ice. He was a nominee for the 2009 Bank of New York Mellon Hockey Humanitarian Award and the CCHA's Illitch Award for his work on a mission trip to Haiti in 2008.
Phil Greer has become a fan favorite in spite of his limited playing time over the past four years.
Finally, Kyle Page has been the rock for a defensive unit that has taken its share of criticism over the years. His leadership, hard work, and steady hand have been essential to keeping the unit together, despite the early exits of players like Nick Bailen and Dean Petiot.
I would personally like to give my thanks to all of the Falcon seniors for everything they have given to the program. Their contributions have been essential, and they have been appreciated by all BGSU fans.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
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
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
Sunday, November 29, 2009
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
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
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