Welcome to installment #2 of the 3-part Post-Season Awards series.
For those just joining us, here are awards given at a previous ceremony:
Flying Under the Radar: Andrew Hammond
Runner(s)-up: Cameron Sinclair, Marc Rodriguez, and Max Grover, Ian Ruel
Freshman of the Year: Jordan Samuels-Thomas
Runner(s)-up: Nathan Pageau
Now that we're up to speed, let's get on with naming the next two awards.
Defensive MVP
Overall this year the Falcons had their share of defensive issues. The team gave up almost four goals per game and only had three players with a positive +/- rating, two of whom played less than 20 games.
Throughout the season, though, there were a number of players who showed signs of promise. Some players improved greatly over their previous seasons. One player stood out above the rest. That player was Kyle Page.
Another shocker. This awards thing is turning out to be pretty boring, eh?
Wait. Forget I wrote that. This is exciting stuff! You should keep reading!
But in all seriousness, Kyle Page deserves the nod for this award for continuing to be a part of the "glue" that held this team together. When the program was in its darkest hours, Kyle stuck with it, persevered, and has come out of it with a professional contract and the admiration of many BGSU fans.
Kyle Page is the definition of a leader, which is important on an underclassman-heavy defensive unit. On the ice, despite often giving up significant size to his opponents, he battled for the puck, blocked shots, finished his checks, and gave the Falcons offensive chances that helped keep them in games. Off the ice, Kyle excelled in the classroom and in life, earning three nominations for the CCHA's Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, and twice being named to the CCHA All-Academic First Team. Additionally, he received the Jack Gregory Scholar-Athlete Award and the Dr. Ron Zwierlein Leadership Award for the 2008-2009 season.
Kyle finished the season fourth in scoring, notching three goals and dishing out 14 assists. On the defensive side of things, he blocked 71 shots. Try to wrap your head around that for a moment - 71 frozen vulcanized rubber missiles that he willingly stepped in front of. Any team would be happy to have a player like that on their side.
Also worthy of mention are Ian Ruel, who is showing early signs of being a solid defender, and Andrew Krelove, who has made great strides in his game since last season.
Offensive MVP
There were a number of players at the top of the pack this season offensively. Tomas Petruska, Tommy Dee, David Solway, Jordan Samuels-Thomas and Kyle Page all stepped up at various times to carry the offensive load. You could probably make the case for any one of them, but I will avoid taking the easy way out and choose one. My offensive MVP is Tomas Petruska.
Locked in a close race at mid-season with Tommy Dee and Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Petruska was edged out for the award. While his overall production dropped off after the mid-point of the season (4-10-14 / 6-4-10) his goal scoring increased, and he came up big when it mattered. Most fans will long remember Petruska as the hero of shootouts against Notre Dame and Michigan State.
Petruska isn't the flashiest player on the ice, and I think his straight-forward style often left him out of the spotlight, but his physical play in the offensive end often resulted in loose pucks and scoring chances for the Falcons, and you can't argue with his success late in the season. It seemed whenever the Falcons needed a big boost or a clutch goal, Petruska was there to make it happen.
Tomas will be moving on after a fantastic senior season to join the Las Vegas Wranglers, reuniting with former Falcon Jimmy Spratt.
Both Petruska and Page have contributed in a big way to the Falcons over the past four years, and both will be dearly missed. I am sure I speak for all Falcon fans when I wish them the best of luck in the future with their professional careers and beyond.
Check back next week (hopefully!) for the final two awards, Most Improved Player and Team MVP, and as always, feel free to leave me a comment and let me know how you feel about my picks or make suggestions for the final two awards.
Showing posts with label Solway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solway. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Bowling Green Falcons v. Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks
Friday, 3/5/2010 @ 8:35PM - Qwest Center Omaha - Omaha, Nebraska
Saturday, 3/6/2010 @ 8:05PM - Qwest Center Omaha - Omaha, Nebraska
Sunday, 3/7/2010 @ 8:05PM (If necessary) - Qwest Center Omaha - Omaha, Nebraska
Background:
BGSU:
-Record: 5-23-6 (4-18-6-5)
-Last game: v. Michigan State T 2-2 (SOW)
Nebraska-Omaha:
-Record: 18-14-6 (13-12-3-2)
-Last game: v. Bemidji State W 3-2
Last time out...
Does MSU know everyone dies at the end of 300?
Last week the Falcons faced off against the Spartans of Michigan State University in the customary end of the season home-and-home series. Friday night's game at Munn was MSU's senior night, and Saturday's game in the BG Ice Arena was senior night for the Falcons. The home fans went home happy both nights.
The Spartans won the first matchup 5-2, dominating play throughout the game. Josh Boyd and Marc Rodriguez scored for the Falcons, but it wasn't enough. The Spartans cruised to an easy victory, allowing senior netminder Bobby Jarosz to take the ice for the final 9:00 of the game (and his college hockey career).
Saturday night was a much closer contest. MSU's Andrew Rowe opened the scoring just over 8:00 into the first period, assisted by Nick Sucharski and Dustin Gazley. David Solway answered early in the second to tie the game, setup by last week's hero Tomas Petruska and freshman phenom Jordan Samuels-Thomas. Samuels-Thomas went on to score a goal of his own, with Solway returning the assist favor, and help from Tommy Dee. With just 5:00 remaining in the game, Trevor Nill and Torey Krug set up MSU's Chris Forfar for the game-tying goal. The extra period was scoreless, resulting in a shootout.
The only successful conversion of the shootout was tallied by senior Tomas Petruska, giving the Falcons a Saturday shootout win for the second week in a row.
Falcons Look to Give "Duh Mavs" Unhappy Exit
Tonight BGSU takes the show on the road to Omaha, Nebraska for the first round of the CCHA Playoffs. The Falcons are hoping to see the Mavs out of the conference with a playoff defeat as they run along to the WCHA.
The teams have a rocky history, with UN-O fans insisting the teams are rivals, and BGSU fans not really caring one way or the other.
This year the matchup has a bit more drama, as the first meeting ended in disappointment and controversy for Nebraska. For those unfamiliar with the situation, freshman Jordan Samuels-Thomas (AKA "The Hyphen") scored the shootout winning goal, despite being technically ineligible due to being in the penalty box at the end of OT. Despite a late protest by Nebraska, the goal stood, and the Falcons picked up the extra point. Much bitterness ensued.
Duh Mavs' fans also like to point out a particular dark moment in the history of BGSU hockey (which I won't detail here), accusing the Falcons of all sorts of sexual deviancy. But, I guess, if anyone knows anything about sexual deviancy, it would probably be people from Nebraska.
In the "funny names" department, Nebraska is surprisingly deficient, with only forward Nick "Dontcha Wanna" Fanto standing head and shoulders above the rest. I think that's good enough.
What to watch for: Nebraska-Omaha
In terms of scoring, the Mavericks are led by junior Rich Purslow (14-13-27) and senior Eddie DelGrosso (6-21-27). Seven more Mavs have more than 20 points for the season, and a total of five UN-O players have more than 10 goals.
Redshirt freshman John Faulkner (13-10-4, 2.69 GAA, 90.5%) has taken care of the majority of the goaltending duties this season, backed up by senior Jeremie Dupont (5-4-2, 2.97 GAA, 88.6%).
After starting the new year 1-4-1, the Mavericks have turned things around, going 8-3-1-1 leading up to the playoffs. That run has included sweeps of Northern Michigan and the University of Michigan, as well as splits with #1 Miami and nationally ranked Bemidji State.
What to watch for: Bowling Green
The Falcons head into the playoffs on the upswing, after a regulation win and a shootout win against Notre Dame and an exciting shootout victory over Michigan State. Production has picked up from young and old Falcons, including a great showing by the underclassmen in the Notre Dame series and the breakout clutch play of senior Tomas Petruska.
Jordan Samuels-Thomas (11-13-24) and Tomas Petruska (9-14-23) lead the Falcons in scoring for the season.
The Falcons have allowed an average of 3.7 goals/game this season, which means the defense will have to step up to keep the Mavericks' strong scorers at bay. Fortunately, the play of the Falcon goaltenders has been impressive at the end of the season, so hopefully that bodes well for BGSU. Nick Eno, in his the Notre Dame series, had a save percentage of 93.7. Andrew Hammond, in the shootout win against MSU had a save percentage of 94.1.
The last time the two teams met, Eno stopped 40 of 43 (93.5%) shot attempts in regulation and overtime as the Falcons took a shootout win. The next night, Hammond fought off 30 of 33 shots (90.9%) in a 3-1 loss.
Here's to a great series and an appearance in the second round of the playoffs.
Saturday, 3/6/2010 @ 8:05PM - Qwest Center Omaha - Omaha, Nebraska
Sunday, 3/7/2010 @ 8:05PM (If necessary) - Qwest Center Omaha - Omaha, Nebraska
Background:
BGSU:
-Record: 5-23-6 (4-18-6-5)
-Last game: v. Michigan State T 2-2 (SOW)
Nebraska-Omaha:
-Record: 18-14-6 (13-12-3-2)
-Last game: v. Bemidji State W 3-2
Last time out...
Does MSU know everyone dies at the end of 300?
Last week the Falcons faced off against the Spartans of Michigan State University in the customary end of the season home-and-home series. Friday night's game at Munn was MSU's senior night, and Saturday's game in the BG Ice Arena was senior night for the Falcons. The home fans went home happy both nights.
The Spartans won the first matchup 5-2, dominating play throughout the game. Josh Boyd and Marc Rodriguez scored for the Falcons, but it wasn't enough. The Spartans cruised to an easy victory, allowing senior netminder Bobby Jarosz to take the ice for the final 9:00 of the game (and his college hockey career).
Saturday night was a much closer contest. MSU's Andrew Rowe opened the scoring just over 8:00 into the first period, assisted by Nick Sucharski and Dustin Gazley. David Solway answered early in the second to tie the game, setup by last week's hero Tomas Petruska and freshman phenom Jordan Samuels-Thomas. Samuels-Thomas went on to score a goal of his own, with Solway returning the assist favor, and help from Tommy Dee. With just 5:00 remaining in the game, Trevor Nill and Torey Krug set up MSU's Chris Forfar for the game-tying goal. The extra period was scoreless, resulting in a shootout.
The only successful conversion of the shootout was tallied by senior Tomas Petruska, giving the Falcons a Saturday shootout win for the second week in a row.
Falcons Look to Give "Duh Mavs" Unhappy Exit
Tonight BGSU takes the show on the road to Omaha, Nebraska for the first round of the CCHA Playoffs. The Falcons are hoping to see the Mavs out of the conference with a playoff defeat as they run along to the WCHA.
The teams have a rocky history, with UN-O fans insisting the teams are rivals, and BGSU fans not really caring one way or the other.
This year the matchup has a bit more drama, as the first meeting ended in disappointment and controversy for Nebraska. For those unfamiliar with the situation, freshman Jordan Samuels-Thomas (AKA "The Hyphen") scored the shootout winning goal, despite being technically ineligible due to being in the penalty box at the end of OT. Despite a late protest by Nebraska, the goal stood, and the Falcons picked up the extra point. Much bitterness ensued.
Duh Mavs' fans also like to point out a particular dark moment in the history of BGSU hockey (which I won't detail here), accusing the Falcons of all sorts of sexual deviancy. But, I guess, if anyone knows anything about sexual deviancy, it would probably be people from Nebraska.
In the "funny names" department, Nebraska is surprisingly deficient, with only forward Nick "Dontcha Wanna" Fanto standing head and shoulders above the rest. I think that's good enough.
What to watch for: Nebraska-Omaha
In terms of scoring, the Mavericks are led by junior Rich Purslow (14-13-27) and senior Eddie DelGrosso (6-21-27). Seven more Mavs have more than 20 points for the season, and a total of five UN-O players have more than 10 goals.
Redshirt freshman John Faulkner (13-10-4, 2.69 GAA, 90.5%) has taken care of the majority of the goaltending duties this season, backed up by senior Jeremie Dupont (5-4-2, 2.97 GAA, 88.6%).
After starting the new year 1-4-1, the Mavericks have turned things around, going 8-3-1-1 leading up to the playoffs. That run has included sweeps of Northern Michigan and the University of Michigan, as well as splits with #1 Miami and nationally ranked Bemidji State.
What to watch for: Bowling Green
The Falcons head into the playoffs on the upswing, after a regulation win and a shootout win against Notre Dame and an exciting shootout victory over Michigan State. Production has picked up from young and old Falcons, including a great showing by the underclassmen in the Notre Dame series and the breakout clutch play of senior Tomas Petruska.
Jordan Samuels-Thomas (11-13-24) and Tomas Petruska (9-14-23) lead the Falcons in scoring for the season.
The Falcons have allowed an average of 3.7 goals/game this season, which means the defense will have to step up to keep the Mavericks' strong scorers at bay. Fortunately, the play of the Falcon goaltenders has been impressive at the end of the season, so hopefully that bodes well for BGSU. Nick Eno, in his the Notre Dame series, had a save percentage of 93.7. Andrew Hammond, in the shootout win against MSU had a save percentage of 94.1.
The last time the two teams met, Eno stopped 40 of 43 (93.5%) shot attempts in regulation and overtime as the Falcons took a shootout win. The next night, Hammond fought off 30 of 33 shots (90.9%) in a 3-1 loss.
Here's to a great series and an appearance in the second round of the playoffs.
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.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Bowling Green Falcons v. Western Michigan Broncos
Friday, 1/22/2010 @ 7:05PM
Saturday, 1/23/2010 @ 5:05PM
Background:
BGSU:
-Record: 3-18-3 (2-13-3)
-Last game: v. Northern Michigan SOL 3-3
WMU:
-Record: 6-12-4 (2-11-3)
-Last game: v. Michigan L 1-6
Last time out...
Pain, Misery, and Loss[es]...
The previous Falcon series ended much the same as those that preceded it. Friday night's game was a sound 6-0 thrashing at the hands of the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Saturday's game was significantly closer, but still a familiar experience, as the Falcons dropped a 3-1 3rd period lead, ended regulation 3-3, and finally lost the shootout 2-0.
Tomas Petruska (2-1-3), Jordan Samuels-Thomas (1-1-2), and David Solway (0-2-2) all had big games on Saturday, and Nick Eno performed impressively, stopping 34 of 37 shots.
"Falcons Attempt to Buck the Trend"
This week it's on to one of the other directional Michigan schools, as the Falcons return home to take on the Broncos of Western Michigan in the friendly confines of their beloved nameless ice arena.
The Broncos, like the Falcons, currently reside near the bottom of the CCHA standings. In fact, they're the only CCHA team currently lower in the standings than BGSU. Their two CCHA wins have come in the form of a 2-1 victory over Lake Superior and a 3-1 win against Alaska.
We'll get into a little more detail about the Broncos later, but for now, let's have some fun at the Goons' expense.
There are actually not very many funny names to pick on here, but I'll do my best.
One Bronco you wouldn't want to go hunting with is freshman defenseman #6 David Chaney. Or at least make sure to wear a facemask and chest protector.
I also really hope senior forward Jared Katz eventually gets his Ph. D. someday. For those of you tragically unaware of where I'm going with this, I give you this. You're welcome.
Lastly, there's someone who I can't help but believe was poached from the Miami Redhawks - sophomore forward J.J. Crew. Yes. This guy's name is actually J. Crew. I wonder if he sewed a special collar onto his jersey so he could pop it.
What to watch for: Western Michigan
The good:
Despite their rough season this year, the Broncos have some hope for the future. Their top three scorers are all underclassmen. Sophomore J.J. Crew (7-8-15) leads WMU in scoring, with sophomore Greg Squires (2-13-15) and freshman Trevor Elias (5-6-11) filling out the top three.
The bad:
In their past six games, WMU has been outscored by their opponents by a margin of 20-7, including three shutouts, two of which were back-to-back in a weekend series with top-10 ranked Bemidji State.
The ugly:
There's not much more to be pointed out here than the Broncos' record. Don't worry, I'm no hypocrite. BG's record will be pointed out in the next section.
What to watch for: Bowling Green
The good:
After a 0-6 shutout loss to Northern Michigan last weekend, the Falcons bounced back and played a dominating 50 minutes of hockey in the second game of the series, outshooting NMU 26-21 through the first two periods of play. But then...
The bad:
...The 3-1 lead the Falcons took into the third period of last Friday's game evaporated into a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation, thanks to a 14-4 shooting disadvantage in the final period of play. What looked like a fairly exciting, successful game, turned into yet another disheartening loss.
The ugly:
I'm not usually the type to see the negative in things, but "the ugly" here is what is becoming more obvious by the week: This team just doesn't have what it takes to make a run at the CCHA this year. Let me make this clear - that's no knock against the players or coaches. The personnel we have this year are hard-working, dedicated individuals. The truth is that it's hard for a team to go through what this team went through and come out the other side and immediately be successful.
Yes, I was optimistic earlier in the season, but it's hard not to see the writing on the wall here. It seems like every time I write one of these previews, I point out that our opponent is in the midst of a bit of a slide. Every time, my thought is, "Good, we've caught them at a low point and should be able to get some wins." Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. The only explanation I can come up with is that we just don't have the tools to pull it off.
Regardless, being the eternal optimist, I'm still hoping the Falcons can put together a run in the CCHA tournament and surprise some people.
Hopefully the team can bring in some new talent and capitalize on the young players that have stepped up thus far and make some big improvements next season.
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 David Solway.
The top three scorers from Western Michigan are J.J. Crew, Greg Squires, and Trevor Elias.
Friday:
Forwards: Tommy Dee (BG), Ian Slater (WMU), James Perkin (BG)
Defensemen: Kyle Page (BG), Tyler Ludwig (WMU)
Saturday:
Forwards: Josh Boyd (BG), Marc Rodriguez (BG), Chris Clackson (WMU
Defensemen: Ian Ruel (BG), Jordan Collins (WMU)
Game score picks:
Friday: 4-1 BG
Saturday: 2-0 BG
Saturday, 1/23/2010 @ 5:05PM
Background:
BGSU:
-Record: 3-18-3 (2-13-3)
-Last game: v. Northern Michigan SOL 3-3
WMU:
-Record: 6-12-4 (2-11-3)
-Last game: v. Michigan L 1-6
Last time out...
Pain, Misery, and Loss[es]...
The previous Falcon series ended much the same as those that preceded it. Friday night's game was a sound 6-0 thrashing at the hands of the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Saturday's game was significantly closer, but still a familiar experience, as the Falcons dropped a 3-1 3rd period lead, ended regulation 3-3, and finally lost the shootout 2-0.
Tomas Petruska (2-1-3), Jordan Samuels-Thomas (1-1-2), and David Solway (0-2-2) all had big games on Saturday, and Nick Eno performed impressively, stopping 34 of 37 shots.
"Falcons Attempt to Buck the Trend"
This week it's on to one of the other directional Michigan schools, as the Falcons return home to take on the Broncos of Western Michigan in the friendly confines of their beloved nameless ice arena.
The Broncos, like the Falcons, currently reside near the bottom of the CCHA standings. In fact, they're the only CCHA team currently lower in the standings than BGSU. Their two CCHA wins have come in the form of a 2-1 victory over Lake Superior and a 3-1 win against Alaska.
We'll get into a little more detail about the Broncos later, but for now, let's have some fun at the Goons' expense.
There are actually not very many funny names to pick on here, but I'll do my best.
One Bronco you wouldn't want to go hunting with is freshman defenseman #6 David Chaney. Or at least make sure to wear a facemask and chest protector.
I also really hope senior forward Jared Katz eventually gets his Ph. D. someday. For those of you tragically unaware of where I'm going with this, I give you this. You're welcome.
Lastly, there's someone who I can't help but believe was poached from the Miami Redhawks - sophomore forward J.J. Crew. Yes. This guy's name is actually J. Crew. I wonder if he sewed a special collar onto his jersey so he could pop it.
What to watch for: Western Michigan
The good:
Despite their rough season this year, the Broncos have some hope for the future. Their top three scorers are all underclassmen. Sophomore J.J. Crew (7-8-15) leads WMU in scoring, with sophomore Greg Squires (2-13-15) and freshman Trevor Elias (5-6-11) filling out the top three.
The bad:
In their past six games, WMU has been outscored by their opponents by a margin of 20-7, including three shutouts, two of which were back-to-back in a weekend series with top-10 ranked Bemidji State.
The ugly:
There's not much more to be pointed out here than the Broncos' record. Don't worry, I'm no hypocrite. BG's record will be pointed out in the next section.
What to watch for: Bowling Green
The good:
After a 0-6 shutout loss to Northern Michigan last weekend, the Falcons bounced back and played a dominating 50 minutes of hockey in the second game of the series, outshooting NMU 26-21 through the first two periods of play. But then...
The bad:
...The 3-1 lead the Falcons took into the third period of last Friday's game evaporated into a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation, thanks to a 14-4 shooting disadvantage in the final period of play. What looked like a fairly exciting, successful game, turned into yet another disheartening loss.
The ugly:
I'm not usually the type to see the negative in things, but "the ugly" here is what is becoming more obvious by the week: This team just doesn't have what it takes to make a run at the CCHA this year. Let me make this clear - that's no knock against the players or coaches. The personnel we have this year are hard-working, dedicated individuals. The truth is that it's hard for a team to go through what this team went through and come out the other side and immediately be successful.
Yes, I was optimistic earlier in the season, but it's hard not to see the writing on the wall here. It seems like every time I write one of these previews, I point out that our opponent is in the midst of a bit of a slide. Every time, my thought is, "Good, we've caught them at a low point and should be able to get some wins." Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. The only explanation I can come up with is that we just don't have the tools to pull it off.
Regardless, being the eternal optimist, I'm still hoping the Falcons can put together a run in the CCHA tournament and surprise some people.
Hopefully the team can bring in some new talent and capitalize on the young players that have stepped up thus far and make some big improvements next season.
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 David Solway.
The top three scorers from Western Michigan are J.J. Crew, Greg Squires, and Trevor Elias.
Friday:
Forwards: Tommy Dee (BG), Ian Slater (WMU), James Perkin (BG)
Defensemen: Kyle Page (BG), Tyler Ludwig (WMU)
Saturday:
Forwards: Josh Boyd (BG), Marc Rodriguez (BG), Chris Clackson (WMU
Defensemen: Ian Ruel (BG), Jordan Collins (WMU)
Game score picks:
Friday: 4-1 BG
Saturday: 2-0 BG
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
Friday, December 4, 2009
Falcon Alumni News: Movin' On Up!
Congratulations are in order for former Falcons Jimmy Spratt and Dan Sexton.
Jimmy Spratt signed with the Toledo Walleye as an emergency backup goaltender today. For those who don't know, Spratt was drafted by Calgary in the seventh round in 2007, but had little luck finding his way into their system. In his career at BGSU, Jimmy went 27-62-5, with a 3.25 GAA and a save percentage of 88.2.
Best of luck to him finding a permanent roster spot in Toledo or elsewhere.
2008-2009 Falcon points leader Dan Sexton also received good news today, getting the call up to the Anaheim Ducks in the wake of a rash of injuries to their forwards, including Teemu Selanne, Jeoffrey Lupul, Kyle Calder, and Ryan Carter.
Sexton accumulated 39 points in 38 games last season as part of the spectacular "S-Line" along with David Solway and Brandon Svendsen.
Congratulations to Dan, and good luck on sticking in Anaheim.
Jimmy Spratt signed with the Toledo Walleye as an emergency backup goaltender today. For those who don't know, Spratt was drafted by Calgary in the seventh round in 2007, but had little luck finding his way into their system. In his career at BGSU, Jimmy went 27-62-5, with a 3.25 GAA and a save percentage of 88.2.
Best of luck to him finding a permanent roster spot in Toledo or elsewhere.
2008-2009 Falcon points leader Dan Sexton also received good news today, getting the call up to the Anaheim Ducks in the wake of a rash of injuries to their forwards, including Teemu Selanne, Jeoffrey Lupul, Kyle Calder, and Ryan Carter.
Sexton accumulated 39 points in 38 games last season as part of the spectacular "S-Line" along with David Solway and Brandon Svendsen.
Congratulations to Dan, and good luck on sticking in Anaheim.
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.
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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