Bowling Green State University Athletics
BG Icers Return Home To Host Alaska Fairbanks
December 29, 1999 | Ice Hockey
Oct. 26, 1999
The Bowling Green State University hockey team, after splitting at Western Michigan last weekend (1-2, 5-4), returns home to entertain the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Game time both nights at the BGSU Ice Arena is 7:35 p.m. The Falcons own a 399-154-26 (exhibitions excluded) mark at the BGSU Ice Arena for a .712 winning percentage.
UPCOMING GAMES ...
Following the home series with the Nanooks, BG will begin November with a single contest at Miami on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 7:05 p.m.
The Falcons road trip continues the following weekend with a two-game set at Michigan State on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12-13. Both games at Munn Arena begin at 7:05 p.m. with Friday's contest being the FOX Sports Net Detroit CCHA Game of the Week telecast.
THE SERIES ...
Bowling Green leads in the all-time series against Alaska Fairbanks with a 10-7-1 mark, including a 4-4-0 record in Bowling Green. The Nanooks have won their last two games in BG.
UAF won last year's season series with a 2-1-0 mark, which included a win at BG (6-5 on Nov. 14) and a victory in Fairbanks (4-3 OT on Feb. 12). The Falcons won the final meeting last year, 10-3 on Feb. 13 in Fairbanks.
PREVIEWING UPCOMING OPPONENT ...
Alaska Fairbanks enters the BG series with a 3-3 overall mark and a 2-2 record in the CCHA. The Nanooks have played all six games at home for first-year head coach Guy Gadowsky.
Last weekend UAF split with No. 3-ranked Michigan (4-2, 1-4). Freshman goaltender Lance Mayes has played all six games recording a 2.19 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage. Mayes made 45 saves in Friday's victory over the Wolverines.
Senior left wing Nathan Rocheleau leads UAF in scoring with two goals and three assists for five points. Five other UAF skaters have also scored two goals - sophomore forward Bobby Andrews, sophomore defensemen Aaron Grosul and Daniel Carriere, senior defenseman Dwayne Zinger and senior left wing Kevin McNeill.
The Nanooks have outscored their opponents 16-15 despite having a power play that has converted on 9.8% (four-for-41) of its chances. UAF penalty killers have been stellar allowing only five goals in 48 man-down opportunities (89.6%).
In all three of UAF's victories they have led after 40 minutes and in two of the wins, the Nanooks scored first.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEKEND ...
Bowling Green did not allow an even-strength goal on Friday but fell to host Western Michigan 2-1 at Lawson Arena. The Broncos scored a power-play goal in each of the first two periods to offset Craig Desjarlais' third period goal. Desjarlais' first of the year was assisted by freshman forward Ryan Fultz and sophomore defenseman Marc Barlow.
Freshman goalie Tyler Masters made 22 saves, while WMU netminder Jeff Reynaert made 20 stops. The Broncos were two- for-11 with the man-advantage, while BG went zero-for-four.
After a scoreless first period on Saturday, BG outscored WMU 3-1 in the middle stanza. Scoring for the Falcons were Greg Day, Michael Jones and Doug Schueller.
Two Bronco goals in the first three minutes of the third period evened the score at three, but Adam Edinger's first of the year gave BG a 4-3 advantage at the 6:57 mark. WMU scored the equalizer 33 seconds later.
Desjarlais scored a power-play goal with 5:36 left in the third period giving the Falcons the win. The power-play goal was BG's first in the last 19 man-advantage opportunities. Desjarlais was named the game's No. 1 star after leading BG with one goal and three assists.
Falcon freshman netminder Tyler Masters made 31 saves for his first collegiate victory, while Bronco goaltender Jeff Reynaert was credited with 28 stops.
FALCON TIDBITS ...
Senior wing Craig Desjarlais (LaSalle, ONT/Leamington Flyers) scored his second collegiate game-winning goal on Saturday in Kalamazoo. His power-play marker with 5:36 remaining in the third period snapped a 4-4 tie. His first collegiate game-winner came on Dec. 12, 1998, in BG's 5-3 home triumph over the Broncos.
Senior center Adam Edinger (Toledo, OH/Leamington Flyers) recorded his 100th collegiate point with an assist on Doug Schueller's second period goal on Saturday.
Desjarlais' power-play goal on Saturday snapped an 0-for-18 drought with the man-advantage. Curtis Valentine garnered the first assist on the game-winner using Ryan Murphy's stick. Valentine had come on during the power play for Murphy, but had his stick broken while receiving a check from a Bronco penalty killer. He then went to the bench but the BG sticks were at the far end of the bench, so he grabbed Murphy's stick and returned to the play where he received a pass from Schueller and took a shot on goal that was stopped but Desjarlais poked in the rebound.
Saturday's triumph was the first collegiate victory for freshman netminder Tyler Masters (Calgary, ALB/Kindersley Klippers).
DESJARLAIS NAMED CCHA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bowling Green senior forward Craig Desjarlais (LaSalle, ONT/Leamington Flyers) was named Central Collegiate Hockey Association Offensive Player of the Week after scoring two goals and adding three assists in the Falcons split at Western Michigan.
Desjarlais scored BG's lone goal in Friday's 2-1 loss, while scoring the game-winning goal and adding three assists in Saturday's 5-4 triumph. He finished the weekend with a plus/minus rating of +4.
RADIO COVERAGE ...
Bowling Green fans can catch all Falcon games -- home or away -- on WBGU radio (88.1 FM). In his 11th season of calling play-by-play is Bartt Davis (BGSU, '95). Splitting time as color commentators are Steve Mears and Dave Crane.
