Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Northern Michigan
BGSU Drops Heartbreaker in CCHA Opener, 2-1
October 19, 2001 | Ice Hockey
Oct. 19, 2001
Marquette, Mich. - Northern Michigan University broke a 1-1 tie against Bowling Green State University with 13 seconds left in the third period and won the league-opener for both teams at Berry Events Center, 2-1.
Bowling Green held its first opponent of the season scoreless through the first period as the two teams went to their lockerrooms scoreless. NMU outshot the Falcons in the first period 24-13 and had 12 shots on goal compared to BG's three.
However, the Falcons became the aggressors early in the second period beginning with freshman Colen Pappas' shot on goal just seconds after the opening faceoff. The shot was stopped by Wildcat goalie Craig Kowalski but the momentum was changing for the better for BGSU.
Senior forward Greg Day put Bowling Green ahead for the first time this season with a slapshot from above the left circle that went over the shoulder of Kowalski. The power play goal came at 6:52 of the second period and was Day's first of the season.
Later in the second period sophomore Mark Wires was sent to the penalty box for hooking at 17:59, and 14 seconds later NMU's Chad Theuer deflected a shot from Chris Gobert to knot the score at 1-1.
Both teams attempted 17 shots in the period with 10 of Bowling Green's on goal.
In the third period, BGSU had 18 shot attempts, including 12 on goal, to Northern Michigan's 12. However, with 13 seconds left in the third period and the score tied at 1-1, NMU won a faceoff in the left circle on BG's side of the ice. Bryce Cockburn fired on goal from the top of the circle and Theuer intercepted the shot above the crease and backhanded the winning goal to the right of a diving Tyler Masters.
Both teams were 1-for-5 on power plays and were even in penalties (six for 12 minutes). "I thought the improvement from last week to this week was tremendous," said BGSU coach Buddy Powers. "We did a lot of little things right. Four breakaways and no goals, that was the difference."
Masters had another good game in the net for Bowling Green, turning away 26 Wildcat shots.
BGSU (0-2-1 overall) plays again at NMU on Saturday night. Faceoff will be at 7:05 p.m.
NOTE: Freshman Kelsey Muench left the Bowling Green hockey team this week due to personal reasons and returned home to Luseland, Saskatchewan. Muench played in BGSU's first two games of the year last week at the Ice Breaker Cup.
