Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcon Hockey Team Heads To Marquette For CCHA Play-in Game
March 11, 2001 | Ice Hockey
March 11, 2001
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Bowling Green (15-18-5, 10-15-5 CCHA) at Northern Michigan (18-12-7, 12-10-6 CCHA)
7:05 p.m. Tuesday, March 13
Series Record: BGSU leads 25-18-4
Last Meetings: at NMU, 2-1/tie 4-4, Nov. 3-4, 2000
Tuesday Radio: WBVI-FM (96.7)
SERIES HISTORY
Bowling Green leads the all-time series versus Northern Michigan with a 25-18-4 record. The Falcons have a 11-11-3 road mark against the Wildcats. Northern beat (2-1) and tied (4-4 OT) the Falcons the last time the two teams met at Berry Events Center (Nov. 3-4, 2000). Buddy Powers has a record of 3-6-1 against NMU, including a 1-3-1 mark at Marquette.
SERIES NOTES
As of March 9, Bowling Green is eighth in league scoring (2.57), while Northern is one spot ahead in seventh (2.71). BG is seventh in defense (2.93), with the Wildcatss tied for third (2.54). The Falcons are fifth in power-play percentage (.191), while Northern ranks 10th (.140). BG is fifth in penalty killing (.840) and NMU in 10th (.808).
PREVIEWING NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Northern Michigan won their best-of-three series against Western Michigan (3-2 (OT), 7-9, 4-3 (2OT)) to advance to the CCHA play-in game on Tuesday. NMU will host the contest by virtue of being seeded higher than the Falcons.
Northern Michigan is led in scoring by junior forward Chad Theuer (10-27--37), sophomore forward Bryce Cockburn (21-11--32, 10 ppg, 2 gwg), sophomore forward Terry Harrison (15-16--31, 3 ppg), and sophomore blueliner Jimmy Jackson (7-24--31, 3 ppg, 3 gwg).
24-year head coach Rick Comley has used senior Dan Ragusett (11-4-3, 2.51, .911) and freshman Craig Kowalski (7-8-4, 2.73, .906) in net this season. Northern's power play has scored on 33 of 188 opportunities (17.8%), while the penalty killing unit has stopped 153 of its opponents 188 chances (81.4%).
REVIEWING THE MIAMI SERIES
Bowling Green swept Miami in the first playoff meeting between the two teams, winning 4-3 Thursday and 4-3 (OT) Friday at Goggin Ice Arena. With the sweep, BG eliminated Miami from the playoffs and served the RedHawks their first series loss on home ice in the program's history.
Thursday night, defenseman Marc Barlow would give BG a 1-0 lead with his fifth goal of the season. Barlow was positioned in front of the net and knocked the puck past Miami netminder David Burleigh after corralling a rebound off a Ryan Murphy shot. Greg Day also helped set up the play.
Miami would answer less than two minutes later, with Pat Leahy posting his 12th score on the year at 15:23. Mike Glumac and Nick Jardine were awarded helpers on the play.
MU's Evan Cheverie would be the lone goal scorer in the middle frame, netting his 12th at 3:47. Assists were given to Chris Knupp and Anthony Donskov.
The RedHawks' third straight goal would come off the stick of A.J. Kratofil at 2:15 of the third period. Senior Gregor Krajnc set up Kratofil's first collegiate goal.
The Falcons were not about to call it quits, although Miami led 3-1 with 15 minutes to go in the contest. BG would mount a dramatic comeback, sparked by their third line. Austin de Luis, Tyler Knight, and Ryan Wetterberg have been responsbile for 5 points over the past two games, and they continued to be hot Thursday, with Knight netting his fourth goal of the season to fire up the team. Wetterberg started the play, pulling the puck off the boards and centering out to defenseman Doug Schueller. Schueller passed it ahead to Knight, who put the puck behind Burleigh at 5:48.
BG's top line of Ryan Murphy, Greg Day, and Scott Hewson would combine to tie the game at three a piece. Freshman Brian Escobedo started the play by breaking up a Miami pass in the defensive zone. He carried the puck and a RedHawk defender up ice, breaking into the offensive end. Greg Day came in to help Escobedo and got the puck up ahead to Murphy. The senior winger skated behind the net and tried to score on a wraparound, but Burleigh was able to get his stick down and keep the puck out. In the meantime, Hewson had planted himself in the crease and was able to knock the loose puck past Burleigh at 10:22.
With time winding down, Murphy put the Falcons ahead for the first time since the opening goal. Murphy's team leading 21st of the year came off a deflection of a Grady Moore shot. Greg Day also garnered an assist on Murphy's power-play marker, scored at 15:36.
Falcon goaltender Tyler Masters stopped 34 RedHawk shots, including 19 in the first period to earn the win for BG. Burleigh made 22 saves in net for Miami. Bowling Green's power play was successful once in three chances, while their penalty kill held the RedHawks scoreless during their three man-advantage opportunities.
The Falcons completed the upset sweep Friday night in overtime. The game was a low scoring affair through the first two periods, with Miami carrying a 1-0 lead at the beginning of the third. BG's Kevin Bieksa scored to tie it, and Ryan Murphy scored shortly thereafter to put the Falcons in the lead. After Miami tied it at two, Murphy would again score to put BG up by one. Miami evened the game at three with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to send the match to overtime.
Bowling Green defenseman Grady Moore sealed the sweep for the Falcons with his third goal of the season at 9:55 of the extra period.
David Burleigh stopped 22 Falcon shots, while Tyler Masters made 36 saves on 39 RedHawk shots. Bowling Green's power play scored two goals in six chances, while Miami was successful once in eight opportunities.
THE LAST TIME
Northern Michigan beat (2-1) and tied (4-4) the Falcons at Berry Events Center on November 3-4, 2000.
NMU received goals from Terry Harrison and Ryan Riipi in the 2-1 win Friday night. Defenseman Brian Escobedo scored the lone Falcon goal. Craig Kowalski stopped 39 shots in net for the Wildcats, while Tyler Masters made 30 saves for BG.
Saturday night the Wildcats got two goals from Chris Gobert, as Fred Mattersdorfer and Terry Harrison also added scores . Bowling Green's Greg Day scored two goals while Tyler Knight and Ryan Murphy also provided offense. Masters stopped 35 shots, while his counterpart Dan Ragusett made 24 saves at the opposite end of the rink.
FALCON TIDBITS
BGSU has faced Northern Michigan four times in the CCHA playoffs, twice on the road and twice at home. Bowling Green holds a 3-2-2 edge over Northern Michigan in the all-time series, but the Wildcats have a 2-0-2 home record against the Falcons. Northern defeated the Falcons two years in a row in the CCHA semifinals at Marquette, winning in 1979-80 (11-3, tie 3-3), and in 1980-81 (tie 3-3, 10-2). Both tournaments featured a two game/total goals format. The Falcons were victorious the next season, beating the Wildcats 8-0 and 10-5 (two games/total goals) in the CCHA quarterfinal round held at BG. The most recent postseason meeting between the two clubs took place at the end of the 1982-83 campaign, with Bowling Green defeating Northern Michigan 3-0 at the BGSU Ice Arena in the CCHA semifinal round.
The Falcons are the only team in CCHA playoff history to have a winning road record (15-12-2). BG has won first round playoff series at Michigan (1989 - 6-4, 1-4, 3-2 3OT), Western Michigan (1993 - 5-4, 6-3, 1996 - 8-1, 3-1), Lake Superior State (1997 - 5-3, 8-4, 2000 - 2-1 (OT), 3-2), and Miami (2001 - 4-3, 4-3 (OT)).
Of the 40 overtime games in CCHA playoff history, BG has played the most (17) compiling a 7-10 mark. Michigan State is next with 11 OT contests. Bowling Green has participated in 10 of the CCHA's 12 longest tournament games. BG has 53 CCHA playoff wins, to rank second behind MSU's 60, while BG's five tournament titles is second to MSU's nine.
Tyler Masters stopped 70 shots (34, 36) in the two game sweep of Miami this past weekend, including 19 in the first period of Thursday night's game.
Greg Day has a point in 14 of the last 17 matches, and 19 of the last 23. Day has 11 goals, 23 assists (34 points) in his last 23 contests.
Ryan Murphy has scored five points (3-2--5) in his last two games. Murphy leads the team with 23 goals and 11 power-play goals.
Only five players have seen action in all 38 contests this year with BG's losing 57 man-games to injuries.
