Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Michigan State
Falcons Come Oh-So-Close
March 16, 2001 | Ice Hockey
March 16, 2001
DETROIT, Mich. - For the seventh consecutive game, the Bowling Green State University hockey team played in a one-goal contest.
For the first time in six games, though, the Falcons came out on the short end of the final score.
A pair of Sean Patchell goals lifted Michigan State University to a 2-1 victory over the Brown and Orange in the semifinal round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Championships Friday (March 16) at Joe Louis Arena. The Spartans, the top-ranked team in the nation, improve to 31-4-4 on the season, while the Falcons see their 2000-01 campaign come to an end at 16-19-5.
The loss ended an improbable late-season run for the Brown and Orange. BGSU qualified for the playoffs with a pair of wins over Ferris State on the season's final weekend, and the ninth-seeded Falcons posted a pair of 4-3 road victories against Miami in the first round of the playoffs. BG then headed to Northern Michigan and captured a 2-1 overtime victory in the CCHA Play-In game to qualify for "The Joe."
The Falcons, the lowest seed ever to advance to the semifinal round, got on the board first on an unassisted goal by freshman Kevin Bieksa late in the opening period. Junior Ryan Wetterberg started the play with a shot from the right side. MSU goaltender Ryan Miller, the CCHA's Player of the Year, slid over to make the save. In doing so, however, Miller's momentum sent him sliding out of the crease. Bieksa picked up a weak Spartan clearing attempt and buried the puck in the open net at the 16:36 mark. For Bieksa, the goal was his fourth of the season.
The Spartans equalized less than three minutes later. With the Spartans on the power play, John-Michael Liles sent a shot off the back boards behind Falcon sophomore Tyler Masters. The puck caromed directly to Patchell on the other side of the net, and he roofed a one-timer into the net, sending the water bottle flying in the process. That goal, at the 19:22 mark, sent the teams into their lockerrooms tied at a goal apiece.
In the second period, Patchell scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 16:56 mark. Patchell, skating unmarked down the middle of the ice, took a centering pass from Troy Ferguson. He stopped it with his right skate and again shot it into the upper part of the net for his seventh tally of the campaign.
The Falcons had the better of the play in the third period, with a 16-7 advantage in shots on goal, but could not get the puck past Miller. BGSU had a number of scoring opportunities.
With 6:35 left, the MSU sophomore stopped a shot off the stick of BG junior Greg Day, then -- less than a minute later -- stoned Day's point-blank shot from the doorstep. Miller made a nice save on senior Ryan Murphy with 4:42 remaining.
For the game, the Spartans held a 35-29 advantage in shots on goal. Masters made 33 saves for the Brown and Orange, while Miller was credited with 28 stops. BGSU was whistled for seven penalties to the Spartans' three. MSU was 1-of-5 on the power play, while BG went 0-for-1.
The Spartans advance to play the winner of Friday's second semifinal, between Michigan and Nebraska Omaha.
The game marked the end of the collegiate careers of six Falcon seniors -- Louis Mass, Ryan Murphy, Doug Schueller, Shawn Timm, Curtis Valentine and Dennis Williams.
