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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Hockey Heads To Miami For First Round Playoff Action
March 04, 2001 | Ice Hockey
March 4, 2001
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Bowling Green (11-18-5, 6-15-5 CCHA) at Miami (20-14-2, 17-10-1 CCHA)
7:35 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, March 8-10
Series Record: BGSU leads 52-20-5
Last Meetings: at Miami, 4-2/9-3, Jan. 26-27, 2001
Thursday Radio: TBA
Friday Radio: WBVI-FM (96.7)
Saturday Radio: WBGU-FM (88.1)
SERIES HISTORY
Bowling Green leads the all-time series versus Miami with a 52-20-5 record. The Falcons have a 22-14-2 road mark against the RedHawks. Miami swept the Falcons (4-2, 9-3) the last time the two teams met at Goggin Ice Arena (Jan. 26-27, 2001). Buddy Powers has a record of 9-9-3 against MU, including a 3-7-1 mark at Oxford.
SERIES NOTES
Bowling Green is eighth in league scoring (2.57), while Miami is perched at third (3.39). BG is seventh in defense (2.93), with the RedHawks in third (2.54). The Falcons are fifth in power-play percentage (.191), while Miami ranks third (.201). BG is fifth in penalty killing (.840) and MU is one spot ahead in fourth (.843).
PREVIEWING MIAMI
Miami swept Ohio State (3-1, 3-0) in their final series of the regular season to move them past Michigan and into the second spot in the CCHA standings.
Miami is led in scoring by junior forward Jason Deskins (19-20--39, 6 ppg, 4 gwg), senior forward Gregor Krajnc (15-15--30, 6 ppg, 3 gwg), senior forward Pat Leahy (11-19--30, 6 ppg), and freshman forward Derek Edwardson (6-19--25).
Second-year head coach Enrico Blasi has used sophomore David Burleigh (18-13-2, 2.69, .899) and freshman David Bowen (2-1-0, 2.24, .931) in net this season. Miami's power play has scored on 35 of 179 opportunities (19.6%), while the penalty killing unit has stopped 158 of its opponents 187 chances (84.5%).
REVIEWING THE FERRIS STATE SERIES
Bowling Green swept Ferris State, winning 1-0 (OT) Friday and 3-2 Saturday at the BGSU Ice Arena. BG's two wins combined with a Notre Dame split pushed the Falcons ahead of the Fighting Irish in the playoff race. BG's 21 points put them in a tie with Alaska Fairbanks, but the Falcons held the edge in the first tie breaker (league wins) and finished the season ninth in the CCHA while bumping Fairbanks down to 10th.
BG and FSU battled through 60 minutes of regulation deadlocked at zero Friday night. Each team created quality scoring opportunities, but netminders Tyler Masters and Phil Osaer were up to the challenge, stopping 21 and 24 shots respectively.
Bowling Green would win their first OT contest this year with a goal from Austin de Luis. Ryan Wetterberg started the play, breaking into the FSU zone and ringing a bullet off the post. The rebound came out to Doug Schueller, who then passed it ahead to de Luis. The junior left winger was able to slam the puck home past Osaer at 2:57 of the extra period.
Bowling Green was scoreless in eight power play opportunities, while Ferris State went 0-4 with the man-advantage.
The Falcons closed out the regular season in dramatic fashion Saturday night to finish the sweep.
Ferris State's offense was clicking early, with sophomore Chris Kunitz scoring just 28 seconds into the contest. Rob Collins and Brett Smith set up Kunitz's 16th score on the year.
The Falcons answered midway through the first with an even-strength marker from Tyler Knight. Knight's third lamplighter of the season was assisted by defensemen Joe Statkus and Marc Barlow.
Greg Day put the Falcons ahead 2-1 with his 20th of the season. Grady Moore and Scott Hewson garnered assists on the power-play tally. Five minutes later, FSU freshman Simon Mangos would put his second of the year past Tyler Masters while Ryan Murphy served time for roughing.
The score remained tied at two until late in the third, when BG received offense from an unlikely hero. Junior Ryan Wetterberg scored his first goal of the season at 14:39 off a feed from Knight. The Falcons were able to hold off the Bulldogs for the remaining five minutes of the contest to seal the win and a playoff berth.
Tyler Masters stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced, while Vince Owen made 27 saves in net for Ferris St. BG's power play unit was successful in one of three chances, and FSU scored once in five opportunities.
THE LAST TIME
Miami swept the Falcons, winning 4-2 and 9-3 at Goggin Arena in Oxford, Ohio.
Miami's Ernie Hartlieb scored two goals, and Gregor Krajnc added 1g 2a for the RedHawks Friday night. Greg Day and Tyler Knight scored for the Falcons. David Burleigh stopped 32 shots for Miami, while Tyler Masters made 30 saves for Bowling Green.
Saturday night the RedHawks got two goals a piece from Jason Deskins and Mike Glumac. Austin de Luis and Roger Leonard each scored 1g 1a for the Falcons. Burleigh made 25 saves in net for Miami. Tyler Masters stopped eight of 12 shots he faced before being pulled in favor of Shawn Timm (13 saves).
FALCON TIDBITS
Bowling Green and Miami have never met in the CCHA playoffs.
The Falcons are the only team in CCHA playoff history to have a winning road record (13-12-2). 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) and Lake Superior State (1997 - 5-3, 8-4, 2000 - 2-1 (OT), 3-2).
Of the 35 overtime games in CCHA playoff history, BG has played the most (16) compiling a 6-10 mark. Michigan State is next with 10 OT contests. Bowling Green has participated in 10 of the CCHA's 12 longest tournament games. BG has 51 CCHA playoff wins, to rank second behind MSU's 58, while BG's five tournament titles is second to MSU's nine.
Tyler Masters broke two school records this past weekend when he recorded a shutout Friday night. His five career shutouts best the previous mark of four and his three this season surpass the previous total of two. Masters is currently ranked first in the CCHA with 787 saves and ninth with a 2.75 goals against average.
Greg Day has a point in 12 of the last 15 matches, and 17 of the last 21. Day has 11 goals, 18 assists (29 points) in his last 21 contests. Day is currently 10th in the league in scoring, with 31 points (16-15--31), tied for fourth in power play goals with seven, and tied for seventh in goals with 16.
Ryan Murphy is currently tied for 17th in league scoring with 24 points (14-10--24) and tied for fourth in power play goals with seven.
Scott Hewson is tied for 10th in the CCHA in power play goals with six.
Clutch performer -- Ryan Wetterberg has scored in only four of the 34 games he's played in this season (1-4--5), but three of his points have affected the outcome of the game. Wetterberg has assists on two game-winners (Nov. 18 at Ohio St. and March 3 vs. Ferris St.) and his lone goal this year came in the final five minutes of the last regular season game for the Falcons, sealing the win over FSU and assuring the Falcons of a playoff berth.
Only five players have seen action in all 36 contests this year with BG's losing 55 man-games to injuries.
