Bowling Green State University Athletics
2002-03 Falcon Hockey Prospectus
July 25, 2002 | Ice Hockey
July 25, 2002
Bowling Green, Ohio -
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Paluch Begins New Era
Bowling Green State University hockey will begin a new era this season when former Falcon Scott Paluch takes the reins as head coach. Paluch was named the head coach on April 15, 2002.
With his passion and enthusiasm for Falcon hockey, along with assistant coaches Ron Fogarty and Kevin Patrick, Paluch looks to help BGSU rebound in the upcoming 2002-03 season.
"The coaching staff is looking forward to getting everyone back in school," said Paluch. "It happens every year with existing teams, and now with a new staff in place and a new outlook, it's even more so a feeling of great expectation to get things started. Great anticipation is probably the biggest thing that abounds right now with players and staff.
"That's the same type of eagerness you will see with our approach to the game. There will be tremendous get-up-and-go, an attack-style of play that we will base on hard forechecking, trying to create loose pucks and then being creative once we have the puck. I think it's a style of play that players love to play and fans love to watch."
Fourteen lettermen return from last year's team that finished 11th in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) with a 7-18-3 league mark. Overall, Bowling Green was 9-25-6.
Instead of referring to the recent past, though, Paluch wants his team and coaching staff to look towards the future and raise the bar.
"Here at Bowling Green our goals and expectations are always going to be high," said Paluch. "When we look back and see teams that have achieved a lot of success going back a good number of years, there's no reason that's going to be any different for this upcoming club. We're going to set high goals and we expect that kind of performance. We aren't concerned with what's happened in the immediate past here."
Goaltenders
Defensively, the Falcons have their two goaltenders back from last season. Senior Tyler Masters (31 games, .905 save pct.) and sophomore Jordan Sigalet (13 games, .909 save pct.) both saw action between the posts a year ago.
"All championship-level teams and high-caliber teams start with good goaltending," said Paluch. "We're fortunate to have two good goaltenders coming back that have good CCHA experience. We're fortunate as well to have Bob Frazee coming on competing for some time and adding depth to that position."
For Masters (5-10, 165), he has an opportunity to end his BGSU career among the best ever to where the Brown and Orange. The Calgary, Alberta native begins his final season first all-time in save percentage (.911), second in goals-against average (2.88) and third in total saves (2,758) at Bowling Green.
Masters had 51 saves two times last season, against No. 13-ranked Clarkson and No. 3-ranked Denver, four off the school record. The mark against Denver was a new Wells Fargo Cup record and included 26 in the first period alone.
Sigalet (6-1, 180) started 10 games last year, appearing in 13 overall. He made his collegiate debut in the first game of the season against No. 8-ranked Maine, stopping seven of nine shots in the third period. Sigalet made a career-high 48 saves at Ferris State on Feb. 9.
Frazee (6-1, 190) will be a freshman this season.
Forwards
Junior forward D'Arcy McConvey (5-10, 180), the second-leading point leader from last year, returns for the Falcons. McConvey netted 11 goals with 18 assists for 29 points (all career highs). Unfortunately, four of the five top scorers from last year's squad are gone. Included in that group is Greg Day, who had led BGSU in scoring the past two seasons.
For that reason, Paluch needs players, specifically scorers, to step up this season.
"Any time you lose a good portion of the team production...it adds a great opportunity for other guys to step up," said Paluch. "We feel that D'Arcy McConvey is one of the top forwards in the CCHA. He's proven he is on that track and heading into his third year we feel he's ready to have another breakout year after his sophomore year.
"Tyler Knight, in his last year here, is really ready to make a big impact in production, as well as a number of returning players and incoming freshmen."
Other forwards that will join McConvey are senior Knight (6-0, 191); juniors Mark Wires (6-0, 170) and Erik Eaton (6-2, 215); and sophomores Ben Assenmacher (6-0, 190), Steve Brudzewski (5-9, 180), Ryan Minnabarriet (5-11, 190), and Colen Pappas (6-0, 195).
Knight improved upon his sophomore campaign with 6-11--17 while Minnabarriet finished plus-6 and had 6-8--14. Pappas was second on the team in penalty minutes with 79 (26 penalties).
The freshmen class of forwards includes Ryan Barnett (5-11, 175), Mike Falk (5-10, 170), Brett Pilkington (6-0, 185), and Bryan Dobek (5-9, 165).
Defensemen
Among the blue liners are two juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Juniors Kevin Bieksa (6-1, 185) and Brian Escobedo (6-0, 170) will be looked upon to set the tone among the defensemen. Both appeared in all 40 games last season, with Bieksa (5-10--15) finishing one point ahead of Escobedo (4-10--14). Bieksa was second on the team in penalties with 34 for 68 minutes.
"Our two juniors have played a lot of hockey in their first two years," said Paluch. "Those are the players we're going to look to on defense to really carry a big load in experience and in a leadership role."
The two sophomores will include Taylor Christie (6-3, 210) and Matt Lynn (6-2, 195). Each finished with two assists apiece while Christie appeared in 37 games and Lynn in 24 games.
"Christie and Lynn both got some valuable experience a year ago, and the three freshmen will be vying for important ice time as well."
The freshmen class of defensemen will include the trio of Donald Morrison (5-10, 180), Chris Pedota (5-11, 195) and Jon Sitko (5-10, 190).
New Attitude for 2002-03
Paluch wants his team coming into the fall and the upcoming season with a certain mindset.
"As far as heading into preseason camp, we want to establish that goal as the hardest working team in college hockey," said Paluch. "I think from that we want to become a team that's extremely close, a team that is willing to do a lot for each other, and a team that's full of what we're going to term 'perfect teammates.'
"We'll let our performance on the ice evolve around that goal of being the hardest working team in the country."
The Falcons begin the regular season with the inaugural Lefty McFadden Invitational at the E.J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. Other teams competing will be Air Force, Miami and Niagara.
"You get excited about tournaments and a chance to win a championship, and we're fortunate with an opportunity to play in a tournament to begin the season," Paluch said about the 'Lefty.' "Then we move on to what many people consider one of the premier holiday tournaments in the Mariucci Classic."
Over the Christmas Break, BGSU travels to Minnesota to take part in the Mariucci Classic, featuring the past two national champions (Boston College and Minnesota), as well as the Falcons and Yale.
The Mariucci Classic will cap a competitive first half to Paluch's first season.
"When you look at the first half of our schedule, Michigan comes here twice, Michigan State once...come middle December we're going to play some tremendous opponents, and we'll see exactly where we stand early on in the CCHA and nationally, as well."
Bowling Green will face Alaska-Fairbanks, Ferris State, Findlay, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Northern Michigan, and Western Michigan at home in the BGSU Ice Arena.
The matchup with Bowling Green's neighbor to the South, Findlay, will be the first time the two schools have met on the ice.
"We're looking for a lot of excitement in this area leading up to that game," said Paluch.
Another College Hockey America opponent BG will face is Wayne State on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The site of the game will be at legendary Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
"It's good anytime you get a chance to play in a prestigious venue like Joe Louis," said Paluch. "We want to use that as a springboard to try and get ourselves right back to the Joe in March and compete for a CCHA Championship."
