Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Michigan
#4 Michigan Comes Back to Defeat Bowling Green, 8-3
December 11, 2004 | Ice Hockey
Dec. 11, 2004
Ann Arbor, Mich. - After jumping out to a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period, Bowling Green allowed #4-ranked Michigan to score eight unanswered goals in the final 40 minutes of the game, including five in the third period, suffering an 8-3 loss in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines came into the game as the second-best defense in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, allowing just 2.36 goals-per-game through 16 contests. However, the Falcons lit up All-American and first-round draft pick Al Montoya for three goals in the opening 10:38 of the game.
Senior Steve Brudzewski netted the first of his two goals on the night on Montoya from about 10 feet out on the right side at 4:37 of the first period. Bryan Dobek and Don Morrison assisted. Senior Alex Rogosheske then built the Falcon lead to 2-0 with his first goal of the season, a short-handed tally, at 7:53. Jon Sitko made a hustle play to the boards to poke the puck out to a streaking Rogosheske.
Then Brudzewski struck again at 10:38 to build the BGSU lead to 3-0, leaving a normally rowdy Yost Ice Arena stunned. Sitko and Dobek assisted. UM held a 14-9 shot advantage in the opening period, but senior Jordan Sigalet held the Wolverines to 0-for-3 on the power play to take the 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
"I was pleased with the way our team played for two periods," said BGSU Coach Scott Paluch. "I thought we did a lot of things necessary to give us a chance in the third period in this building. Over the course of 40, 42 minutes we did real good things then we didn't handle the road conditions well."
UM then scored three goals within a 4:17 span in the second period to knot the game at 3-3. The first came from Brandon Kaleniecki at 5:23 (PPG), followed by Matt Hunwick (PPG) at 8:40 and then Milan Gajic at 9:06 of the second period. The Falcons ended with a 11-10 advantage in shots for the second period.
In the third it was all Michigan. UM held a 14-3 shot advantage and made five of them count. Two came from Hunwick (hat trick), two came from T.J. Hensick, and one came from Kevin Porter.
UM finished 3-for-8 on the power play while BGSU was held scoreless with the extra man for just the third time this season (0-for-5). UM had a 38-23 shot advantage for the game.
Sitko ended with a career-high two points and two assists while Rogosheske's short-handed goal was the first of his career. Dobek's two assists were also a career-best and Brudzewski's two goals marked the first two-goal game of the season for the senior.
The Falcons fall to 8-5-2 overall and 5-4-3 in the CCHA, while #4 Michigan improves to 12-4-1 overall and 10-1-0 in the CCHA, claiming first place in the league. The two teams square off again on Saturday night in the BGSU Ice Arena at 7:05 p.m. It will be the first visit by the Wolverines to Bowling Green since Nov. 9, 2002 and few tickets remain.
