Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Massachusetts
Falcons Advance To Championship Match With 3-2 Win Over UMass
December 29, 2005 | Ice Hockey
Dec. 29, 2005
STORRS, Conn. - The Bowling Green State University hockey team, despite being out shoot by a 42-17 margin, came away with a 3-2 victory Thursday night versus the University of Massachusetts to advance to the finals of the Toyota UConn Holiday Classic. The Falcons will play the winner of the Connecticut/Army contest.
"Every team came in here looking for some wins, and with one game down we gave ourselves a chance to win a championship," said head coach Scott Paluch. "I liked the way we competed the entire night."
Following a first period that saw only 12 combined shots (UMass 7, BGSU 5) and no scoring the Falcons got on the board in the second period after sophomore Jonathan Matsumoto recorded his 10th goal of the year at the 6:31 mark. Matsumoto picked up a rebound behind the UConn net and skated out front of the crease. He took a shot, but fanned on the attempt, only to refire and place the puck behind the Huskie goaltender Jon Quick. Fellow line-mates Alex Foster and Mike Falk assisted on the goal.
Junior Bryan Dobek spotted the Falcons a 2-0 lead just two minutes later after picking up a John Mazzei rebound and squirting the puck past Quick. Freshman Brandon Svendsen also picked up an assist on the goal to extend his point streak to four games.
The two goal advantage did not last long for the Falcons after Stephen Werner picked up a short-handed goal at the 9:31 mark of the second, and nearly picked up another short-hander just 15 seconds later after UMass' Matt Anderson intercepted a pass at the point and skated in all-aloneen senior Jon Horrell. Anderson attempted to go stick side but Horrell turned it aside.
For the game Horrell stopped 40-of-42 Huskie shots, a career-high, including 33-of-35 in the last two periods alone.
"He was outstanding all night," said Paluch. "That breakaway save was a huge momentum swinger for the night. He was real strong all the way through the game and I am really happy for him."
BGSU (6-11-1) regained the two goal lead after Matsumoto picked up his second goal of the game at the 15:23 mark of the second. While on the power play all five Falcons touched the puck before Falk fed Foster, who fired a shot between the circles. Matsumoto picked up the rebound and scored his 11th of the season, his seventh with the man advantage.
UMass (5-11-0) once again cut into the lead following a goal by Matt Anderson at the 4:07 mark of the third.
The Minutemen continued to pour it on, recording 11 shots in the final seven minutes of the contest, including an empty net for the final 1:02 of the game, but the Falcons preserved the 3-2 victory with several outstanding saves by Horrell.
For the contest UMass held a 42-17 shot advantage, while both teams were 1-for-2 on the power play. The Falcons have five power-play goals in their last 16 chances.
Up next for the Falcons will be a tilt with either UConn or Army, scheduled for 7:15 in Storrs, Conn., tomorrow night.
