Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Michigan
Falcons Fall to #4 Michigan, 4-1
March 04, 2005 | Ice Hockey
March 4, 2005
Bowling Green, Ohio - #4-ranked Michigan scored the game's final three goals en route to a 4-1 victory over Bowling Green Friday night in front of 4,626 in attendance. The game was the regular-season finale at home and was "Senior Night" for the six Falcon seniors. The crowd was the second-largest this season at the BGSU Ice Arena.
"The pace for the first 35-40 minutes was really quick," said BGSU Coach Scott Paluch. "I loved the way our guys competed. We needed to get the lead in that type of hockey game. It was great March-type of hockey game in front of a lot of people."
UM struck first with a short-handed goal by Andrew Ebbett at 7:26 of the first period. BGSU answered, though, when junior Mike Falk buried a pass from Jonathan Matsumoto on the Falcon power play at 7:54. Jonathan Sigalet also earned an assist. BGSU held a slim 6-4 shot advantage in the first period.
UM's Eric Nystrom scored at 10:00 of the second period to put the visitors up, 2-1. Despite being outshot 14-6 in the second period, BGSU kept the game close and manageable.
Jeff Tambellini scored just 1:42 into the third period and T.J. Hensick scored at 16:41 for the final 4-1 verdict. UM held a slim 11-10 shot advantage in the third period and ended with a 29-22 shot advantage for the game.
"I thought our team battled really hard," said BGSU goalie Jordan Sigalet. "I think we were in the game all the way. They (Michigan) are a very skilled team."
Sigalet commented on the great crowd that came out to watch the regular-season finale at the BGSU Ice Arena.
"We didn't know what kind of crowd we were going to have today with Spring Break starting," said Sigalet. "They (crowd) have been fantastic all year. The guys really appreciate them all coming out."
BGSU was 1-for-8 on the power play while UM was 0-for-6. Sigalet stopped 25 of 29 shots faced while Al Montoya stopped 21 of 22 shots faced.
BGSU falls to 16-13-4 overall and 13-11-3 in the CCHA. CCHA-leading Michigan improves to 25-7-3 overall and 22-3-2 in the league. The two teams end the regular season tomorrow night at Yost Ice Arena beginning at 7:35 p.m.
BGSU still needs just one point to tie Nebraska-Omaha for fourth place in the CCHA, with the Falcons earning the tie-breaker over the Mavericks for the overall fourth seed in the upcoming CCHA Playoffs.
BGSU Post-Game Notes...
• Former Falcon Hobey Baker Award winners Brian Holzinger (1995) and George McPhee (1982) were presented with Hobey Baker rings at the first intermission of the game. Presenting the rings were Jim Nichols with the Hobey Baker Foundation and Lavisse Smith of Jostens Inc.
• CCHA First-Round Playoff tickets are available at the BGSU Ticket office, located in Anderson Arena, for next weekend's best-of-three series at the BGSU Ice Arena (March 1-13). BGSU's opponent is yet to be determined. Ticket prices are $12 for reserved seats, $10 for general admission, $7 for high school students and youths, and $3 for BGSU and opponent students. Call 1-877-BGSU-Ticket to purchase tickets.
• BGSU ended the regular season with an average attendance of 2,792 per contest in 15 home games. That is the best attendance average at the BGSU Ice Arena since the 1999-2000 season (3,007). Also, Friday's game marked the fourth game this year with 4,000-plus in attendance, the most since the 1998-99 season.
