Falcons' Streak Ends With 5-4 Loss To Western Michigan

Friday, January 13

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:05 PM

Bowling Green State University

WESTERN MICHIGAN

January 14, 2006 | Ice Hockey

Jan. 13, 2006

Final Stats

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University hockey team had their six-game win streak snapped Friday night inside the BGSU Ice Arena, following a 5-4 loss to Western Michigan. The five goals surrendered were the most by the Brown and Orange in nearly a month.

"This was a disappointing loss, no question," said head coach Scott Paluch. "We did not do enough things that make us successful. We did some things that look good, but we did not play the way we need to play to be successful. It was too much of a poke and go hockey game. Now we have to come back tomorrow and get back to our game."

Things got off to a rough start for the Falcons as WMU's Brent Walton scored just 43 seconds into the contest. His first period goal would be one of four for Walton on the night.

BGSU (10-12-1, 6-9-1) answered back 31 seconds later following James Unger's ninth goal of the year. Brett Pilkington chased down a dump-in from Derek Whitmore, turned and fired the puck to the front of the net and Unger swatted it out of mid air into the back of the net to tie the score.

The Falcons took their first lead of the game after senior Ryan Barnett extended his point streak to five games (a career-high), recording his fifth goal of the season. Senior captain Don Morrison fired a shot from the point onto the stick of junior Bryan Dobek, who turned and fired the puck off the WMU goaltender. Barnett was there to clean up the mess and give the Brown and Orange a 2-1 advantage.

A goal by sophomore John Mazzei increased the Falcons lead to 3-1 after he picked up a rebound off the stick of sophomore Alex Foster, and placed the puck just past WMU's Eric Marvin.

Western Michigan (5-13-3, 5-8-2) came storming back with three unanswered goals including the final two of the second period and the third coming 5:33 into the final stanza for a 4-3 Bronco lead.

Foster picked-up the equalizing goal just over three minutes later on the power play. Freshman Brandon Svendsen found Jonathan Matsumoto alone at the left circle, who pasted it across the goal crease, directly onto the stick of Foster, who had a near empty net to shoot at to knot the score at four apiece.

Western Michigan would once again regain the lead after Walton picked up his fourth goal of the night, with just under seven minutes remaining in the contest.

With WMU clinging to a one goal advantage the Falcons pulled senior Jon Horrell for an extra attacker for the final 1:36 of the contest. The Falcons had several chances in the closing seconds, including a point blank shot by Matsumoto, as well as a rifle by Mike Falk, but WMU's Marvin closed the door.

"This league is so tight. We were able to move up [in the standings] last week because we were successful versus Ohio State," said Paluch. "We are probably gone fall back this weekend because we weren't successful."

For the game, Marvin stopped 28-of-32 shots, while Horrell turned-away 33-of-38 shots.

BGSU was 1-for-5 on the power play, while the Broncos picked up one goal with the man advantage in four tries.

These same two teams will do it again tomorrow night in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Opening face-off is set for 7:35 p.m.