Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Host Windsor on Thursday (Oct. 5)
October 02, 2006 | Ice Hockey
Oct. 2, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -
Complete Hockey Release (13 pages)
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The Bowling Green State University hockey team opens their 2006-07 season on Thursday (Oct. 5) when they host the University of Windsor at 7:05 p.m. in the BGSU Ice Arena in an exhibition contest. Admission is free to all.
What Is Returning To This Year's Squad?
BGSU returns 16 players from last season, including six of their top-10 scorers. Leading the group is junior forward Jonathan Matsumoto, who finished the year with 48 points (20g, 28a). He is the third-highest CCHA retuner in points for the 2006-07 season. The Orange and Brown also return James Unger (12g, 15a), Derek Whitmore (13g, 7a), Brandon Svendsen (10g, 9a), John Mazzei (8g, 7a) and Michael Hodgson (2g, 9a).
As a team the Falcons return 62% (77-124) of their goals scored, 50% (105-210) of the team's assists and 55% (183-334) of the team's total points. Overall, the Falcons return eight players with double-digit points from last year.
What About The Goaltending?
The Falcons welcome back Jimmy Spratt (4.35 gaa, .855 save %). While Spratt's overall numbers may not look all that impressive in his final five starts of the season the netminder posted a 2.75 gaa, .918 save percentage and had four 30-plus save performances as their top scorers from 2005-06.
What Was Lost?
Gone is CCHA Second-Team member Alex Foster and his 51 points (10g, 41a) from a year ago after signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. BGSU also said goodbye to Brett Pilkington (7g, 22a), Mike Falk (15g, 11a) and Don Morrison (6g, 16a).
Notes On Last Year's Team BGSU's 124 goals last season were the most by the Falcons since 1998-99 when they tallied 126 goals. BGSU finished fourth in the CCHA and 17th in the country with a 3.26 goals per game.
The Falcons took 1,203 shots for an average of 31.65 attempts per game last season. The last time BGSU had at least that many shots came back in the 2001-02 season when they fired 1,160 attempts in 40 games. The 31.65 shots per game in 2005-06 was the highest since the 1995-96 squad averaged 34.90 attempts per contest.
Matsumoto Named To Preseason CCHA Second-Team
Matsumoto, the third round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, recorded 48 points (20g, 28a) last season and was named to the Preseason CCHA Second-Team back on Sept. 27. In 2005-06 he finished the year with 20 goals, 28 assists and 48 points, all career-bests, while also posting a team-high 12 power-play goals. He scored a point in 28 of 36 games and had 15 multiple point games. Versus Boston College he posted his first career hat trick and had a nine-game point streak from Dec. 9 - Jan. 20. He was also named to the UConn All-Tournament Team after scoring a tournament-best three goals. He finished the regular season ranked 12th in the country in points per game (1.35), tied for eighth in points (48), 12th in power-play goals (12), tied for 18th in goals (20) and 11th in assists (28).
More Preseason Awards For Matsumoto
The College Hockey News announced their 2006-07 Preseason All-America Team and junior Jonathan Matsumoto was listed in the "Players To Watch" section. The forward was just one of 10 CCHA players mentioned among the 31 overall selections.
Young And The Restless
The BGSU hockey team welcomes 13 new players to this year's squad, including 12 freshman and a eligible transfer in Tim Maxwell. In fact, the Falcons 13 newcomers is the third most in college hockey behind only Canisus (15) and UMass-Lowell (14).
Danton Cole Joins Falcon Coaching Staff
Danton Cole was named an assistant hockey coach at Bowling Green back on May 16. Cole replaces Jamie Dumont, who was named associate head coach of the Junior Pirates' AJHL team. Cole comes to BGSU after serving as the head coach of the Motor City Mechanics for the past two seasons, where he compiled a 58-32-6 record.
Prior to his time in the Motor City, Cole served as the head coach of Grand Rapids (AHL) for three seasons (2002-04). In his three seasons with the Griffins Cole recorded 133-85-18 (.602) record. Cole received his first head coaching duty in 2001-02 with the Muskegon Fury (UHL), where he helped lead the team to a 48-22 overall record, as well as a league championship. A native of Pontiac, Mich., Cole played four seasons for the Spartans of Michigan State. In his four years with MSU Cole compiled 163 points (69g, 94a) in 180 games and was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. The 180 games played as a Spartan is still a school record.
Cole played 11 seasons of professional hockey, including stints with the Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks and winning the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1995. Cole amassed 118 points and 125 penalty minutes in 318 NHL games.
