Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
ALASKA
Falcon Comeback Falls Short; Drop 4-3 Decision To Alaska
December 09, 2006 | Ice Hockey
Dec. 9, 2006
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - After trailing 4-1 midway through the third period the Bowling Green State University hockey team nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback, falling just short, 4-3, Friday night to the Alaska Nanooks in Fairbanks, Alaska. Jonathan Matsumoto had two goals and Derek Whitmore had three assists in the loss.
"I was very proud of our team's effort and the way that they hung in there," said BGSU head coach Scott Paluch. "I liked our team offensively tonight, even though it took us a while to get the second and third goal. We were a better team offensively then we have been the last couple of games."
BGSU (3-13-1, 1-10-0 CCHA) got on the scoreboard just 3:26 into the contest with the help of a 5-on-3 power-play goal. Junior Mike Nesdill riffled a blast from the point, which deflected onto the stick of Jonathan Matsumoto. The Orleans, Ont., native lifted the puck past UA's Wylie Rogers for his fourth goal of the season. Junior Derek Whitmore also assisted on the goal.
Alaska's Kyle Greentree scored the next two goals of the game, both on the power play, at 9:00 of the first and 5:45 of the second period to grab a 2-1 Nanook lead.
The Falcons looked to have knotted the score at two apiece at the 8:23 mark of the second period when Nesdill fired a shot from the left circle that rolled up and over Rogers' right pad and was flying towards the back of the cage. Rogers flung his stick toward the puck and batted it out of mid air to preserve the lead.
Once again the Falcons looked to have gotten back to even as Whitmore was left alone between the circles for a wrister, but was stoned by Rogers with just 3:30 left in the second period.
The Nanooks stretched their lead to 4-1 with a pair of goals in a span of 1:20 midway through the final stanza.
Following an Orange and Brown timeout, Whitmore once again was robbed by Rogers with 11 minutes remaining in the contest.
Bowling Green's Todd McIlrath grabbed a Whitmore rebound at the 11:07 mark of the third for his second goal of his Falcons' career to get BGSU to within two at 4-2. Freshman Tommy Dee also assisted on the goal for his first career point as a Falcon.
The Falcon comeback continued as Matsumoto recorded his second goal of the night at the 14:10 mark of the third. As freshman Tomas Petruska skated down the right side, he fed Matsumoto, who skated to his left and wristed the puck over Rogers' glove hand.
BGSU pulled Spratt from his cage with 1:25 remaining, and just 15 seconds later Matsumoto snuck open at the right circle for a one-timer, just high of the UA net.
"Us battling hard, that's not an exception for us," said Paluch. "That's a big staple of our team and who we are. I was very proud of the way we hung in here and gave ourselves a chance to get the win."
The Falcons had one final chance, but were unable to convert as they dropped a 4-3 decision.
On the night Alaska held a 39-31 shot advantage. The Nanooks were 2-for-10 with the man advantage, while the Falcons were 2-for-9.
These same two teams will do it again tomorrow night, begin at 7:05 p.m. local time, 11:05 p.m. in Bowling Green, Ohio.
