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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
RIT
Matsumoto, Falcons Get 3-2 Win Over RIT
February 04, 2006 | Ice Hockey
Feb. 4, 2006
Final Stats | Quotes
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - A power-play goal by sophomore Jonathan Matsumoto with just 48 seconds remaining in the third period gave the Bowling Green State University hockey team a 3-2 victory over the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Saturday night inside the BGSU Ice Arena. The goal was Matsumoto's second of the night.
"I feel good in the fact that we, in a tight hockey game, were able to make the plays we needed to win the game," said head coach Scott Paluch. "We had a great save with a minute and a half left and then we make a play to capitalize on that. RIT played extremely well. We knew they were going to compete hard, but they did a great job of taking away our cycle. It turned into a game that it was going to take a big play to win and I feel real good we were able to make that play."
The Falcons did not take long to get on the board as a pass off the stick of Matsumoto deflected off the blade of an RIT defensemen into the back of the net just 28 seconds into the contest. Sophomore Alex Foster assisted on the goal.
RIT (6-18-2) scored 19:01 later in the first period after Rob Tarantino recorded his third goal of the season, a short-handed tally.
The Tigers then scored just 1:50 into the second period and Simon Lambert scored on the wrap-around to give RIT a 2-1 advantage.
The goal sparked the Falcon offense, out-shooting RIT 18-3 in the second period, but were unable to knot the score until the Tigers went on the power play. With the puck moving back and forth at the top of the point, Brandon Svendsen moved in on the defensemen and stole the puck. The freshman skated down the right side and fired a shot just under the crossbar, and just over the glove of Jocelyn Guimond for a short-handed goal.
The tally was very similar to the short-handed mark Svendsen had last Saturday versus Lake Superior.
BGSU (13-16-1, 8-13-1 CCHA) got the final goal with just 48 seconds remaining, but the game-saver came 45 seconds prior to the Matsumoto goal.
With 2:06 remaining the Falcons were award a power-play opportunity after Matsumoto was hauled down at the RIT blueline. Thirty seconds into the Brown and Orange man-advantage the Falcons turned the puck over and allowed Simon Lambert to skate in uncontested on senior Jon Horrell. Lambert faked right and tried to backhand the puck over Horrell, but the senior net-minder turned away the shot attempt.
"That was a terrific save. We've talked about the ability to learn to win close games," said Paluch. "A goalie making a save in that situation is a big part of it."
Just 45 seconds later senior Mike Falk chipped in the puck onto the stick of Foster. Foster found Matsumoto wide open in front of the net for the game-winner.
On the night Horrell stopped 22-of-24 RIT shots, while Guimond picked up 34 saves in the losing effort.
BGSU was 1-for-8 on the power play, but held RIT scoreless on seven tries with the man-advantage.
Up next for the Falcons is a pair of conference games in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Falcons and Nanooks series starts next Friday (7:35 p.m.) and Saturday (7:05 p.m.) on Feb. 11-12. Tune into 88.1 as Andy Evans will be broadcasting both games from the land of the midnight sun.
