Bowling Green State University Athletics
Land Of The Midnight Sun, Here We Come
February 06, 2006 | Ice Hockey
Feb. 6, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -
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GAME #31-32
BGSU vs. Alaska Fairbanks
Feb. 10-11, 2006 (Carlson Center, 7:05 p.m.) (11:05 Bowling Green, Ohio)
RECORDS: BGSU 13-16-1, 8-13-1 CCHA // Alaska Fairbanks 11-13-4, 7-12-3
RADIO: WBGU-FM (88.1) - Andy Evans--pre-game starts at 6:35 p.m. (10:35, Bowling Green, Ohio)
SERIES: BGSU leads 16-14-4
The Bowling Green State University hockey team, fresh off their 3-2 victory last Saturday over RIT, get back to league action with Alaska Fairbanks this weekend (Feb. 10-11). Both contests will begin at 7:05 p.m. local time, which is 11:05 p.m. Eastern time.
The Series With Alaska Fairbanks
The Falcons are 16-14-2 all-time with the Nanooks. Last season the Falcons swept Fairbanks in early January with scores of 6-2 and 6-1, but UAF got the last laugh sweeping BGSU 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the CCHA Tournament. The last time Bowling Green won on the road with the Nanooks came back on Jan. 23, 2004, a 6-2 win. In fact, the last 10 contests hosted by UAF the Falcons are only 3-6-1. Alex Foster has eight points in just four games with UAF. He is joined by Hodgson (0-4-4, 4 games), Jonathan Matsumoto (3-3-6, 4 games), Rich Meloche (2-2-4, 4 games) and Brett Pilkington (4-4-8, 8 games), all averaging at least 1.0 points per game in their career with the Nanooks.
Take Me To Your Leader
Sophomore Alex Foster is currently first in the country with 35 assists and is second in the nation with 43 points. He also ranks second with 1.17 helpers per game and sixth with 1.43 points per contest. Foster was named CCHA Offensive Player of the month in November (4g, 14a) and has scored a point in every game but six this season. He also has 14 multiple point games this year.
Recap of Last Weekend
RIT 2, BGSU 3
A goal by sophomore Jonathan Matsumoto with just 48 seconds remaining in the third period gave the Falcons a 3-2 victory over RIT last Saturday night inside the BGSU Ice Arena. Matsumoto also recorded a goal just 28 seconds into the opening period and freshman Brandon Svendsen record a short handed goal, his second this season midway through the second. On the night BGSU out-shot the Tigers 37-24, with senior Jon Horrell recording 22 saves for his ninth win of the year. BGSU was 1-for-8 on the power play, while RIT went 0-for-7.
Paluch Closing In On No. 50
With an overall 48-75-17 record, BGSU head coach Scott Paluch is just two wins shy of 50 wins for his career. Paluch has shown steady improvements in the win column each of his first three seasons. In 2002-03 BGSU went 8-25-3, followed by a 11-18-9 record, and last season he had his best year, going 16-16-4, while hosting a first round playoff game in nearly a decade.
Power Playing
The Falcons power play, which ranks 25th in the country and fifth in the CCHA, has scored 37 goals on 209 attempts (.177). BGSU is led by Jonathan Matsumoto (9), who ranks seventh in the country, while sophomore Derek Whitmore ranks 18th in the country with his seven power-play goals. James Unger (6), Mike Falk (5) and Alex Foster (3) round out the top five Falcons with the man-advantage.
Falcons Are A Second Day Team
In CCHA action this season the Orange and Brown are a combined 6-3-1 on day two of a weekend conference series, but are only 2-8-0 in the opening contest. In fact the total goals scored/allowed on day two of the series is 37-28, while on day one they have scored only 26 goals and have allowed 53. Note: The Ferris State series was ignored in these numbers due to the large delay between games.
Offense, Offense and More Offense
The Falcon offense ranks sixth in the country and third in the CCHA with 3.53 goals/game. Already this season they have put up six goals versus Boston College and St. Lawrence, seven goals against Nebraska-Omaha, eight tallies versus Northern Michigan and nine lamp lighters in the win over UConn back on Dec. 30. They have also scored five goals three other times this season. In terms of goals scored the Falcons are led by Jonathan Matsumoto (16), Mike Falk (12), Derek Whitmore (12), James Unger (11), Brandon Svendsen (10) and Alex Foster (8).
Falcons Have Played A Tough Schedule
Sixteen of the 30 games the Falcons have played this season have been against team's ranked in the top-20 of the USCHO.com poll at the time they faced them. BGSU has already faced #4 Boston College, two games with #2 Ohio State, two games with #9 Miami, two with #20 Northern Michigan, two more games with #16 Ohio State, #6 Michigan and #19 Lake Superior. They also have one game apiece with #14 Clarkson, #12 St. Lawrence and #12 Colgate. In those 16 games the Falcons are 6-9-1.
Whit-More Goals The Falcons Win
Since December 10, sophomore Derek Whitmore has recorded nine goals in the past 14 games, most among the team. Matsumoto (8) and Unger (4) rank the top three. Since the St. Lawrence contest the Falcons are 6-1 in games where Whitmore has scored. He has 12 points (9g, 3a) in that span including multiple goal games versus St. Lawrence and Michigan. He has 17 points (11g, 6a) in his last 19 games, after posting only one point in his first seven games this year.
Falcons And The First Five Minutes
Twenty-four goals have been scored in the opening five minutes of Falcon hockey games this season, 12 by BGSU and 12 by the opposition. In games where the Falcons score in the first five minutes they are 7-2-1, but are only 2-7-1 when their opponent scores in the opening five minutes. BGSU is also 2-2-0 when both teams score in the first five minutes.
Defense Wins Games
With the 3-2 win over RIT last Saturday the Falcons improved to 9-1-1 on the year when they surrender two goals or fewer this season. Their lone loss was a 2-1 defeat to Ferris State.
Penalties Can Be A Good Thing
A penalty, usually resulting in giving the opposing team a power play opportunity, is supposed to be harmful to a team's success. According to the numbers, BGSU's thought process may need to change. This season, when the Falcons recorded fewer penalties then the opposition they are only 3-9-0, but when they have more penalties they are 10-7-1 on the year.
Fast Starts = Falcon Wins
That first goal of the game has been a major factor this season for the BGSU hockey team. In games where the Falcons score first they are 10-4-0, but when they surrender the opening goal they are only 3-12-1. In fact, they are 5-3 in the CCHA when they score first, but only 3-10-1 when a fellow CCHA opponent scores first.
Paluch Knows How To Play With A Lead
Continuing with the fast start theme, when the Falcons claim a 2-0 advantage this season they are 8-1 on the year. Their wins include UNO (7-3), Northern Michigan (8-4), St. Lawrence (6-4), UMass (3-2), UConn (9-2), Clarkson (4-0), Ohio State (2-0) and Michigan (5-2). Their lone loss came versus Clarkson (6-4) a game they at one point led 3-0. In games where the Falcons claim that 2-0 advantage they have scored a total of 48 goals (5.33 per game), while surrendering only 23 goals (2.56 per game).
These Times They Are A-Changin'
For the past four seasons Michigan and Ohio State were 20-1-1 versus Bowling Green, with the only Falcon win coming in 2002 against Michigan (4-2). This year, BGSU won the season series with the Buckeyes, going 2-1-1, while splitting with Michigan, 1-1. For the year the Falcons walked away with seven of a possible 12 points versus these two squads and a 3-2-1 record.
Paluch Pushes The Offensive Limit
In head coach Scott Paluch's first season the Falcons recorded only 94 goals (2.6 per game) in 36 contests. This season the Falcons have scored 106 goals (3.53 per game) in just 30 games.
• The Falcons are averaging 9.64 points per game, the highest since BGSU recorded 10.92 a game back in the 1996-97 campaign.
• BGSU's 106 goals is the highest output since the 2001-02 team also scored 103 goals.
• The 3.53 goals per game is the highest since the 1998-99 team averaged 3.32 per game.
• Paluch's first season (2002-03) at BGSU his leading scorer was D'Arcy McConvey with 29 points in 36 games. This season the Falcons have five players that are on pace to score more then 29 points.
Falcons In The CCHA
The Orange and Brown are currently in tied for ninth-place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association with 17 points. They are only seven points out of fourth (Lake Superior and a first round bye) but are also only two points ahead of last place Western Michigan (15). With the CCHA playoffs nearing, the Falcons are only five points behind Ohio State, Nebraska-Omaha and Northern Michigan, who have 22 points apiece for the eighth spot, giving the Falcons home ice for the first round of the CCHA Tournament.
Foster Closes In On Career Assist Mark
In less then two years sophomore Alex Foster has recorded 58 assists in 64 career games. His .906 assists/game ranks 10th all-time in the BGSU record books.
Name A/Game Assists 1. Bob Dobek 1.241 134 2. Paul Ysebaert 1.047 135 3. Nelson Emerson 1.022 182 4. Mark Wells 1.000 154 5. George McPhee 1.000 153 6. Brett Harkins 0.987 148 6. Brian Hills 0.987 154 8. Chuck Gyles 0.984 121 9. Garry Galley 0.929 117 10. Dan Kane 0.911 112 11. Alex Foster 0.906 58
Svendsen Gets No. 10
With a goal midway through the second period versus RIT, freshman Brandon Svendsen extended his goal scoring streak to three games entering this weekend. He scored the Falcons lone goal in a 6-1 loss at Lake Superior on Friday (Jan. 27) and then added a short-handed goal the following night versus the Lakers. In fact, he is currently riding a two game short-handed goal scoring streak. The goal versus RIT was his tenth of the season, giving the Falcons back-to-back 10-plus goal scoring seasons by a rookie after Matsumoto scored 18 his freshman campaign. Svendsen ranks fifth on the team with 10 goals and eighth overall with the 17 points. He also ranks 28th in the country among rookies with those 17 points. Since recording only two points (1g, 1a) in his first 10 games, the freshman forward has 15 points (9g, 6a) in his last 20 contests.
