.png&type=webp)
Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Nebraska Omaha
Falcons' Season Comes To A Close With 4-2 Loss To UNO
March 04, 2006 | Ice Hockey
March 4, 2006
OMAHA, Neb. - The Bowling Green State University hockey team's season came to a close Saturday night inside the Qwest Center following a 4-2 loss to the UNO Mavericks in the first-round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. In the loss, senior Jon Horrell had a career-high 42 saves.
"They [UNO] really wanted to come out and end the series and got on us early, but I thought our guys really battled back," said head coach Scott Paluch. "This is the same type of feeling it has been the last month. Our club battles back, but we just couldn't make the plays to pull out the win."
The first period was a reversal of fortunes from the previous night. On Friday, BGSU opened with a 7-1 shot advantage and finished with a 10-3 shot lead at the end of one. Tonight, UNO began the first period with the same 7-1 lead and finished with a 14-4 shot lead over BGSU, but senior netminder Jon Horrell was up to the challenge. He repelled all 14 UNO shots in the opening 20 minutes, including several that left the Nebraska-Omaha crowd in awe.
With their 25th shot of the contest UNO finally snuck one past Horrell at the 8:50 mark of the second after Bryan Marshall grabbed a rebound and squeezed it through Horrell on the Mavericks third power-play opportunity of the night.
UNO extended their lead to two at the 12:54 mark of the second when Jason Krischuk converted on a slap-shot from the point that found its way through several members of both teams.
Bowling Green looked to have gotten to within one at the 14:12 mark when Brandon Svendsen received a pass from senior Brett Pilkington. Svendsen skated in on UNO's Jerad Kaufman, who flat out robbed him in front of the Maverick goal crease.
The two teams went to the locker room with UNO leading 2-0 after two periods.
BGSU solved Kaufman at the 4:34 mark of the third period after John Mazzei picked up a rebound off the stick of James Unger and slid it under Kaufman's right pad to get the Falcons to within one, 2-1. It was just BGSU's second shot of the final period.
UNO regained their two goal advantage at the 8:34 mark of the third. After a BGSU turnover Bill Thomas fed Scott Parse for a one-timer past Horrell.
Mike Falk's 15th goal of the season once again climbed the Falcons to within one, but a UNO empty-netter at 19:57 sealed the deal for the Mavericks.
BGSU finished the night 0-for-3 on the power play, while Nebraska-Omaha was 1-for-5. The Mavericks also finished with a 46-31 shot advantage.
Jon Horrell finished with a career-high 42 saves in his final game with the Orange and Brown. UNO's Kaufman recorded 29 saves in the win.
The Saturday night loss ends the Falcons season and ends the BGSU career of seven seniors including, Ryan Barnett, Mike Falk, Bob Frazee, Jon Horrell, Don Morrison, Brett Pilkington, and Jon Sitko.
