Bowling Green State University
NIAGARA
Hockey Drops Season Opener To Niagara
October 18, 2007 | Ice Hockey
Oct. 18, 2007
Buffalo, N.Y. - Despite owning a 32-20 advantage in shots on net, the Bowling Green State University hockey team dropped their season opener Thursday evening, 2-0, to Niagara University in front of a record crowd at NU's Dwyer Arena.
A second period power play goal by NU forward Kyle Rogers would end up being the difference in the game, as he gave the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead at the 4:09 mark of the second period. The power play goal was one of two for the Purple Eagles on the night, as they finished 2-4 with the extra-attacker. BG would finish 0-5.
That second period goal would be all NU needed, as goaltender Juliano Pagliero recorded 32 saves on the evening to keep the Falcons off the board. BG would own the advantage in shots in all three periods on the evening, collecting 13 alone in the opening period while the defensive unit held the Purple Eagles to just six in the opening 20 minutes of play.
BG started strong right from the opening wistle, as they generated numerous scoring chances throughout the first stanza. Leading the way in the shot department was freshman forward Dan Sexton, who tallied three Falcon shots' in his first 20 minutes of action. Freshman forward David Solway and junior defenseman Russ Sinkewich would each then add two.
It was much the same case in the second stanza, as BG would collect eight shots in the period to NU's five, but still just couldn't solve Pagliero. Freshman forward Jacob Cepis and senior forward Derek Whitmore would lead the Falcons with two shots apiece in the second frame. BG held an overall shot advantage of 21-11 heading into the final period.
Missed opportunities plagued the Falcons though, as they failed to take advantage of a 5-on-3 power play to end the second and couldn't capitalize on the remaining time on the second penalty to start the third. Nine of the 32 Falcon shots on the night would come via the power play, including five in the third period as the Falcons went 0-3 to end the game.
The Purple Eagles final marker of the evening would come at 10:36 of the third period as center Matt Caruana found the net from the stick side to make it 2-0. For Caruana it was his second goal of the season as Tyler Gotto picked up his second assist of the night and Rogers added another point to go along with his second period game-winner.
BG junior goaltender Jimmy Spratt played a tough game, stopping 18 of the 20 shots he faced on the night to keep the Falcons close.
With the loss the Falcons fall to 0-1 on the new season, while the Purple Eagles improved to 2-1.
The Falcons will return to action tomorrow when they finish their New York trip with a Friday evening game in Rochester at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The game, which will pit BG against former Falcons Wayne Wilson (RIT head coach) and Brian Hills (RIT assistant coach) will face-off at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard on WBGU 88.1 FM with Danny Nieves delivering the play-by-play.
Notes: With the win the Purple Eagles extended their home unbeaten streak to 18 games, which now includes three seasons of work ... the Falcons are now 3-3 under head coach Scott Paluch in season openers and 0-2-1 in games played at Niagara ... it was the first time the Falcons have been shutout in a season opener since a 3-0 loss at Alabama-Huntsville on Oct. 13, 2000.
