Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
RIT
Hockey Earns First Victory Of The Season With 5-3 Win At RIT
October 19, 2007 | Ice Hockey
Oct. 19, 2007
Final Stats | Quotes
Rochester, N.Y. - A two-goal performance by senior tri-captain Derek Whitmore and three-point game from sophomore Kai Kantola would propel the Bowling Green State University hockey team to a 5-3 victory Friday evening over the Rochester Institute of Technology at RIT's Ritter Arena. The Falcons (1-1) would see a total of nine different players collect points on the night, as they earned their first victory of the season and won the battle with the Tigers (0-2) that matched a coaching match up between former BGSU players and coaches.
Earning his first collegiate victory in net then was BG freshman goaltender Nick Eno, who collected 29 saves on 32 shots in his first game as a Falcon. The Howell, Mich. native would hold the Tigers scoreless on 10 third period shots to help his team secure the victory as RIT would apply lots of pressure late in the contest as BG held on to a slim 4-3 lead.
That fourth BG goal would come from Kantola, who scored on a shot with just 1.1 seconds showing on the second period clock that broke a 3-3 tie. It would prove to be the game-winner, as the Raleigh, N.C. native would add two assists to tie a career single-game high with three points.
Fellow sophomore forward James Perkin would add the fifth goal at 18:25 of the third then that put the final nail in the coffin, as he tallied his first marker of the season. Freshman defenseman Andrew Krelove would pick up his first collegiate assist on the marker.
Just like the night before at Niagara, the Falcons would come out and apply loads of pressure early on the RIT net, as they held a 12-5 shot advantage at the first intermission. Whitmore would give BG the early 1-0 lead, as he knotted a 5-on-4 power play goal at the 6:38 mark of the first. His deflection in front off a shot by junior defenseman Kevin Schmidt would beat RIT goalie Louis Menard over his left shoulder, as the Rochester native made sure his homecoming would be a happy one.
Whitmore would then have a part in a pair of second period goals that would give BG a two-goal cushion at the mid-way point of the game. After freshman forward Jacob Cepis tallied his first collegiate goal on a breakaway to the net at 6:45 on a pass from Schmidt and Tim Maxwell, Whitmore would catch a shot from Kantola and re-direct it past Menard to make it 3-1. Maxwell would also add an assist on the play at 9:06 of the second, as he also tied a career single-game high with two points.
RIT wouldn't let the Falcons get too comfortable in the lead however, as they answered back with two quick goals just 1:20 apart. Winger Ricky Walton tallied the first on a singular effort for the Tigers at the 14:27 mark as he carried the puck around the net from left to right and was able to beat Eno through his five- hole. That would be followed shortly by a power play goal from defenseman Al Mazur, who beat Eno cleanly from the left face-off circle on a pass from Dan Ringwald down low to tie the game at 3-3 with just 4:13 left in the second stanza.
Eno held tight though and withstood the final charge, as BG finished the night with a 37-32 advantage in shots.
The Falcons would end the night 2-7 on the power-play, while RIT went 2-8.
BG will return to action on Tuesday, Oct. 23 when they host Central Collegiate Hockey Association rival Notre Dame in the 38th home opener at the BGSU Ice Arena. Face-off between the Falcons and Fighting Irish is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The action can be heard on WBGU 88.1 FM and can been seen on both BCSN and Comcast Local.
