Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Schmidt's Overtime Game-Winner Leads #25 Falcons To, 2-1, Victory over Western
January 19, 2008 | Ice Hockey
Jan. 19, 2008
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - For the third-time this season, the #25 Bowling Green State University hockey team and the Western Michigan Broncos played overtime and for the second-time Kevin Schmidt was the hero as his overtime game-winner propelled BG to a, 2-1, overtime victory. The Saturday night Central Collegiate Hockey Association contest was held at WMU's Lawson Ice Arena.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 12-10-0 overall and 9-7-0 in the CCHA, dropping the Broncos to 6-17-1 and 2-14-0, respectively.The win gave the Falcons their fourth-sweep this season of a two-game series and gave them their first season series win over the Broncos since the 2004-05 campaign.
The game-winner by Schmidt came just 1:20 into overtime as he knocked home a wrister from the left circle on a cross ice pass from Todd McIlrath. Dan Sexton also assisted on Schmidt's second-career game-winning marker.
"Todd [McIlrath] made a beautiful pass to me and I was lucky enough to put it in," said Schmidt. "We generated a turnover in the defensive zone - Danny [Sexton] took off with some pretty good speed up the right side and I just jumped in the rush to make it an odd-man situation. Somehow then, Todd got the puck and he made a great play to set it up for me."
"Anytime you can earn four points on a weekend, it's really important," said BG coach Scott Paluch. "It's especially important to the growth of this team. For us to continue to make strides, we need to be able to close out a series like this. Todd [McIlrath] made a great play at the end there finding Schmidty [Kevin Schmidt] backdoor for the goal. It was a tremendous play to win a hockey game."
BG was once again back-stopped by freshman goaltender Nick Eno, who made 18 saves to record his eighth-win of the season, moving his record to 8-3-0.
For the second-straight night, it would be Derek Whitmore getting the game's scoring started as the senior forward knocked home a crossing pass from linemate Dan Sexton to give BG an early, 1-0, lead. After McIlrath brought the puck up into the Bronco zone on a three-man rush, he found Sexton cutting towards the bottom of the right circle, who found Whitmore open in the left-side circle. Whitmore proceeded to bang home his 19th-goal of the season into the open net as both McIlrath and Sexton picked up assists on the goal at 9:22.
BG owned a 17-8 advantage in shots on net in the opening period as once again, much like the previous night, the goaltender's play dictated the score. Eno made eight first period saves, while his counterpart, Jerry Kuhn made 16 first period stops.
One of Eno's biggest challenges in the opening stanza came on a rebound chance by the Bronco's Max Campbell on the left-side of the crease. Campbell caught the rebound just outside the left circle and poked it at Eno who was in good position and made the save.
WMU would finally solve Eno though in the second period when defenseman Kevin O'Connor picked up his first goal of the season on a wrap-around attempt at the 10:07 mark. O"Connor skated from left to right behind the Falcon net and beat Eno on the right side as Eno had lost sight of the puck and was out of position for a save. Ryan Watson and Jeff LoVecchio would pick up the helpers on the goal.
The Falcons held an 8-4 edge in the shots in the second period, but posts would be the big story. WMU hit two posts in the period as the Falcons dodged a few bullets, entering the second intermission with the Broncos tied at, 1-1.
Controversy ensued however, with just three seconds remaining in the second stanza as a Bronco goal by Jeff Pierce was disallowed due to him entering the crease ahead of the puck.
Both squads would have opportunities in the game's final 20 minutes, but were unable to capitalize. Whitmore would once again have a great chance in front, but his shot hit the post. The Broncos had the same problem as they tallied seven third period shots to the Falcons' 15.
BG finished the game 0-for-5 with the man-advantage, while WMU finished 0-for-3. BG held a 41-19 advantage in shots on net as Kuhn finished his evening with 39 saves in the Bronco net.
The Falcons will return to the ice next Friday and Saturday (Jan. 25-26) when they take on eighth-ranked Notre Dame in a two-game home-and-home series. Game one of the series will face-off at 7:35 p.m. from the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind. and can be seen on Comcast Local. Both teams will then conclude the series on Saturday at the BGSU Ice Arena with the first puck scheduled to drop at 7:05 p.m. Both games can be heard by tuning into WBGU 88.1 FM as Danny Nieves will bring you the play-by-play.
NOTES: BG was without the services of five players on Saturday due to the melee with 12 seconds remaining in the game Friday that involved 10 skaters ... missing from the BG lineup were forwards Tommy Dee, Ben Geelan and John Mazzei, while on defense the Falcons were without Brian Moore and Kyle Page ... The sweep of the season series against the Broncos was the first by the Falcons in a four-game season series since 1994-95 when they swept Ohio State in a four-game season series ... Kevin Schmidt's overtime goal gave the junior defenseman four goals on the season, which is a new single-season career-high ... Derek Whitmore's 19th goal of the season ties him with his single-season career-high set last season ... Whitmore has now scored 62 career goals, which leaves him just six goals shy of entering BG's top-20 list for career goals ... Whitmore is also just 10 points away from becoming the 69th Falcon to score 100 points in his career.
