Bowling Green State University Athletics
#21 Hockey Heads To The Soo To Battle The Lakers
January 09, 2008 | Ice Hockey
Jan. 9, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University hockey team will be looking to ride the momentum from this past weekend's upset of No. 1 Miami to hit their quickest 10-win plateau since 1998 when they head to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to do battle with Central Collegiate Hockey Association rival Lake Superior State. The first puck between the No. 21 Falcons and the Lakers will drop at 7:05 p.m. on Friday from LSSU's Taffy Abel Arena. Game two will then faceoff at 5:05 p.m. on Saturday as BG will be looking to get to 10 wins in their first 19 games, which would be the fastest they've done so since they hit 10 wins in their first 18 games of the 1998-99 season.
Complete Release in PDF Format (38 pages)
Games #19-20
#21 Bowling Green at Lake Superior State
Jan.11-12 • Taffy Abel Arena, 7:05/5:05 p.m.
Television: B2 Networks: Internet OnlyRECORDS: BGSU 9-9-0, 6-6-0 CCHA // LSSU 2-12-4, 0-9-3 CCHA
RADIO:WBGU (88.1): Danny Nieves (Play-by-Play)
Radio Broadcast
Friday and Saturday night's action in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. can be heard by tuning into WBGU 88.1 FM. Danny Nieves will be providing all the play-by-play of the action. A pregame show will air 30 minutes prior to the opening face-off. The broadcast can be heard locally on WBGU 88.1 FM and globally on both www.bgsufalcons.com and www.bgrso.org.
Internet Only Broadcast
Friday and Saturday's games from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. can viewed online through B2 Networks' Live TV package. The pay-site that has a video deal with Lake Superior State University will be available to fans 10 minutes prior to face-off time for a price of $9.95 per-viewing. To purchase the games, one must fill out an online form and have a valid credit card for payment. The links to the broadcast can be found online at bgsufalcons.com.
Live Stats
Live stats for Friday and Saturday's games will be available at www.bgsufalcons.com via gametracker, which can be found on the team's schedule page.
THE OPENING FACEOFF (STORYLINES)
One Big Split
• The Falcons enter this weekend fresh off a split at home against top-ranked Miami, a series that saw the Falcons pick up their first-known win over the nation's top-ranked team in 14 years with their, 4-2, win on Friday. BG's last-known win over the nation's top-ranked team came back on Nov. 6, 1993 when the Falcons won, 3-2, at top-ranked Lake Superior State. It was the tenth-known win for the Falcons over the nation's No. 1 team in the 39-year history of the program and was the first time all season that the RedHawks surrendered more than three goals. Freshman forward Jacob Cepis led the Falcons with two goals in the upset victory as he gave BG an early 2-1 edge with his two first period tallies. Sophomore forward James Perkin then knotted the game-winner on the power play in the second period as part of his game-high three points, while junior goaltender Jimmy Spratt was terrific in net, stopping 25-of-27 shots on the night. The win gave the Falcons their first victory of the season over a ranked opponent as they entered the weekend 0-6 on the year against ranked foes. The win also snapped a seven-game losing streak the Falcons had against the RedHawks going back to 2004.
Taking Top Honors
• For the first time in their careers, freshman forward Jacob Cepis and sophomore forward James Perkin garnered weekly honors from the CCHA. Cepis, who had three points this past weekend against No. 1 Miami, earned himself CCHA Rookie of the Week honors, while Perkin took home CCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors, recording a goal and four assists.
Crossing That Mackinaw Bridge Hasn't Always Been A Welcome Site
• Trips to Michigan's Upper Peninsula haven't been the most successful for the Falcons in the past eight seasons as they've won only three times in the U.P. in 17 games played during that span. That includes games in Marquette, Mich. against Northern Michigan and games in Sault Ste. Marie against the Lakers. BG's last win in either Sault. Ste. Marie or Marquette, Mich. came back on Mar. 1, 2003 when the Falcons beat the Lakers, 3-2, in overtime in Sault Ste. Marie during head coach Scott Paluch's first season at the helm. Since then, the Falcons are 0-9-1 in their last 10 contests played in the U.P.
TWO DIFFERENT SEASONS...SIMILAR RESULTS
When looking at the 2007-08 Falcon hockey season, you notice a lot of similarities to the 2004-05 team that was in a similar position thru the first 18 games of the season. That 2004-05 squad went on to finish fifth in the final CCHA standings and hosted the first playoff series at the BGSU Ice Arena in over a decade when the Falcons took on eighth-seeded Alaska. Below is a breakdown of how the two teams compare.
2004-05
Overall Record:8-7-3
Home Record:3-4-1
Road Record:5-2-2
Scoring Offense:3.0
Shots On Goal:27.8
Team Defense:3.3
Power Play:26-130 (20.0%)
Penalty-Kill:96-118 (81.4%)
Faceoff percentage:46.8%
Leading Scorer:Matsumoto/Unger (13)
Top Goaltender:Jordan Sigalet (2.75, .923)
2007-08
Overall Record:9-9-0
Home Record:4-4-0
Road Record:5-4-0
Scoring Offense:3.1
Shots On Goal:29.1
Team Defense: 2.8
Power Play:25-105 (23.8%)
Penalty-Kill:80-95 (84.2%)
Faceoff percentage:53.7%
Leading Scorer:Whitmore/Perkin (18)
Top Goaltender: Nick Eno (2.64, .893)
A LOOK AT THE FALCONS
• The Falcons of sixth-year head coach Scott Paluch currently sit at 9-9-0 overall with a 6-6-0 mark in the CCHA, which currently has them tied for sixth-place with Ferris State and Northern Michigan ... they are 5-4-0 on the road this season, 4-4-0 at home and 0-1-0 in neutral site contests ... BG comes into the weekend having dropped five of their last six games, but all five of those losses came to teams ranked in the top-13 or higher in the national polls, including three losses to the No.1 and No. 2 teams...overall on the season, seven of the Falcons nine losses came to ranked opponents ... the Falcons however, have only lost one game all season decided by three goals or more, which came in a 5-2 loss to top-ranked Miami ... leading the way for the Falcons in the scoring column is senior forward Derek Whitmore (13-5-18) and sophomore forward James Perkin (6-12-18) who both have tallied 18 points ... Whitmore leads the team with 13 goals scored, while freshman forward Jacob Cepis is second on the team with nine ... on the blue line, the Falcons are led by junior defenseman Kevin Schmidt who has 15 points this seaason on three goals and 12 assists ... senior defenseman Mike Nesdill and junior defenseman Tim Maxwell then each have 12 ... in net, BG has gotten 10 starts from junior goaltender Jimmy Spratt and eight from freshman Nick Eno as the two have combined for a 2.82 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage ... against non-ranked opponents though, the duo has combined for a 2.17 GAA and a .907 save percentage ... the Falcons came into the season returning 20 letterwinners, including 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies ... they also welcomed in seven newcomers, including five forwards, one defenseman and one goalie .. overall BG returned 73% of their goals from last season and 78% of their points.
A LOOK AT THE LAKERS
The Lakers of third-year head coach Jim Roque currently sit at 2-12-4 on the season with a CCHA record of 0-9-3 ... LSSU enters this weekend with a 0-1-3 record in their last four contests as this past weekend they lost 8-2 at Michigan State on Friday, before coming back on Saturday to earn a 3-3 tie ... 11 different Lakers contributed points in the two games, led by forward Zac MacVoy who tallied a goal and an assist ... in Saturday's 3-3 tie at Michigan State, freshman goaltender Brian Mahoney-Wilson made 36 saves on 39 MSU shots ... though LSSU has struggled this season, one of the Lakers wins this season came against nationally-ranked Clarkson, who they beat, 5-1, at Taffy Abel back in October... LSSU ranks 54th-nationally in scoring offense with a 2.06 goals a game average, while their team defense ranks 56th as they're giving up 3.72 goals a game ... the Laker power play ranks 41st-nationally with 13.8 conversion percentage, while their penalty-kill ranks last-nationally, succeeding at a 69.0 percent clip ... sophomore forward Nathan Perkovich leads the Lakers with 12 points this season and has a team-high 11 goals ... leading the defensive core are sophomores Steven Kaunisto and Simon Gysbers who hasve six points respectively ... youth also dominates the Laker net as LSSU has gotten 11 starts from both sophomore Pat Inglis and freshman Brian Mahoney-Wilson ... both own 1-6-2 records ... Mahoney-Wilson leads the duo with a 3.02 GAA and a .895 SV%.
The LAKE SUPERIOR STATE SERIES
Two of the CCHA's oldest program's the Falcons and Lakers have been two of college hockey's richest programs when it comes to history and tradition ... both schools have won national championships and numerous league titles ... this weekend's meetings between the Falcons and Lakers will be the 133rd and 134th all-time in the series ... BG owns the overall series lead with a 68-57-7 advantage in 132 total contests ... only Ohio State (152 meetings) has played the Falcons more than the Lakers ... in games played in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the Lakers own a 33-26-3 record as the Falcons are 1-4-1 in the last six games played at Taffy Abel Arena ... the two squads once met in the CCHA Tournament Finals back in 1988 ... head coach Scott Paluch was the captain of the 1988 Falcon squad that season who beat the Lakers, 5-3, to win their latest CCHA Tournament Championship and their lone title at Joe Louis Arena.
IN NINE FALCON WINS THIS SEASON ...
• BGSU has averaged 4.3 goals a game, while giving up an average of 2.1.
• BGSU out-shot their opponents by a 31.2 to 24.1 average.
• BGSU was a combined 20-for-58 on the power play (34.5%), while they held opponents to just 9-for-55 (16.7%).
• BGSU had an average of 19.7 penalty minutes per game, while their opponent averaged 20.9.
• BGSU out-scored their opponents, 14-3, in the first period and 15-8 in the second.
• BGSU won 57.3% of their faceoffs.
• Derek Whitmore scored 13 points (11-2-13) and had eight power-play goals.
• James Perkin also scored 13 points (6-7-13), while Jacob Cepis had 12 (6-6-12).
• Jimmy Spratt had a 1.96 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
• Nick Eno had a 2.19 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.
IN NINE FALCON LOSSES THIS SEASON ...
• BGSU averaged 1.9 goals a game, while giving up an average of 3.6.
• BGSU was out-shot by their opponents by a 27.8 to 27.0 margin.
• BGSU was a combined 5-for-47 on the power play (10.6%), while their opponents were 6-for-40 (15.0%).
• BGSU averaged 14.1 penalty minutes a game, while their opponent averaged 14.4.
• BGSU won 50.0% of their faceoffs.
• BGSU was out-scored by their opponent, 10-7 in the first period, 10-8 in the second and 10-2 in the third period.
• Derek Whitmore and Kevin Schmidt combined for just 11 points (3-8-11).
• Freshman forward Dan Sexton led the team with six points (4-2-6).
For more information, stats and updated player bios, please read the complete release, which can be downloaded at the top of the page.
RADIO:WBGU (88.1): Danny Nieves (Play-by-Play)
Radio Broadcast
Friday and Saturday night's action in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. can be heard by tuning into WBGU 88.1 FM. Danny Nieves will be providing all the play-by-play of the action. A pregame show will air 30 minutes prior to the opening face-off. The broadcast can be heard locally on WBGU 88.1 FM and globally on both www.bgsufalcons.com and www.bgrso.org.
Internet Only Broadcast
Friday and Saturday's games from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. can viewed online through B2 Networks' Live TV package. The pay-site that has a video deal with Lake Superior State University will be available to fans 10 minutes prior to face-off time for a price of $9.95 per-viewing. To purchase the games, one must fill out an online form and have a valid credit card for payment. The links to the broadcast can be found online at bgsufalcons.com.
Live Stats
Live stats for Friday and Saturday's games will be available at www.bgsufalcons.com via gametracker, which can be found on the team's schedule page.
THE OPENING FACEOFF (STORYLINES)
One Big Split
• The Falcons enter this weekend fresh off a split at home against top-ranked Miami, a series that saw the Falcons pick up their first-known win over the nation's top-ranked team in 14 years with their, 4-2, win on Friday. BG's last-known win over the nation's top-ranked team came back on Nov. 6, 1993 when the Falcons won, 3-2, at top-ranked Lake Superior State. It was the tenth-known win for the Falcons over the nation's No. 1 team in the 39-year history of the program and was the first time all season that the RedHawks surrendered more than three goals. Freshman forward Jacob Cepis led the Falcons with two goals in the upset victory as he gave BG an early 2-1 edge with his two first period tallies. Sophomore forward James Perkin then knotted the game-winner on the power play in the second period as part of his game-high three points, while junior goaltender Jimmy Spratt was terrific in net, stopping 25-of-27 shots on the night. The win gave the Falcons their first victory of the season over a ranked opponent as they entered the weekend 0-6 on the year against ranked foes. The win also snapped a seven-game losing streak the Falcons had against the RedHawks going back to 2004.
Taking Top Honors
• For the first time in their careers, freshman forward Jacob Cepis and sophomore forward James Perkin garnered weekly honors from the CCHA. Cepis, who had three points this past weekend against No. 1 Miami, earned himself CCHA Rookie of the Week honors, while Perkin took home CCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors, recording a goal and four assists.
Crossing That Mackinaw Bridge Hasn't Always Been A Welcome Site
• Trips to Michigan's Upper Peninsula haven't been the most successful for the Falcons in the past eight seasons as they've won only three times in the U.P. in 17 games played during that span. That includes games in Marquette, Mich. against Northern Michigan and games in Sault Ste. Marie against the Lakers. BG's last win in either Sault. Ste. Marie or Marquette, Mich. came back on Mar. 1, 2003 when the Falcons beat the Lakers, 3-2, in overtime in Sault Ste. Marie during head coach Scott Paluch's first season at the helm. Since then, the Falcons are 0-9-1 in their last 10 contests played in the U.P.
TWO DIFFERENT SEASONS...SIMILAR RESULTS
When looking at the 2007-08 Falcon hockey season, you notice a lot of similarities to the 2004-05 team that was in a similar position thru the first 18 games of the season. That 2004-05 squad went on to finish fifth in the final CCHA standings and hosted the first playoff series at the BGSU Ice Arena in over a decade when the Falcons took on eighth-seeded Alaska. Below is a breakdown of how the two teams compare.
2004-05
Overall Record:8-7-3
Home Record:3-4-1
Road Record:5-2-2
Scoring Offense:3.0
Shots On Goal:27.8
Team Defense:3.3
Power Play:26-130 (20.0%)
Penalty-Kill:96-118 (81.4%)
Faceoff percentage:46.8%
Leading Scorer:Matsumoto/Unger (13)
Top Goaltender:Jordan Sigalet (2.75, .923)
2007-08
Overall Record:9-9-0
Home Record:4-4-0
Road Record:5-4-0
Scoring Offense:3.1
Shots On Goal:29.1
Team Defense: 2.8
Power Play:25-105 (23.8%)
Penalty-Kill:80-95 (84.2%)
Faceoff percentage:53.7%
Leading Scorer:Whitmore/Perkin (18)
Top Goaltender: Nick Eno (2.64, .893)
A LOOK AT THE FALCONS
• The Falcons of sixth-year head coach Scott Paluch currently sit at 9-9-0 overall with a 6-6-0 mark in the CCHA, which currently has them tied for sixth-place with Ferris State and Northern Michigan ... they are 5-4-0 on the road this season, 4-4-0 at home and 0-1-0 in neutral site contests ... BG comes into the weekend having dropped five of their last six games, but all five of those losses came to teams ranked in the top-13 or higher in the national polls, including three losses to the No.1 and No. 2 teams...overall on the season, seven of the Falcons nine losses came to ranked opponents ... the Falcons however, have only lost one game all season decided by three goals or more, which came in a 5-2 loss to top-ranked Miami ... leading the way for the Falcons in the scoring column is senior forward Derek Whitmore (13-5-18) and sophomore forward James Perkin (6-12-18) who both have tallied 18 points ... Whitmore leads the team with 13 goals scored, while freshman forward Jacob Cepis is second on the team with nine ... on the blue line, the Falcons are led by junior defenseman Kevin Schmidt who has 15 points this seaason on three goals and 12 assists ... senior defenseman Mike Nesdill and junior defenseman Tim Maxwell then each have 12 ... in net, BG has gotten 10 starts from junior goaltender Jimmy Spratt and eight from freshman Nick Eno as the two have combined for a 2.82 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage ... against non-ranked opponents though, the duo has combined for a 2.17 GAA and a .907 save percentage ... the Falcons came into the season returning 20 letterwinners, including 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies ... they also welcomed in seven newcomers, including five forwards, one defenseman and one goalie .. overall BG returned 73% of their goals from last season and 78% of their points.
A LOOK AT THE LAKERS
The Lakers of third-year head coach Jim Roque currently sit at 2-12-4 on the season with a CCHA record of 0-9-3 ... LSSU enters this weekend with a 0-1-3 record in their last four contests as this past weekend they lost 8-2 at Michigan State on Friday, before coming back on Saturday to earn a 3-3 tie ... 11 different Lakers contributed points in the two games, led by forward Zac MacVoy who tallied a goal and an assist ... in Saturday's 3-3 tie at Michigan State, freshman goaltender Brian Mahoney-Wilson made 36 saves on 39 MSU shots ... though LSSU has struggled this season, one of the Lakers wins this season came against nationally-ranked Clarkson, who they beat, 5-1, at Taffy Abel back in October... LSSU ranks 54th-nationally in scoring offense with a 2.06 goals a game average, while their team defense ranks 56th as they're giving up 3.72 goals a game ... the Laker power play ranks 41st-nationally with 13.8 conversion percentage, while their penalty-kill ranks last-nationally, succeeding at a 69.0 percent clip ... sophomore forward Nathan Perkovich leads the Lakers with 12 points this season and has a team-high 11 goals ... leading the defensive core are sophomores Steven Kaunisto and Simon Gysbers who hasve six points respectively ... youth also dominates the Laker net as LSSU has gotten 11 starts from both sophomore Pat Inglis and freshman Brian Mahoney-Wilson ... both own 1-6-2 records ... Mahoney-Wilson leads the duo with a 3.02 GAA and a .895 SV%.
The LAKE SUPERIOR STATE SERIES
Two of the CCHA's oldest program's the Falcons and Lakers have been two of college hockey's richest programs when it comes to history and tradition ... both schools have won national championships and numerous league titles ... this weekend's meetings between the Falcons and Lakers will be the 133rd and 134th all-time in the series ... BG owns the overall series lead with a 68-57-7 advantage in 132 total contests ... only Ohio State (152 meetings) has played the Falcons more than the Lakers ... in games played in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the Lakers own a 33-26-3 record as the Falcons are 1-4-1 in the last six games played at Taffy Abel Arena ... the two squads once met in the CCHA Tournament Finals back in 1988 ... head coach Scott Paluch was the captain of the 1988 Falcon squad that season who beat the Lakers, 5-3, to win their latest CCHA Tournament Championship and their lone title at Joe Louis Arena.
IN NINE FALCON WINS THIS SEASON ...
• BGSU has averaged 4.3 goals a game, while giving up an average of 2.1.
• BGSU out-shot their opponents by a 31.2 to 24.1 average.
• BGSU was a combined 20-for-58 on the power play (34.5%), while they held opponents to just 9-for-55 (16.7%).
• BGSU had an average of 19.7 penalty minutes per game, while their opponent averaged 20.9.
• BGSU out-scored their opponents, 14-3, in the first period and 15-8 in the second.
• BGSU won 57.3% of their faceoffs.
• Derek Whitmore scored 13 points (11-2-13) and had eight power-play goals.
• James Perkin also scored 13 points (6-7-13), while Jacob Cepis had 12 (6-6-12).
• Jimmy Spratt had a 1.96 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
• Nick Eno had a 2.19 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.
IN NINE FALCON LOSSES THIS SEASON ...
• BGSU averaged 1.9 goals a game, while giving up an average of 3.6.
• BGSU was out-shot by their opponents by a 27.8 to 27.0 margin.
• BGSU was a combined 5-for-47 on the power play (10.6%), while their opponents were 6-for-40 (15.0%).
• BGSU averaged 14.1 penalty minutes a game, while their opponent averaged 14.4.
• BGSU won 50.0% of their faceoffs.
• BGSU was out-scored by their opponent, 10-7 in the first period, 10-8 in the second and 10-2 in the third period.
• Derek Whitmore and Kevin Schmidt combined for just 11 points (3-8-11).
• Freshman forward Dan Sexton led the team with six points (4-2-6).
For more information, stats and updated player bios, please read the complete release, which can be downloaded at the top of the page.
