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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
CLARKSON
Falcon Hockey Team Heads To Break After Sweep Of Clarkson
December 20, 2008 | Ice Hockey
Dec. 20, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, OHIO - The Bowling Green State University hockey team scored twice in the third period to earn a sweep of Clarkson with a 3-1 victory Saturday evening at the BGSU Ice Arena. Bowling Green recorded a 4-1 win in the Friday opener notching the last three goals of the game.
Much like the Friday night contest, the special teams were the difference for the Falcons in a game that featured 30 penalties. BG had one power-play goal, the score that put them ahead by a 3-1 count, but, more importantly, Bowling Green was able to hold the Golden Knights off the scoreboard on all nine of their opportunities with the man advantage. Friday night, BG held Clarkson scoreless on five tries on the power play while they were scoring twice.
Bowling Green opened the scoring as junior Tommy Dee found the back of the net at the 8:43 mark with junior Kyle Page and goalie Jimmy Spratt earning the assists. It was Dee's second goals of the season, both coming in the last three games. Clarkson won the second period with a shorthanded unassisted goal at the 3:43 mark as Spratt mishandled the puck and freshman Louke Oakley picked up the puck went behind the net and beat Spratt to the left post.
Sophomore David Solway gets credit for the game-winner beating Clarkson goalie Richie LaVeau with a shot just 2:24 into the final stanza, his team-leading ninth of the season, as sophomore Andrew Krelove and senior Brandon Svendsen drew the assists. It was the first point of the season for Krelove.
The Falcons then gave themselves some breathing room scoring a 5-on-3 goal at the 5:56 mark as sophomore Dan Sexton got the goal and freshman Nick Bailen earned the assist. The Falcons would then hold on, killing off a 5-on-3 for the Golden Knights with about five minutes remaining to earn their seventh victory of the season sending the team home for the holidays with positive thoughts about the second half.
BG had a 30-22 edge in shots as Spratt had another solid night in goal making 22 saves while allowing just one score for the second-straight night. Freshman LaVeau was credited with 27 saves in only his second career start.
With the victory, the Falcons conclude the pre-Christmas portion of their 2008-09 season with a 7-10-3 overall record while Clarkson dropped to 2-10-4. BG also swept Northern Michigan at home on Nov. 14-15 for the only other time in the first half they earned four points for their weekend of work.
Eight different players found the scoresheet for Bowling Green for the second successive night.
(head coach Scott Paluch) "Much like last night, I thought we got a solid effort from a number of players. The penalty kills were obviously very important for us. Brandon Svendsen was ridiculously good. What he did and the amount of penalty-kill ice time he logged. He stayed out for all two minutes of the 5-on-3. He was a major workhorse. He was tremendous in that hockey game."
"Once again our defensive corp did a nice job. Clarkson came out hard and it was a physical game. I thought special teams were big. We get the power-play goal and then held them off the board."
"The power-play goal stretched it out and the penalty-kill was really big."
"The biggest thing to me about the weekend was the fact both victories were team wins. There were so many players involved. Great attitude, great bench, it was perfect."
(senior alternate captain Brandon Svendsen) "The sweep raises morale and gives you a good feeling going into break. It will bring our spirits up and helps you relax while we are away and we should come back fresh for the second half."
"It was a great team effort tonight. We played together. A lot of blocked shots, a lot of hits. And we were able to get some big goals there in the third period."
