Bowling Green State University
NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Falcons Fall at Northern Michigan, 4-1
February 07, 2009 | Ice Hockey
Feb. 7, 2009
MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Bowling Green State University hockey team had almost four times as many shots as Northern Michigan Saturday night in the Berry Events Center. But, the Wildcats put one-third of their chances in the back of the net to earn a 4-1 win over the Falcons and sweep the weekend series.
BG had the best of the play in the first period, but went to the locker room down two goals. The Falcons had an 11-4 edge in shots in the first 20 minutes, but, much like Friday night, could not solve Wildcat junior goaltender Brian Stewart.
Northern scored a pair of unassisted goals in the opening period, less than two minutes apart. A Falcon turnover at their blue line turned into a goal as Wildcat sophomore Jared Brown picked up the puck and converted the breakaway beating BG sophomore goalender Nick Eno low to the glove side for a short-handed goal at 16:57. At 18:50, sophomore Gregor Hanson took the puck in the neutral zone, stickhandled past a couple BG players up the left side and beat Eno with a backhand shot from right in front,
BG had given up just one shot on goal for the period until the two Northern goals late in the stanza.
It was more of the same in the second period as BG had a 12-5 edge in shots, but still could not find the scoresheet and NMU added to its advantage.
The Wildcats added their second short-handed goal of the game when Mark Olver beat Eno high to the glove side from the circle to the left the Falcon goaltender at 4:08 for the only tally of the period,
NMU got a goal from junior Ray Kaunisto at 6:51 of the final period to build a 4-0 lead before the Falcons finally broke through against Stewart.
Junior Kai Kantola tipped home a shot from between the circles by freshman Nick Bailen at 13:55 on the power play to end six periods of frustration against Stewart, who recorded his third shutout of the season the night before. Junior James Perkin also drew an assist on the BG goal.
The Falcons had a 21-3 edge in shots in the final period and a 44-12 advantage for the game.
Stewart was credited with 43 saves while Eno made eight stops in the game. BG was one-of-eight on the power play while NMU failed to score on their three opportunities. It was the sixth time this season BG has had 40 or more shots in a game, but the first time they have lost the contest. Stewart made 160 saves in the four games against Bowling Green this season as the two programs split the games with each sweeping on its home ice.
With the loss, the fifth-straight for the Falcons, BG is now 9-18-3 overall and 6-15-1-0 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Wildcats improved to 11-13-4 overall and 8-10-4-3 in league play. NMU is 8-1-1 in its last 10 contests.
BG will return to action next weekend when they host Ferris State for a pair of games at the BGSU Ice Arena. Both games of the Feb. 13-14 series begin at 7:05 p.m.
