Bowling Green State University
OHIO STATE
BG's Season Ends With 7-1 Loss To Ohio State
March 07, 2009 | Ice Hockey
March 7, 2009
COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Bowling Green State University hockey team could not capitalize on some early scoring chances and Ohio State scored the first three goals of the game in a little more than a 10-minute span to end the Falcons' season Saturday night at the OSU Ice Rink.
The Buckeyes posted a 7-1 victory in the second game of the best-of-three series to win the series 2-0 after earning a hard-fought 5-4 decision in the series opener Friday night. With the victory, OSU advances to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal round where they will travel to Fairbanks, Alaska for a best-of-three series against the Nanooks next weekend.
With their season on the line, the Falcons came out with good energy collecting the first six shots on goal in the game, over the first five minutes. But, despite their early advantage in the play and some excellent scoring opportunities, it would be Ohio State who would get the critical first goal with only 57 seconds left in the opening stanza. Sophomore Sergio Somma's tally, an even-strength goal, won the period for the Buckeyes even though the Falcons enjoyed a 13-9 edge in shots.
Bowling Green had an excellent opportunity to gain the early advantage when OSU was whistled for three consecutive penalties in the first period giving the Falcons what amounted to 4:55 of man-advantage time, 1:02 of that time with a 5-on-3 advantage. BG managed four shots on goal over the almost five-minute power-play but could not get the puck past Buckeye sophomore goalie Dustin Carlson.
And, when OSU scored at the 2:20 mark of the second period, the first of three goals by senior Corey Elkins on the night, the Falcons had an uphill battle the rest of the way.
Elkins scored his second goal at 9:31 of the second period to increase their advantage to 3-0.
The Falcons cut into the deficit just 28 seconds later as freshman defenseman Nick Bailen's point shot from the left of Carlson found the mark. It was Bailen's sixth goal of the season with freshman Bryan Potacco earning the assist.
But, that would be all the scoring the Falcons would do.
OSU increased its lead back to three goals on a tally at 12:18 of the second period, the first of four unanswered goals over the final half of the contest.
The two teams were involved in a bench-clearing skirmish at the 14:21 mark of the middle stanza and after things were sorted out, BG ended up on the short end of the officials decision having to skate the next five minutes down a man.
Ohio State converted at the end of the five-minute penalty, scoring with only 13 seconds left in the man-advantage, to send the teams to their locker rooms with a 5-1 edge.
Ohio State scored twice in the final period, both even-strength tallies, to make it the final score.
Senior Jimmy Spratt started in goal for the Falcons and was credited with 18 stops before sophomore Nick Eno played the final period and made four saves. Carlson had 28 saves for the Buckeyes as both teams had 29 shots in the game.
The Falcons were 0-for-6 with the man-advantage while Ohio State, who came into the game having failed on its last 26 power-play opportunities, converted twice in eight tries.
The loss ends the 2008-09 season for the Falcons with an 11-24-3 record while the Buckeyes advance to the next round of the CCHA playoffs with a 22-12-4 mark.
