Falcons Snatch Weekend Sweep with Saturday Victory

Saturday, October 23

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:05 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Alabama Huntsville

October 23, 2010 | Ice Hockey

Bowling Green Hockey completed the weekend sweep of UAH with a 4-2 win, Saturday night.

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Bowling Green Hockey finished the weekend sweep of the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers with a 4-2 win on Saturday night. The third period proved to be the decisive frame when BGSU scored three times to take the advantage for good.

After taking a 1-1 tie into the third frame, Bowling Green exploded offensively with three goals to take the edge over the Chargers. The freshman duo of Mike Fink (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Brett Mohler (Yorba Linda, Cali.) scored twice in a 39-second span to bring energy and the lead back to the Bowling Green benches. Andrew Krelove (Thunder Bay, Ontario) gave the Falcons some breathing room with their third goal of the period and a 4-1 lead.

Fink's goal was created by D-men Jake Sloat (Louisville, Colo.) and Ryan Peltoma (Brainerd, Minn.) when they lead a movement toward a Charger turnover in the neutral zone. After BGSU reacquired possession of the puck, Peltoma chipped the puck up the far side of the ice creating a clear lane for Fink to drive toward the net. With one defender to beat, Fink slid from the left to right post and beat freshman
Charger goaltender C.J. Groh to the near-side post and netted his second goal of the season.

Bowling Green's winning score was marked by pure determination and brute strength in a battle along the boards. After the puck cycled its way down in front of the BGSU student section, the combination of Reed Rushing (Seattle, Wash.) and James McIntosh (Holland Landing, Ontario) freed the puck from the dashers and found Mohler in open ice. The freshman forward then drove quick to the Charger cage and hit his target inside the far post for to advance the Falcon lead to 3-1.

Bowling Green continued its struggle on the power play going 0-for-5 on the night, but nearly ended its drought with Krelove's goal at 13:25 of the third period. After UAH's Matt Baxter was whistled for a cross-check penalty, the Chargers did a fair job eliminating some of the pressure caused by the extra Falcon skater. A successful cycle from the near to far side of the boards put the puck on the stick of Krelove.

Seconds ticked and as soon as the clock struck to release Baxter from his time in the penalty box, Krelove padded the BGSU lead with a swift strike at the top of the faceoff circles roping the top-right section of the cage and sounding the horns. By rule, despite the goal being scored at the exact same time as the end of the power play, the goal was recorded as an even strength score.

Without a power play goal Saturday night, the Falcons have not converted any of their last 25 power play attempts spanning over near four games.

Bowling Green goaltender Andrew Hammond (Surrey, British Columbia) did his part in sealing a Falcon victory on Saturday saving 23-of-25 shots against him. The win is his second career “W” and second in as my starts. Groh made 20 stops on 24 shots against.

The Falcons' Marc Rodriquez also netted is second goal of the weekend, this to begin the game's scoring on Saturday. Jordan Samuels-Thomas (Wouth Windsor, Conn.) fed Rodriguez a strike out in front of the net for the sophomore forward to follow up and score on.

Bowling Green (3-3-0) will hit the road with a three-game winning streak before it travels to Faribanks, Alaska. The Falcons are set to play the Nanooks over Halloween week. Games will begin at 11:05 p.m. EST / 7:05 AST. Follow the Falcons on their online home, BGSUFalcons.com, for complete coverage.