Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Provide Dramatic Finish, Suffer OT Loss in Tourny Final
November 27, 2010 | Ice Hockey
TROY, New York -- The Falcon icers rallied a goal down late in the third period scoring a game-tying goal with nine seconds left to force overtime in the Houston Field House (Troy, New York). Despite the last-second, crowd silencing efforts by Bowling Green the hosts of the 60th Annual RPI Holiday Tournament ended the drama with a game-winning goal twenty seconds into overtime. The Falcons suffered the 3-2 loss but accomplished a second place finish in the tournament.
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The Falcons waiting until the game drew within the final ten second to bring the dramatics to the ice. After pulling goaltender Andrew Hammond (So., Surrey, British Columbia) with thirty-six seconds remaining in regulation, BGSU made a dash to the Engineer cage with less than fifteen seconds on the clock. After recovering a puck nearly lost into the neutral zone, Brett Mohler (Fr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) threw an off-balance shot toward the Engineer net providing a open opportunity for a tip-in. With the clock winding down and the puck mid-flight, BGSU captain David Solway (Sr., Green Bay, Wisc.) finished Mohler's work with the tip drill, scoring the game-tying goal with 9.7 seconds to spare.
The goal silenced the crowd and forced overtime, but the RPI fans soon returned to their feet when eventual tournament MVP Brian Brutlag scored the game-winning goal just twenty seconds into overtime. Directly off of the second faceoff of the overtime period, Brutlag found the puck floating loosely and took it into the slot before taking a shot low on Hammond, barely beating the keeper. The goal ended the game and gave the hosts of the tournament the gold while Bowling Green finished second.
Rennselaer picked up the heat after both teams combined for eight shots in the first period. RPI took a 2-0 lead after the Engineers scored twice in 1:19 early in the second period. RPI's first tally was scored in transition when Marty O'Grady put a shot on goal from the right circle that was initially saved by keeper Andrew Hammond. On the rebound, Tyler Helfrich followed up and tapped the loose puck into the Falcon cage near the far-side post to get the hosting team on the board first.
The Engineers added a second goal a little more than a minute later when former Bowling Green Falcon Nick Bailen scored his fifth goal of the season. Bailen received a drop pass from teammate Bo Dolan and from the top of the far-side circle fired a shot on net that Hammond could not locate quickly enough, burning the Falcons for RPI's second goal. Bailen chose to transfer to Rennselaer after his freshman season with Bowling Green (2008-09) and played with the Indiana Ice (USHL) during the time he sat out due to NCAA regulations. It was Bailen's fifth goal of the season.
Bowling Green halved the lead late in the second period while on their second power play of the evening, their third power-play goal in this tournament and most in a two-game span so far this season. With nearly thirty seconds left on their power play opportunity, Jake Sloat (Fr., Louisville, Colo.) attempted a shot from beyond the near-circle that blocked out in front of the Engineers net that deflected out to the far post where Jordan Samuels-Thomas (So., South Windsor, Conn.) was stationed. With a quick strike from outside of the crease, he hit RPI goaltender Allen York square but the netminder did not corral the puck and settled for watching it fall inside the red line for the Falcon goal.
Hammond's play kept the Falcons close throughout the entire game. He finished with only 16 saves on 19 chances, but defending odd-man rushes and working post-to-post was commonplace for him. While working four-on-four, Hammond made a sensational save on an attempted wrap around shot that would have certainly put the game out of reach for Bowling Green. Near the 16-minute mark of the third period, RPI's Alex Anders-Goulet created a breakaway attempt and with a move to Hammond's left caused him to favor the far-post. Anticipating Anders-Goulet to wrap around the net and go near-post, Hammond fell flat in the crease and sprawled outward to seal off the near-post and stuffed the Engineer forward, preventing a two-goal lead.
The Falcons scored its third power-play goal of the weekend, the most it has accumulated over a single weekend all season. They have now scored three power-play goals over their last ten chances (.300). Bowling Green put only five shots on goal during the first period but finished with 26, outshooting the competition for the second straight night. This is their first overtime loss of the season.
Brett Mohler finished with four assists on the weekend, a career high for points in a single weekend for the freshman and the most any Falcons has accumulated in a weekend this season.
En route to being the only non-RPI played named to the All-Tournament team, Jordan Samuels-Thomas scored twice, once on the power play, and recorded an assist for a three-point weekend. A complete list of the All-Tournament team is below.
60th Annual RPI Holiday All-Tournament Team
Forward - Chase Polacek (RPI)
Forward - Tyler Helfrich (RPI)
Forward - Jordan Samuels-Thomas (BGSU)
Defenseman - Nick Bailen (RPI)
Defenseman - Jeff Foss (RPI)
Goaltender - Allen York (RPI)
Most Valuable Player - Bryan Brutlag (RPI)
Bowling Green (6-10-0, 2-8-0-0) will hit the road again for a second consecutive week and return to conference play next week. The Falcons and the Lake Superior Lakers (5-9-2, 3-6-1-0) will meet in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich. on Dec. 3-4 for a pair of 7:05 EST starts.
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