Four-Goal Second Period Ends Falcons Season

Saturday, March 6

Omaha, Neb. (CCHA First Round)

8:05 PM

Bowling Green State University

Nebraska Omaha

The Falcon senior class ended their Brown and Orange careers after a 6-1 loss to UNO Saturday night.

Photo by: Brad Phalin, BGSU Marketing and Communications

March 06, 2010 | Ice Hockey

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Box score
Dennis Williams post game comments

OMAHA, Neb. -- A night after Bowling Green hockey fell to the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (No. 20/RV) by a score of 6-1 Friday night, the Falcons took to the ice at Qwest Center Omaha with a mission to stay alive in the first round of the CCHA playoffs. Saturday night featured some new looks in the Bowling Green lineup, and a first period filled with defense. But after another four-goal second period by the UNO Mavs, the Falcons' season ended prematurely with another 6-1 loss on Saturday night.

The first period in game two was drastically different than Friday night's affair. Though the Falcons were only held to four shots, the defense stepped it up by eliminating many second-chance opportunities that were present the previous evening. Nick Eno (Howell, Mich.) shined with 13 saves, twice being called upon to make multiple saves consecutively with the Mavericks crashing the net hard. After one period of play, each goalie matched the other and defense from both sides kept the game scoreless after a period of play.

The first period was not replicated as the gates of goals opened, but for the UNO Mavericks. For the second straight night, UNO scored four goals in the middle frame, three of which in less than a four minute span.

Eno's first blemish of the night came at 7:28 when the Mavericks stormed down the ice on the near-side. Met by Bowling Green's defense, Jeric Agosta began a fantastic night in the scoring column when he slid a pass across the ice to the top of the slot to John Kemp. Kemp fired a shot that cleared the inside of the post and marked the first goal of the game for UNO.

To begin the three goals scored within four minutes, UNO's Jeric Agosta started the play when an open lane in the slot opened up, and he took it straight to Eno. With his shot being turned away to Eno's right side, Jordan Willert followed up the shot and slid it into the net to take a 2-0 lead at 12:56.

Maverick Alex Hudson made the score 3-0 on an unassisted goal at 16:15 of the same frame. After Hudson forced a BGSU turnover in their own zone, he bobbed and weaved his way through traffic and fired a shot from the top of the slot hitting the roof of the Bowling Green cage for his 14th goal of the season.

Less than 20 seconds later, UNO added one more goal when Agosta again involved himself, this time with him doing the goal scoring. With Eno favoring the near-side post, Kemp set up Agosta inside of the near faceoff circle and backhanded a shot passing Eno on his left side and into the cage to increase the lead to 4-0. The goal prompted a BGSU goaltender change. In for Nick Eno came Friday night's starter, Andrew Hammond (Surrey, B.C.).

Before the period ended, Bowling Green aggressively went for a loose puck that UNO goaltender Jeremie Dupont covered and made contact with the senior tender. After the dust settled, each team sent three men to the penalty box with 32 seconds remaining in the second period. Both teams skated four-on-four into the second minute of the third period.

Bowling Green's effort did not diminish despite the deficit when the Falcons charged forward and Brennan Vargas scored his first career playoff goal at 6:06 in the third period. The Falcons, determined to not be silenced, marched toward the UNO cage where Jordan Samuels-Thomas (Windsor, Conn.) shot towards UNO keeper Jeremie Dupont. The rebound kicked out to Vargas where the sophomore forward plugged it home to get the Falcons on the board, 4-1.

Inside of the 12th minute, Bowling Green looked to have halved the Uno lead when Samuels-Thomas took a shot from the top of the slot that Dupont initially saved. Immediately, four Falcons crashed the net and began poking away at Dupont and the loose puck. With the puck ending up in Dupont's glove, the goalie had initially been ruled as having slid over the red line, prompting a Bowling Green score. However, after a lengthy review by the on-ice officials, the goal was waved off and the lead remained 4-1 in Nebraska-Omaha's favor.

In the final half of the third period, UNO added two more goals with defenseman Eddie Del Grosso getting points on each goal. He first scored a goal from the near-corner faceoff circle when his wrist shot clanged off of the post but fell inside of the Falcon cage extending the Maverick lead to 5-1. Less than a minute later, Del Grosso fed Mark Bernier with a pass that caught Hammond out of position and lit the lamp with an open net score at 14:43.

Before the ending horn, senior goaltender Phil Greer (Franklin, Mass.) was given the final 3:20 of playing time between the pipes for the Falcons. He did not record a save but finished out the game not allowing a goal, ending the game by a final score of 6-1.

The loss ends the 2009-10 season for Bowling Green hockey. The Falcons end the campaign with a 5-25-6 overall record and a conference mark of 4-20-6-5.