No. 8 Falcons Fall At Ferris State

Saturday, February 14

Big Rapids, Mich.

7:07 P.M.

Bowling Green State University

14-5-318-7-5; WCHA

Ferris State

9-13-012-18-1; WCHA

Team	1	2	3	OT 1	F
Bowling Green	0	1	1	0	2
Ferris State	2	0	0	1	3

February 14, 2015 | Ice Hockey

Box Score

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Boxscore (.html)

Big Rapids, Mich. – The Bowling Green State University hockey team showed the fight to battle from behind against Ferris State Saturday night but the Bulldogs scored with just 72 seconds remaining in overtime to stop the Falcons' three-game winning streak, 3-2. Bowling Green battled back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game late in the third.

Ferris State scored just 1:06 into the first period and built a 2-0 lead by the first intermission. Bowling Green scored in the latter stages of the second and then tied the game with 6:31 left in the third. But Ferris State's Jared VanWormer scored his second goal of the contest at the 3:48 mark of the overtime session to get the victory.

"When you don't start the game on time, you get what you deserve, and we didn't start on time," BGSU Head Coach Chris Bergeron said. "We were climbing uphill the whole time. We proved again that when painted into a corner, we can fight, but for us to be a great team, we have to find a way to start these games and close out these weekends."

The contest was the fourth in a row over an eight-day stretch between Bowling Green and Ferris State. The Falcons had won the first three contests, including a 4-1 victory Friday night.

Ferris State, though, got on the board early after the Falcons were called for a penalty only 31 seconds into the action. On the power play, VanWormer redirected a Justin Buzzeo wristshot from the slot to score on freshman Chris Nell at 1:06 of the first period.

The Bulldogs continue to produce scoring opportunities throughout the first period but Nell held on until Ferris State got a goal from Jason Binkley on another redirected shot at the 10:25 mark of the first period.

Nell, who finished with a career-high 38 saves, made 13 stops in the first period and another 14 in the second. He helped the Falcons stay within striking distance until senior Adam Berkle scored late in the second. Berkle intercepted a pass in front of the goal crease, found sophomore Matt Pohlkamp to his left and he returned the pass to Berkle for the goal to get BGSU within one.

(Listen to the goal call by Evan Pivnick by CLICKING HERE)

As the second period turned to the third, Bowling Green continued to press for the game-tying goal. Junior Ben Murphy got that tally on a scramble down low, picking up a loose puck and burying it with 6:31 to play. Freshman Brandon Hawkins added an assist on the play.

(Listen to the goal call by Evan Pivnick by CLICKING HERE)

Bowling Green earned a power play opportunity late in the third but the Falcons went 0-for-4 on the night with the man advantage and were unable to find the game-winner.

Both teams created quality offensive chances in overtime, but Ferris State's Justin Buzzeo made a standout individual move to avoid a defender in front of the crease, found VanWormer to his left, and VanWormer finished the game with a hard-angle shot to win it.

Ferris State held a 41-30 advantage in shots for the game and the Bulldogs went 1-for-4 on the power play against the nation's top penalty killing unit. Berkle led BGSU with six shots on the evening, while Hawkins and Murphy had five apiece. BGSU had 16 blocks as a team, two fewer than Ferris State.

Ferris State improves to 12-18-1 overall with the win and 9-13-0 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Bowling Green falls to 18-7-5 overall and 14-5-3 in the WCHA. The Falcons will return home to the BGSU Ice Arena to host Northern Michigan Friday and Saturday at 7:07 pm. Saturday's contest is Faith 'n Family Night and will be televised in Northwest Ohio on BCSN.