Bobcat hockey aiming for league title

Bowling Green’s goaltending should be good enough to keep the Bobcat hockey team in every game this
season.
Exactly how well the team fares will depend on its ability to score goals and how quickly its young
defense develops.
The Bobcats return junior Nick Morris and sophomore Nathan Gay in goal, and senior forward Joey Harris,
who led BG with 42 points.
But BG returns just 29 goals aside from Harris and the Bobcats graduated their top three defensemen.
Their defense this season consists of three sophomores, two juniors and one freshman.
The Bobcats were 16-9-2 overall last season, but only fourth in the six-team Red Division of the
Northwest Hockey Conference with a 4-5-1 record.
BG was in control of the division entering the final two weeks of the regular season, but lost its last
three games – starting with back-to-back overtime losses to St. Francis and Northview.
The Bobcats’ season ended with a 6-2 loss to Findlay in the district semifinals.
"Our goal is to win the league and, in reality, if we’re in the top two or three in the league, we
have a legitimate shot at getting to the Final Four which is your ultimate goal," said BG coach Dan
DeWitt, who is in his 21st season. "We should be competitive with every team in the league."

The Bobcats haven’t won a state championship on the ice since 1998, although they won a paper title in
1999. BG hasn’t played in the state semifinals since 2004.
"We were closer than we thought last year despite where we finished and not being picked for
anything," DeWitt said.
Morris and Gay played well last season. Morris posted a 2.44 goals-against average and a .915 save
percentage in 17 games, while Gay had a 2.31 goals-against and a .900 save percentage in 11 games.
"Both of those guys probably exceeded our expectations as first-year goalies," DeWitt said.
"So you can only expect they’ll make that improvement from last year to this year even
better."
DeWitt said Morris (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) and Gay (6-3, 180) will start the season splitting time.
"They’re both big kids and they both take up a lot of the net," DeWitt said. "They’re both
good athletes. Our goaltending is in good hands the next couple years."
But BG graduated its top three defensemen – Matt Ruehl, Zach Clifford and Ryan Whitson, who combined for
20 goals and 35 assists, and a plus-56 on-ice rating.
The Bobcats’ returning defensemen are juniors Dylan Graves and Cole Jennings, and sophomore Cody Lang.
DeWitt said the six defensemen have a good mix of skating, offensive and physical skills.
"Our defense is young, but they have the potential to be good," said DeWitt, whose team allowed
2.85 goals per game and killed off 79 of its 94 short-handed situations (84 percent).
Although Harris had 22 goals and 42 points, the Bobcats still are seeking an improved offense after
averaging just 3.81 gpg last season.
BG was helped by a power-play that scored 23 goals and converted on 19.7 percent of its man advantages.

Adam Crawford graduated after totaling 24 goals and 39 points last season and no other returning player
had more than nine goals or 19 points.
Harris is one of BG’s nine returning forwards, who have a good mix of speed and skill, and size and
strength.
"We’re improved from last year," DeWitt said of his team’s forwards. "We’re a year older,
a year stronger and a year quicker. Whether that translates into scoring more goals, I don’t know
because there are a lot of other things that go into scoring. But just looking at the forward lines how
we’ve performed so far, I like what I see."
2009-10 BGHS HOCKEY SCHEDULE
Nov. 26 – BGSU Thanksgiving Tournament: Villanova (Ontario), 8 p.m.
Nov. 27 – BGSU Thanksgiving Tournament: Nordonia, 8 p.m.
Nov. 28 – BGSU Thanksgiving Tournament: Findlay, 1 p.m.
Dec.
6 – ST. JOHN’S, 12:45 p.m.
Dec. 12 – at Southview, 7 p.m.
Dec. 18-19-20 – at Thornton Park
Dec. 26 – BGSU Christmas Tournament: New Haven (Ind.), 8 p.m.
Dec. 27 – BGSU Christmas Tournament: Olentangy Liberty, 8 p.m.
Dec. 28 – BGSU Christmas Tournament: St. Francis, 5:45 p.m.
Jan. 2 – at Northview, 7 p.m.
Jan. 3 – FINDLAY, 12:55 p.m.
Jan. 8 – UNIVERSITY SCHOOL, 5:45 p.m.
Jan. 9 – GILMOUR ACADEMY, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 – FINDLAY, 12:45 p.m.
Jan. 15-16-17 – at Lake Forest Academy Tournament
Jan. 23 – at St. Francis, 7 p.m.
Jan. 24 – DUBLIN COFFMAN, 12:45 p.m.
Jan. 29 – MOUNT LEBANON, 7:45 p.m.
Jan. 30 – at St. John’s, 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 – SOUTHVIEW, 12:45 p.m.
Feb. 5 – at Findlay, 5 p.m.
Feb. 7 – NORTHVIEW, 12:45 p.m.