| File photo: BGSU coach Chris Bergeron. (Photo: Andrew Weber/Sentinel-Tribune) |
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Bowling Green’s hockey team couldn’t overcome an early two-goal deficit Friday
night.
The Falcons spotted MSU a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game and the Spartans held on for a 2-1
victory in a Central Collegiate Hockey Association game at Munn Arena.
MSU held a 26-17 advantage in shots on goal, most of the margin coming in the first period when it
out-shot BG, 10-3.
BG’s Andrew Hammond made 24 saves, while MSU’s Will Yanakeff stopped 16 shots.
The Falcons, who have clinched last place in the 11-team CCHA, fell to 8-23-4 overall and 3-19-4-2 in the
league.
MSU, which will finish next-to-last in the 11-team league, is 14-17-4, 10-15-2-0.
“It was a pretty poor effort for the most part,” BG coach Chris Bergeron said. “(Hammond) made some big
saves, but other than that, it was not a very good game for us.”
Hammond has a 1.80 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in his last three games.
MSU took its lead on goals by Dean Chelios just 66 seconds into the game and Brett Perlini at 9:02.
BG closed within one goal just 51 seconds later on Brett Mohler’s power-play goal, but neither team
scored again.
“I was hoping our goal would be even more of a positive,” Bergeron said. “We gave up two goals on two
poor plays and all of a sudden it could easily be 4-0, 5-0. We stuck to it, got the goal and then got a
power-play opportunity and we just created nothing.”
The BG power play was 1-of-3 and MSU was 0-of-2 in a game that had just five penalties, all minors.
The Falcons were limited to two or fewer goals for the 13th straight game and 26th time this season.
On the other hand, BG has allowed three or fewer goals for the seventh time in the last eight games. It
is only 1-5-1 in those seven games.
“We got out-competed all over the ice, in particular the offensive zone,” Bergeron said. “They hemmed us
in our zone way too many times, just by beating us to pucks and out-competing us in stick battles. It
was a not very good effort for us.”
The Falcons still don’t know where they’re headed for the first round of the CCHA playoffs March 4-5-6,
although Ferris State and Ohio State were eliminated from the list of possible opponents Friday.
BG will play a best-of-3 series at the sixth-place team. The opponent will be Western Michigan, Northern
Michigan or Lake Superior.
MICHIGAN STATE 2, BGSU 1
BGSU 1 0 0 —1
MSU 2 0 0 —2
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1, MSU D. Chelios 1 (Perlini, Golembiewski) 1:16. 2, MSU Perlini 17( Golembiewski) 9:02. 3, BG
Mohler 7 (unassisted) 9:53 (5-4 pp).
Penalties: Samuels-Thomas, BG, hooking, 6:59; J. Chelios, MSU, slashing, 9:21; Shean, MSU, roughing,
20:00.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: None.
Penalties: Rodriguez, BG, cross-checking, 3:10; Rodriguez, BG, cross-checking, 3:10; Fortar, MSU,
tripping, 10:55.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: None.
Penalties: None.
SAVES BY PERIOD
Hammond, BG 8 9 7 —24
Yanakeff, MSU 2 8 6 —16
Goalie statistics (goals against/minutes played): (BG) Hammond 2.59:15; Empty net 0/0:45; (MSU) Yanakeff
1/60.
Penalties-Minutes: BG 2-4, MSU 3-6. Power plays: BG 1-3, MSU 0-2. Attendance: 5,021.
