Florek, Fox net goals for NMU
BOWLING GREEN, OH -- (Courtesy of Bowling Green Athletics) Though the Bowling Green power play has struggled this season, it lifted the Falcons from a two-goal deficit and gave them life that carried through overtime and into a point-determining shootout. Senior night started a day earlier when BGSU captain David Solway made the determining marker to give the Falcons their second shoot out victory of the season in a spoiler effort against Northern Michigan University, Friday night.
Bowling Green scored twice on the power play, a feat only once before accomplished this season last done on Nov. 26 against Alabama Hunstville when they went 2-for-5 on the power play. The Falcons finished equally as good as that November day, going 2-for-5 on Friday night’s power play effort as well.
Cameron Sinclair (Windsor, Ontario) scored a goal in his second straight contest, getting Bowling Green on the board after falling into a two-goal hole early. The Wildcats got into penalty trouble within the first two and a half minutes when Kyle Follmer was whistled for hitting from behind and Andrew Cherniwchan was given a game misconduct and major infraction for contact to the head, leaving the visitors to defend a 5-on-3 BGSU power play.
Sinclair was in the right place at the right time after freshman defenseman Jake Sloat (Lousiville, Colo.) put a shot on goal that bounced off of Northern Michigan goaltender Reid Eillingson. The puck nearly landed on Sinclair’s stick leaving him alone for a one-time wrist shot that found the back of the net. The goal was scored at 2:33 of the third period, just 14 seconds after Cherniwchan’s five minute major was assessed. Assists were awarded to Ryan Peltoma (Brainerd, Minn) and Sloat, who was playing in his first game back from injury after missing his previous four games.
With the score 2-1 after Sinclair’s marker, Mike Fink tied the score at two goals on another rebound opportunity. Still benefitting from the Cherniwchan penalty and skating 5-on-4, Brett Mohler (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Camden Wojtala (Trenton, Mich.) were passing back and forth before Wojtala took a shot at the bottom of the left circle bouncing off of Ellingson, ready for the Fink putback. The tally was Fink’s second in three games while Wojtala picked up an assist in his second consecutive contest.
The goal gave Bowling Green life and amped up the defensive effort that limited Northern Michigan to only 19 shots on goal for the day and only two in the third period. Falcon sophomore goaltender Andrew Hammond (Surrey, British Columbia) chipped in on the defensive effort with 17 saves on 19 shots against, finish both the third period and overtime with crucial saves to end the frame to force the ensuing shootout.
It took more than the typical three shooters per team to determine a winner after the teams skated to a 2-2 overtime tie. David Solway (Green Bay, Wisc.) was the lone scorer in the shootout, notching the winner as the Falcons’ fourth shooter.
After Jordan Samuels-Thomas (South Windsor, Conn.), Brett Mohler and Mike Fink (Minnetonka, Minn.) all were unsuccessful in their opportunities, Hammond shut down three consecutive NMU sharpshooters. Solway began the fourth and final shoot out round by taking his approach from the left, skated toward the right post before redirecting his body to bring the puck back to the near post. With Ellingson off-balance and on the ground, Solway wrapped the puck around the keeper and into the back of the cage for the marker.
Hammond proceeded to follow up Solway’s success by sticking aside Erik Higby’s shot to shut out the Wildcats and giving Bowling Green the additional point along with their point for the tie. Hammond also extends his streak of consecutive shootout stops to seven, dating back to his shutout of Western Michigan on Feb. 4.
Before all of Bowling Green’s success in their comeback, they did fall behind two goals to the Wildcats. They allowed a goal at 13:16 of the first period when Justin Florek’s shot from the right circle deflected off a Falcon defender and into the cage to give them a 1-0 lead. Assists were given to Phil Fox and Scott Macaulay.
Northern Michigan added a ower play goal after David Solway was penalized for slashing in the second period. Midway through the penalty kill, Phil Fox received a pass from Justin Florek close to the net where his one-time shot beat Hammond and doubled their lead, 2-0, at 5:53 of the second period.
Bowling Green (8-21-4, 3-18-4-2) broke its three-game losing streak with the tie and earned their second shot out win in their last two tries. Northern Michigan (13-15-5, 11-11-3-0) falls to at least seventh place in the CCHA standings with Lake Superior winning its shootout against Ohio State. Alaska started the evening tied for sixth place with LSSU and NMU and played Michigan State in the conference’s late game.
The Falcons and Wildcats will return to the BGSU Ice Arena on Saturday to take part in the final home game this season and to honor its senior class of 2011 in their final game at the rink. Senior Night festivities begin 20 minutes before opening faceoff, set for 7:05 p.m. The first 750 fans will be welcome with free Thundersticks and don’t forget that Freddie and Frieda Falcon will be unveiled during the game.
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