really meant to post this one.....
No. 12 Men's Hockey Completes Series Sweep of BGSU with 5-2 Win
Buckeyes advance to CCHA Super Six for third consecutive year
March 13, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Buckeye senior forward Dave Steckel scored two goals, including the gamewinner, to give the No. 12 Ohio State men's hockey a two-game CCHA first-round series sweep of Bowling Green with a 5-2 win. The Buckeyes move on to the CCHA Super Six at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit for the third year in a row.
The No. 4-seed Buckeyes improved to 23-15-0 on the year, while the No. 9-seed Falcons end their season at 11-18-9. Ohio State won all four games against the Falcons this season and has won the last seven overall vs. BGSU.
Steckel had a game-high two goals, while freshman defenseman Sean Collins and senior defenseman Doug Andress each had a goal and an assist for two points.
Collins (Troy, Mich.) opened the scoring with a goal 7:54 into the game, assisted by Rod Pelley and Daymen Bencharski (Sr., Beaverlodge, Alberta). Steckel (Sr., West Bend, Wis.) made the score 2-0 at 16:42, with JB Bittner (Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Doug Andress (Sr., Iroquois Falls, Ontario) assisting.
OSU controlled the play in the period, outshooting the Falcons, 15-4.
There was no scoring in the second period until Mike Falk tallied at 16:42 of the third to cut the Buckeyes' lead to one.
OSU put 17 shots on net in the period, BGSU eight.
In the third,
OSU outscored the Falcons, 3-1, for the 5-2 final. Steckel scored at 6:44, putting in the rebound of a Collins shot, with Matt Beaudoin (Fr., Rock Forest, Quebec) also assisting. The Falcons had a five-minute power play at 12:26, when Collins was assessed a major for spearing and scored once on the man advantage. The Falcons pulled goalie Jordan Sigalet for the extra attacker early in the power play, but Scott May (Sr., Surrey, British Columbia) put the Buckeyes up by three (4-2) with a shorthanded, empty-net, unassisted goal. BGSU's Steve Brudzewski scored a power-play goal at 16:07, but Andress ended the scoring three minutes later with an empty-net, unassisted tally.
OSU outshot BGSU in the period, 13-5.
Buckeye goalie Mike Betz (Elizabeth, Pa.) made 13 saves and allowed two goals. Senior Kelly Holowaty (Sr., Regina, Saskatchewan) played the last 53 seconds, stopping two shots in his first appearance of the year. For the Falcons, Sigalet made 40 stops and allowed three goals.
The Buckeyes were scoreless on five power plays; BGSU was 1-for-5.
Postgame Notes
The Buckeyes are advancing to the CCHA Super Six for the third year in a row. The tournament will be held March 18-20. Ohio State's opponent will not be known until the end of play Sunday, as three CCHA first-round series are not yet decided. No. 2-seed Miami and No. 3-seed Michigan State already have advanced.
The last time the Buckeyes advanced out of the first round of the CCHA tournament three consecutive years was from 1982-85.
Steckel had his fourth multiple-point game against Bowling Green this season. On the year, he has five goals, four assists and nine points in four games vs. the Falcons and has been named the first star of the game in all four contests.
Collins is on a four-game scoring streak, with 2-4-6 totals. Steckel also has a four-game scoring streak, with 3-3-6 totals. Beaudoin has points in back-to-back games (1-1-2). Andress has a three-game streak, with 1-3-4 totals.
Holowaty saw his first game action of the year and his first since Feb. 9, 2002 at Alaska Fairbanks.
Postgame Quotes
Bowling Green State head coach Scott Paluch
On Ohio State's performance in the game
"Ohio State did a tremendous job coming into the game with killer instinct in a two-game series. Ohio State used their size well and controlled a good portion of the game. You have to give them a lot of credit."
On special teams in the game
"Our penalty kill was a real bright spot.
OSU has good weapons on the power play and their penalty kill was outstanding as well."
Ohio State head coach John Markell
On the difference in the game tonight compared to the team's performance last night
"I think we competed harder tonight. Bowling Green came to play tonight. They gave everything plus more. We persevered through a lot of stuff. Toward the end we played with our size better. It was a good college hockey game."
Senior forward Dave Steckel
On the Buckeyes' performance tonight
"We did the same thing from last night, but we played smarter with the puck and we played with less mental mistakes."
Senior defenseman Doug Andress
On the Buckeyes' dominance most of the game
"We stayed focused and stayed with our game plan by pounding in our shots."