In an unusual Sunday game at the State Fairground Colisuem, BGSU took 2 more
points on its quest to finish in 2nd place in the CCHA, as OSU locks into last
place and a playdown game versus UAF. Today's game was a unique experience for
the Falcons to play a "home" game on unfriendly ice. I say this, because of
the 80% Falcon crowd which was present at the game outcheering, and obviously
more excited about the event. This game was destined to be strange from the
get-go (even the National Anthem couldn't get played right over the PA system -
leaving gaping gaps of silence which were filled with "GO BG"'s from
over-enthusiastic fans). Perhaps the most memorable aspect of the game,
though, was the incredibly poor officiating provided in the form of one Refree
Edwards. Todays officiating was lame at best, allowed for thug hockey to
abound, and seem quite one-sided. Nonetheless BG wins this one 6-1.
BG was to get things started when just as they come back to full strength Mike
Hall starts down the ice with the puck and his covering defenseman falls down
at center ice. This leaves Hall and Brett Punchard winging a lone OSU
defenseman. Hall's pass cross-ice to Punchard is flipped in for the score.
Ohio State was to score one of their own, again as BG was just coming back to
full strength. A defensive lapse by BG allows for a failure to clear the zone.
Bob Petrie, who moments earlier had made a spectacular save using his stick to
channel the puck away to a BG defenseman, commits too soon and finds the puck
wrapped around his right side by Pierre Dufour. BG was to end the 1st period
scoring when a pass from Todd Kelman gets re-directed off an OSU player to set
up a waiting Brian Holzinger, who wastes no time driving it into the net.
The second period, by contrast, had no scoring, but may have seen the most
"excitement" A 16:33 penalty to OSU for checking from behind causes a minor
scuffle between BG's Kevin Lune and OSU's Taj Schaffnit. Tempers flare quickly
erupting into a major fight on the ice. Interestingly, Edwards focuses only on
the original two, and they receive the penalties (2 min. roughing, 5 min.
fighting, and game DQ). As the pair leaves the ice, however, they decide to
start it again (I couldn't see how it re-started). THis time it is a major
fight in the hall to the dressing room, needing the assistance of the ushers,
State Police, and the linesmen. The crowd also saw the need to get into the
act, and at least two fans were escorted out of the mob that covered the
players. Both players received an addition 5 min. fighting and game DQ
penalties [I'm assuming that because of the 2 fighting penalties in the same
game that will result in a 3rd game DQ (as I understand CCHA rules) - but
I'll leave that to the league]. You might think the crew would start calling
things closer to get the game back in hand, but that was not to happen. The
only other high point of the 2nd period came when Tom Askey for OSU made a
beautiful save against a BG short-handed breakaway by Dave Faulkner. Askey
dove face first to the ice extending his stick straight out and poked the puck
away.
The 3rd period was to see BG put the game away. Dale Crombeen led things off
with a particularly nice spin-around shot from the left side at 2:28. Goal
number 2 goes to Mike Hall which was lifted over top of a "down-on-his-back"
Askey. Next, we see the amazing ref's in action again. A poke at the BG
goalie after play has stopped results in another, less-spectacular fight. This
fight resulted in the all-too-familiar coincidental roughings to 2 players from
both teams. From here on out, the game became a free-for-all. Things were
wicked out on the ice with slashes, elbows, trips, and other things going
full-blast. (BG's Crombeen was an apparent victim of the stepped up
"thuggishness" when he took a slash to the upper arm - I am unsure if that is a
playing'affecting injury or not). The Falcon's 3rd goal was scored by Jamie
Williams (a 4/4 goal) after another blocked attempt of a BG breakaway by
Faulkner. The final goal was a power play goal scored by Curtis Fry.
In general, I was glad to escape this game in no worse shape than we did. I am
aginst "thug-hockey" whenever I see it (including my own team) - it has no
place on the ice. If there was a loser today, though, it was the officiating
which turned a blind eye (no pun intended) to the shenanigans on ice and
allowed them to escalate.
Scoring
1st Period
BG Punchard / Hall / Perrault 5:52
OSU Dufour / Guilbault 12:46
BG Holzinger / Kelman 16:50
2nd Period
NONE
3rd Period
BG Crombeen / Punchard / Faulkner 2:28
BG Hall / Ackerman 4:52
BG Williams / Faulkner / Ackerman 8:14 4/4
BG Fry / Holzinger / Glantz 18:15 PP
Penalties
1st Period
BG Perrault Tripping 3:43
BG Holzinger High Stick 6:00
OSU Richards Holding 7:21 4/4
BG Williams Interference 10:32
2nd Period
BG Lamarre Hooking 3:05
BG Punchard Checking from Behind 4:45 5/3
BG Bench (served by Brad Holzinger) Too Many Men 6:05 5/3
OSU Smith Slashing 7:51 4/4
" Misconduct (10 min) "
OSU Whidden Slashing 9:38 5/3
BG Carper Tripping 14:01
OSU (Sorry, In the excitement I forgot to write the original penalty
down) Checking from Behind 16:33
OSU Taj Schaffnit Roughing (2min) 16:33
Fighting (5min)
Game DQ
BG Kevin Lune SAME "
OSU Taj Schaffnit Additional 5 min Fighting off Ice
Additional Game DQ
BG Kevin Lune SAME
BG Hall Tripping 19:31
3rd Period
BG Carper Roughing after Whistle 6:46
BG Lamarre " "
OSU Di Pasquo " "
OSU Root " "
BG Fair Interference 7:21
OSU Power Holding the Stick 7:30 4/4
BG Kelman Interference 11:19
OSU Hirst High Stick 16:21
BG Brad Holzinger Slashing 18:53
Saves:
BG (Petrie) 7 3 7 17 Total
OSU (Askey) 5 13 9 27
***Please note that they did not announce these, so they are my own figures
(not official figures)
Power Play: BG 1/6 OSU 0/11
Referee: Edwards; Linesmen: McHugh, Treeger
Time: 2:33 Attendance: 3,298
****Hobey Baker Watch****
Brian Holzinger had 1 goal and 1 assist in today's game to bring his total to
63.
P.S. I want to apologize for not getting OSU #23's (Whidden) name in Friday
night. It was left out of the roster in the program, and I couldn't remember
by the time I got home.
- Dean Bell
BGSU Falcon Hockey Is Back Where It Belongs
Brian Holzinger for Hobey Baker
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