Bowling Green,Ohio
 
   3 inches of snow and 35 mph winds did not keep away the 4,968 fans
that watched the BG Falcons defeat the Spartans 6-4 tonight at the BGSU
Ice Arena.
 
   Chad Ackerman and Jason Clark both had 2 goals apiece(or was it Clark
with one goal and Curtis Fry with one goal?) leading the Falcons to a
victory in a very important game for both teams.
 
  BG started things off when Brian HobeyZinger won a faceoff back to
Brett Punchard who put the puck past Spartan goalie Mike Buzak from just
inside the blueline.MSU would tie it up and then take a 2-1 lead before
BG tied it at 2 late in the period.
 
  MSU took a 3-2 lead but yet again the Falcons tied it up and the second
period ended at 3-3.But BG blew the game open in the final stanza scoring
3 unanswered goals to put the Spartans in a deep hole in the third.BG
would take a couple stupid penalties to go down 2 men and MSU capitalized
to make it 6-4 but could do no more as the Falcons held on to win.
 
BG goalie Will Clarke had an outstanding game as 3 of the MSU goals were
not his fault.The first 2 were defensive let downs as the Spartan players
brought the puck in close against the defensive players,skated past them
and scored.Another goal was scored on 5-3 advantage.Clarke has definitely
proven himself to be BG's no.1 goalie and has shown why he is leading the
CCHA.I think we might see Bob Petrie get some playing time against Alaska
Fairbanks in a couple of weeks if they are non league games.
 
 
 
 Buzak had yet another not so great game against BG as he has allowed
either 15 or 16 goals in 3 conferance games against the Falcons.Anson
Carter was shut down in this game and showed no poise as he took a stupid
penalty with BG up 4-3.After a little wrestling match with Matt Eldred
while the play was going on,something happened where the play was
ended.Carter,obviously frustrated,took a run at Eldred and nailed him
with a hard check.Perry Petterle saw this and got Carter with the
roughing after the whistle penalty.BG would score on the power play
putting State away for good before adding a cushion goal.The actions by
Carter weren't very impressive for a guy who is the senior captain on the
team and supposed to set a good example for the younger guys on the
team.BG was only up by one goal and MSU was not out of the game until the
penalty by Carter.
 
  Michigan beat Notre Dame tonight keeping within a point og BG in the
standings.BG plays only one game next weekend against UIC so Michigan
could take the lead in the CCHA with a win and a BG loss or if BG
wins,Michigan would need to win both of their games.The weekend of
Feb.3-4 BG will host Alaska Fairbanks in what I am pretty sure are 2 non
league games because the radio guy said UM and MSU would be making up for
the games that BG has in hand over them.
 
  BG won the series with MSU 2-1 and Michigan has beaten BG twice so far
with one game remaining at Ann Arbor.The Falcons still have to play Lake
Superior 3 times yet.
 
  BG Defenseman Brandon Carper is said to be coming back from his ankle
injury for the Alaska series.Leading Hobey Baker candidate Brian
Holzinger had 2 assists tonight.
 
Holzinger for Hobey Baker!!
 
                                                        Alex