AP NCAA Basketball
| Expectations high for BG hockey defenders (6-23-12) |
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| Written by Kevin Gordon Sentinel Assistant Sports Editor | ||
| Saturday, 23 June 2012 01:33 | ||
The three were regulars on defense and even more will be expected from each of them next season. The three figure to form the core of the defense for the Falcons, who will strive to improve on last season when they advanced to the semifinals of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. Although the three had the usual inconsistency shown by first-year players, they provided the Falcons with a good mix of offense, defense and physical play. They also skated on BG’s special teams. “They’re three guys we can truly depend on and we want them to take their game from the freshmen game to an upperclassmen game,” BG coach Chris Bergeron said. “I know that’s difficult going from a freshman to a sophomore, but because of what they were through last year and all of the situations they were in, we expect there to be some pretty good positive strides by those guys.” The Falcons finished 14-24-5 overall and were last in the league with a 5-19-4 record, but won playoff series at Northern Michigan and CCHA regular-season champion Ferris State. BG eventually lost a 3-2 double-overtime decision to Michigan in the semifinals after holding a 2-0 lead late in the second period. During the regular season, BG posted wins at Notre Dame and at home against Michigan, and earned a tie at Miami. “I’m hoping the experiences they went through in their first year pay off,” Bergeron said. “There’s big expectations for those three, but everybody who would be battling back there (on defense), we expect all of them to be ready to go and contribute.” The Falcons will return three other regulars from last season — seniors Bobby Shea and Ryan Peltoma, and junior Jake Sloat. Freshmen Jose Delgadillo and Ralfs Freibergs also are expected to make an immediate impact. “We’re expecting it to be (defense) by committee,” Bergeron said. “We’re getting a little more specific with the kids we’re recruiting in terms of what they bring to the table. We expect the six guys who finished the season to be pushing on a daily basis to be in the lineup., but they’re going to have to be sharp back there.” DEPTH: The Falcons are more talented and even deeper this season which should increase the competition for jobs in practice, Bergeron said. “You’re going to have to get the job done on a daily basis to play on Friday,” Bergeron said. “People are truly going to have to check the lineup come Thursday night. “We haven’t had it (competition for a spot in the lineup) yet. We’re going to have it. Where we were last year and the first year in terms of results, it’s changing and it’s going to take individuals being better on a daily basis.” The Falcons’ current roster consists of 15 forwards, 10 defensemen and four goalies REFLECTION: Bergeron is in his third season and the Falcons already have come a long way. BG was just 5-25-6 overall and 4-20-6 in the CCHA in its final season before Bergeron took over. “When I first got here, I don’t think I had any clue what I was getting into,” Bergeron said. “Some of the things I said, some of the expectations I had, in terms of results, they made no sense. They were not realistic. I’ve probably learned the most of anybody through this process. There were some difficult days, difficult conversations with great people, but necessary changes have been made over the last two years, not only from the people we have here, but from the people we no longer have here. “It’s necessary for a program like ours, like the one we walked into two years ago, to go through what we’ve been through. Everything we’ve been through to this point has been necessary. It will pay off. It’s just a matter of when and to what level it pays off. What I’m talking about is we have a brand, we have a culture that when people walk into this program or hear about it, they’re going to know exactly what Bowling Green hockey is.” |
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| Last Updated on Saturday, 23 June 2012 07:27 |
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