Just four games into the season, Bowling Green’s hockey team is having a difficult time scoring goals.

Even on a night the Falcons worked hard and played well for most of the game, their inability to score
much resulted in a 3-1 non-league loss to Providence at the Ice Arena.
The Falcons had 34 shots on goal, but solved Friar sophomore goalie Justin Gates just once to fall to 0-4
overall.
The Friars (4-1) scored twice in the final four minutes to pull away from a 1-1 tie. CLICK
HERE FOR PHOTO GALLERY
Eric Baier scored from the right point on a one-timer with just 3:46 left and Ian O’Connor added an
empty-net goal from center ice with 47 seconds to play.
The teams played an action-packed and fast-paced game, featuring plenty of scoring chances and big hits.

Gates was terrific with 33 saves and helped Providence kill all four BG power plays, including a 5-minute
major late in the second period and a 5-on-3 midway through the third period.
BG freshman goalie Andrew Hammond also was outstanding, stopping 29 shots.
The teams traded goals in the first period. BG’s James Perkin opened the scoring with a quick shot from
the slot at 13:15, but the Friars’ Matt Germain tied the game from in front just 1:08 later.
“(We) played tremendous,” BG coach Dennis Williams said. “It’s not fair to those guys in that lockerroom.
They worked very hard. They deserved more than a loss.”
The Falcons’ solid play and hard-working effort was a welcome sight after Friday’s 8-2 loss to the
Friars. BG played well during the first period en route to a 2-2 tie, but collapsed in the second period
when it allowed five goals and followed that with an average third period.
The team held a players-only meeting after the game. The Falcons shuffled their forward lines and defense
pairings, and had four new players in the lineup.
“It’s a big step from last night,” BG junior assistant captain David Solway said. “Our energy was up. It
was a big change and it’s good to build on, but it leaves a pretty sour feeling … two losses in a
row.”
“I was real happy with our effort,” Williams said.
The Falcons had good scoring chances throughout, but Gates played well in his first start this season.

BG’s scored just six goals in its four games, collecting two or fewer goals each time. It’s scored just
twice in 25 power-play attempts.
“We have to find a way to score,” Williams said. “Our execution was very good. This one hurts way more
than last night.”
Last season, the Falcons were 10th in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in scoring at 2.34 goals
per game and power-play conversions at 12.2 percent.
But BG lost forwards Dan Sexton and Brandon Svendsen, and defensemen Kevin Schmidt and Nick Bailen, who
combined to score 43 of BG’s 89 goals last season. They also were key members of the power play.
The Falcons had a season-high 34 shots on goal after having a combined total of just 61 shots in their
first three games.
BG had good chances to score. In addition to Gates’ fine play, the Falcons hit one post, missed the net a
number of times and narrowly missed controlling many loose pucks around the net.
Gates had a 3.81 goals-against average and an .853 save percentage in 13 games last season. He made 15
saves in the second period and 12 stops in the third period.
“We were only one shot away from winning. We had our chances,” Williams said.
Although the BG power play didn’t score, it had 15 shots on goal. BG’s penalty-killing stopped all three
of the Friars’ chances with the extra man.
“It’s frustrating because we’re hammering pucks and not to get that bounce is frustrating,” Solway said
of the power play. “We just have to keep on working on it.”
Hammond provided BG with a spark after he and Nick Eno struggled the last two games. He made 21 of his
saves over the final two periods.
“He played very well,” Williams said. “He’s got calmness and composure. He did a good job with his
rebound control and he was aggressive.”
“There’s almost like there was a sense of confidence throughout the whole team with Hammond in there,”
Solway said. “(He) was one of the reasons we were still in that game.”
PROVIDENCE 3, BGSU 1
GOALS BY PERIOD
PROVIDENCE
1
2
—
3
BGSU
1
—
1
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1, BG Perkin 1 (Dee) 13:15. 2, PC Germain 1 (Kremyr) 14:23.
Penalties: Kantola, BG, contact to the head-elbowing, 6:20; McIntosh, BG, checking from behind, 17:36.

SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: None.
Penalties: Eppich, PC, hooking, 6:11; Krelove, BG, hooking, 14:41; Cavanagh, PC, unsportsmanlike
conduct-diving, 14:41;
MacKinnon, PC, major-checking from behind and game misconduct, 14:53.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3, PC Baier 1 (Bergland) 16:14. 4, PC O’Connor 2 (Jamnick) 19:13 (5-6 en).
Penalties: Farrer, PC, checking from behind, 9:44; PC bench, too many men, 10:52; Ruel, BG,
cross-checking, 13:34.
SAVES BY PERIOD
Gates, PC
6
15
12
—
33
Hammond, BG
8
10
11
—
29
Goalie statistics (goals against/minutes played): (PC) Gates 1/60; (BG) Hammond 2/59:46, Empty net
1/0:14.
Penalties-Minutes: PC 6-23, BG 4-8. Power plays: PC 0-3, BG 0-4. Attendance: 1,910
Photo caption: BG’s James McIntosh takes a shot as Providence’s Matt Germain defends (J.D.
Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune).