Game Thread: Bowling Green vs. #12 Miami

[Falcon Fanatic]

Not a big fan of moral victories, but have to say a MUCH better game than last night. Other than those crappy few minutes in the first period, we hung with them the rest of the game!! Hammond kept his composure and gave BG the chance to come back. Can't ask more than that from your goaltender. Thought that game was going to go from bad to worse, but I'm really impressed that the team settled down and held their own with a top tier team. And we didn't have a bad third period!! YAY!! (I'll take THAT moral victory!)

31(BG)-32(mu) shots on goal, limited miami to 5 in the third.

[musicman2343]

I definitely have to agree. After we gave up those 3 goals I was waiting for another night light last night or worse, the 10-2 loss last year.

It sounded like we had a lot of great SOG, unfortunately Reichard made great saves. We need to come out against LSSU and take control of the game. There is no reason we can't sweep them.

[Drago]

I agree, I thought we played a pretty good game. We just need to score more than 1 goal. LSSU is still better than we are, but we should have a chance to take points.

[BGDrew]

It's encouraging that we didn't fold like last night. One of my concerns after last night was that we had some guys who were just going through the motions.

We're an undersized and underskilled team. We have to win with hard work and great goaltending, but sometimes that's just not enough. It's been a bad year but the high amount of ice time our freshmen are getting is going to pay dividends later.

[BGHockeyisRtradition]

Another tough loss. I hope we can get it together and beat Lake Superior. I agree with a comment made earlier that we should be able to get some points out of the weekend; hopefully, we can get a sweep of our own and be on the opposite end, the winning end, for once.

[unfalconbelievable]

Some stats to think about:

2010 - 2011 10 games left - CCHA 2 wins 2 ties
2009 - 2010 CCHA 4 Wins 6 ties

With 10 league games to go is it possible to grab more than two wins and four ties?

If not we will actually be worse than last year and last year our execuse was the program was unstable and unsure of its direction. Whats the execuse this year? Playing young guys......I don't buy that for a second. There are young guys all over the CCHA and the country that are good.

I hope the answer is being implimented into the program because people are beginnning to accept Hockey loses and that shouldn't be the case.

[BGDrew]

Here were our top scorers last year:

1) Samuels-Thomas
2) Petruska
3) Solway
4) Page
5) Dee
6) Perkin
7) Kantola
8) Boyd
9) Pageau
10) Vargas

Those in italics are no longer with the team. Add in a new coach, new system, and lack of depth and it's a bad year. No one's "happy" with the record but we're being patient and letting Bergeron's system take hold before pulling out the pitchforks.

[bgsufalcon24]

people are beginnning to accept Hockey loses and that shouldn't be the case.

For those of us that just started following the team in the 2000s, it's pretty much all we know. And that's sad.

[Falcon Fanatic]

people are beginnning to accept Hockey loses and that shouldn't be the case.

For those of us that just started following the team in the 2000s, it's pretty much all we know. And that's sad.

And THAT is why it makes me just insane that the program had sunk so low for so long....
I remember going to EVERY game EXPECTING to win. I was rarely disappointed!!! This is the reason they named the fund raising program "Bring Back the Glory!"

[Drago]

Considering we haven't qualified for the NCAA tournament in 20 years, and we haven't had a team with a winning record since 97, I would say that it is pretty much accepted around here. With all sports really....as long as we fire a coach every few years, people think we're right around the corner from championships. In reality, we just don't have the resources to compete in the CCHA. Our ceiling in even our best season is sixth place. We haven't committed any recruits considered to be impact players for next season, so I don't see anything to change the fact we're a 10th or 11th place team next year.

[Falcon Fanatic]

In reality, we just don't have the resources to compete in the CCHA. Our ceiling in even our best season is sixth place. We haven't committed any recruits considered to be impact players for next season, so I don't see anything to change the fact we're a 10th or 11th place team next year.

I think Chris Bergeron would beg to differ.

[BGHockeyisRtradition]

Even though we are in last place, we have played some of our games competitively. We have some good players, it just seems like they struggle to play together as a team, and for that matter struggle to play well for the entire game.

We can, and I think will, recruit much better as time goes on, especially with the attitude of the new coach. Plus, I think we are a much better university than Ferris, Lake Superior, and compete well with the others; a student should want to come here for the academic and social experiences as well.

A part of what needs to be fixed, some may not like this comment, is the arena. I know we have a lot of history in the arena, but lets get some "seats" in the general admission sections (keep benches for the students, ) and try to update as much as we can in an efficient and cost effective way. It would also be great if we could somehow improve our scoreboards along with the overall outside appearance of the arena. Lets get a statue of Jack Vivian out front and something highlighting BG's role in the USA gold medal game (what a great history we have) This should help us in recruiting, along with selling the Bowling Green experience. Maybe the arena should be given to Athletics, instead of being managed by the Rec?

Sorry Drago, but I have to disagree with you completely in regards to our athletic programs. We are extremely competitive in Women's Basketball, Baseball, Rugby(club I know), and football except for last season. We also bring in some great students for hockey...

All over the place in this one but...GO BG!

[joehockey]

Look no further then WMU to see how a program is turned around! And in one season! With basically their entire team from last year back and a few new freshmen they are sitting at 12-6-6, practically selling out their arena and jamming their student section. This was a team that finished last in the CCHA in 2010! Not like WMU is or was a hockey power before.....so how are they turning it around so fast? Drago is right, name one program in the CCHA that we have a better arena then? Facilities? Until they can get to phase 3 or 4 of these arena renovations I just don't see them challenging for Championships. I'm not knocking the coaching staff, they seem to be doing an okay job, but if you ask me, we're no better off now then we were with Williams last year. The best players on the team for the most part are the freshmen his staff recruited. I certainly expect to see major improvements once coach bergeron gets some of his players in place next year,or the following year at worst.

[falcons86]

In comparing Western Michigan this season to BG, this might have something to do with it. Just sayin'...

WMU - 7 Seniors
6 Juniors
10 Sophomores
4 Freshmen

BG - 4 Seniors
2 Juniors
10 Sophomores
9 Freshmen

Jim and Cookie

GO FALCONS!

NEVER GIVE UP!
NEVER SURRENDER!

[Falcon Fanatic]

In comparing Western Michigan this season to BG, this might have something to do with it. Just sayin'...

WMU - 7 Seniors
6 Juniors
10 Sophomores
4 Freshmen

BG - 4 Seniors
2 Juniors
10 Sophomores
9 Freshmen

Jim and Cookie

GO FALCONS!

NEVER GIVE UP!
NEVER SURRENDER!

And those 6 kids who make up the junior/senior classes have had THREE head coaches in THREE years!! That has to be a factor when considering all of this!!