2008 Woodie Awards
RedHawks end Falcons' surprising season
By: Ethan Magoc
Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: Sports
The Falcon hockey team's season came to an end this weekend at the Steve Cady Arena in Oxford, Ohio during the second round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.
Though they overcame expectations over the past six months by climbing out of their predicted basement finish in the CCHA, the Falcons were still disappointed by Friday's 4-1 Miami win and the 4-2 season capper on Saturday.
BG ran into a team that decided to waste no time in showing why it is currently one of the best college hockey programs in the nation.
Justin Mercier and Ryan Jones, two of the best scoring threats around, combined for five points and a plus-5 rating on the weekend. In goal, Jeff Zatkoff proved why he has become one of the nation's best goalies, turning in 68 total saves on the weekend.
That included Saturday's performance in which he faced 43 Falcon shots and stopped all but two of them.
All three of these young men, Jones, Mercier and Zatkoff, are credible Hobey Baker candidates this season, an award given to the country's most outstanding player.
As a whole, the RedHawks managed to kill off 10 of 11 Falcon power plays on the weekend. That included two five-minute majors for checking from behind on Jones and Justin Vaive Friday night.
Those two killed majors really helped to turn the series in Miami's favor after BG had taken a 1-0 lead in Friday's second period on John Mazzei's ninth goal of the season.
"I've always said that if you kill a five-minute penalty, you get a lot of momentum from it," said Miami coach Rico Blasi. "Then we had power play chances in the third and were able to capitalize."
Less than 20 seconds after Mazzei's second period goal, freshman Pat Cannone evened the game up with his fifth goal of the season.
Nathan Davis put his team ahead for good in the series with a breakaway goal 15 minutes into the second period.
"As a goal scorer, that's what you look for," Davis said. "As you see it happening, your heart gets beating a little faster. Those are the fun ones."
Though they overcame expectations over the past six months by climbing out of their predicted basement finish in the CCHA, the Falcons were still disappointed by Friday's 4-1 Miami win and the 4-2 season capper on Saturday.
BG ran into a team that decided to waste no time in showing why it is currently one of the best college hockey programs in the nation.
Justin Mercier and Ryan Jones, two of the best scoring threats around, combined for five points and a plus-5 rating on the weekend. In goal, Jeff Zatkoff proved why he has become one of the nation's best goalies, turning in 68 total saves on the weekend.
That included Saturday's performance in which he faced 43 Falcon shots and stopped all but two of them.
All three of these young men, Jones, Mercier and Zatkoff, are credible Hobey Baker candidates this season, an award given to the country's most outstanding player.
As a whole, the RedHawks managed to kill off 10 of 11 Falcon power plays on the weekend. That included two five-minute majors for checking from behind on Jones and Justin Vaive Friday night.
Those two killed majors really helped to turn the series in Miami's favor after BG had taken a 1-0 lead in Friday's second period on John Mazzei's ninth goal of the season.
"I've always said that if you kill a five-minute penalty, you get a lot of momentum from it," said Miami coach Rico Blasi. "Then we had power play chances in the third and were able to capitalize."
Less than 20 seconds after Mazzei's second period goal, freshman Pat Cannone evened the game up with his fifth goal of the season.
Nathan Davis put his team ahead for good in the series with a breakaway goal 15 minutes into the second period.
"As a goal scorer, that's what you look for," Davis said. "As you see it happening, your heart gets beating a little faster. Those are the fun ones."
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