Falcon Icers Regroup to Upset No. 11 Notre Dame

Friday, November 5

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:05 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Notre Dame

November 05, 2010 | Ice Hockey

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The Bowling Green Falcon hockey team came into the BGSU Ice Arena Friday night with a mission to upset the eleventh-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They did just that in a 3-2 battle to the finish that featured the combination of stellar goaltending by senior Nick Eno (Howell, Mich.) and an aggressive offense.

Box score (.html) | Box score (.pdf) | Updated statistics (.html)
Post game video -- click here
Post game audio (.mp3) -- Chris Bergeron | Marc Rodriguez | Nick Eno

Eno made 30 total saves including a flawless first period where he was flawless a 14-of-14. He helped kill off a 5-on-3 power play opportunity early in the first period and lasting 1:47. During that time, UND blasted Eno with six shots, five resulting in saves and one that was forced to hit the side post.

Red-hot freshman Camden Wojtala (Trenton, Mich.) scored his second goal of the year, breaking a streak of 38 consecutive BGSU power plays killed by the opposition. The score also proved to be the game-winner after a late charge by the Irish late in the third period. The all-encompassing goal was Wojtala's second in as many games.

Eno made second star in the evening action, but made a five-star save that would have tied the game past the halfway point of the third period. While Notre Dame was on their eighth power play of the night, the Irish made an advance of the Falcon net and forced the sophomore into making one of the most exciting saved the BGSU Ice Arena has ever housed. Caught favoring his left side, the Irish landed the puck on the stick of reigning Rookie of the Month, Anders Lee. Lee cocked back and ripped a shot toward what seemed to be an open net. Eno slid nearly in a complete split and knocked the puck off course with the wide blade of his outstretched stick to save a sure power-play goal.

Bowling Green took an early 1-0 advantage on an aggressive play toward the Irish cage in the sixteenth minute of the first period. Deep in the Notre Dame zone, David Solway (Green Bay, Wisc.) served Jordan Samuels-Thomas (South Windsor, Conn.) a pass to the near post that the sophomore intended to put away himself. With a good recovery save from UND netminder Mike Johnson, Marc Rodriguez (Aurora, Ill.) found the loose puck and went top shelf with the shot from outside the crease. The puck just barely crossed the goal line as it trickled behind Johnson off of the top post but officials on the ice awarded Rodriguez the score, his third of the season.

After a scoreless second period, Samuels-Thomas and Rodriguez entered the scoring column again with his third goal of the year. Midway through the third period on another BGSU crash to the UND net, Samuels-Thomas received a pass from linemate Rodriguez near the right circles and plucked home the score.

Notre Dame fought back with a pair of third period goals to make the game close, including one in the last thirty seconds of play. The Irish goals came from T.J. Tynan at 11:51 on the power play and Billy Mayday at 19:37 in the third period.

Eno finished the day with 30 saves, a new season-high, and the most saves he has had in a single game since the last time he minded the nets against Notre Dame on Feb. 20, 2010 when he made 38 saves in a 1-1 tie. He improves to 2-3-0 on the season.

The Falcons went 1-for-4 on their power play on the night, scoring for the first time with a man up since their first home series against Michigan on opening weekend. BGSU also stopped nine Irish power plays, ending 9-for-10 on the penalty kill.

Samuels-Thomas ended with a pair of points on a goal and assist on the night. It marked his eighth multi-point game of his career and second this season. Wojtala recorded his second point while on the power play. He now has both a goal and assist while aiding the BGSU power play.

Bowling Green (4-5-0, 1-4-0-0) continue their recent trend of success against the Irish after registering a 1-1-2-2 record against UND last season with the 3-2 win on Friday night. They will attempt the weekend sweep on “Rob Blake Night” on Saturday (Oct. 6) with a 7:05 p.m. start.

To help support the “Bring Back the Glory” campaign, former NHL defenseman Rob Blake will be returning to campus. A special pre-game reception, featuring guest emcee Mike “Doc” Emrick, will be held at the Mileti Alumni Center will be open to the public upon registration for the event. For more information on the event of how to register, call 419-372-2424 or email respond@bgsu.edu.

He will be recognized and introduced by Emrick at center ice while participating in a ceremonial drop of the puck. Blake will also be holding a public autograph session to be held during the first intermission of the BGSU/UND game in the southeast corner of the BGSU Ice Arena. Autograph cards will be provided to those participants.