| 2/4/2006 7:36:03 PM
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BOWLING GREEN, OH – Jonathan Matsumoto’s second goal of the game, on the power-play, with just 48 seconds left in regulation, broke a 2-2 tie and gave Bowling Green 3-2 win over RIT on Saturday evening in the first meeting between the two schools in nearly 20 years.
The Tigers fell to 6-18-2 in NCAA action, 7-19-2 overall. Bowling Green improved to 13-16-1.
Matsumoto took a perfect feed from Alex Foster and slipped a shot past Tiger net-minder Jocelyn Guimond (St.-Edouard-de-Lotbiniere, PQ/Williams Lake) (Quebec City, PQ) for the game-winner moments after the Tigers had a golden chance to take the lead.
With 1:25 left and short-handed, Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) (Ste. Therese, PQ) blocked an errant pass at center ice and found himself alone on Bowling Green goaltender Jon Horrell. Lambert went to the backhand, but Horrell stuck his pad out to rob RIT’s second-year forward and set up the winning goal.
Earlier in the period, RIT had two golden chances to take the lead, as Darrell Draper (Tigard, OR/Cowichon Capitals) (Tigard, OR) missed the net by inches on a close in attempt with a little under eight minutes left. Right after, Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, ON/Nepean) (Nepean, ON) found himself face-to-face with Falcons goaltender Jon Hiorell, but was denied.
Tiger head coach Wayne Wilson was disappointed with the outcome, but pleased with the way his team played.
“I thought we played really well and stronger as the game went on,” said Wilson. “I was happy with the depth we showed tonight. We have a lot of players playing really well right now.”
Guimond was solid in net for the Tigers, stopping 34 shots. Horrell made 22 saves for Bowling Green.
Bowling Green scored the game’s first goal just 28 seconds into the first period, as Jonathan Matsumoto threw a puck from the left face-off circle that bounced off a Tiger defenseman and past Guimond. The goal was Matsumoto’s 15th of the year.
RIT regrouped a played a very solid remainder of the first period, having their fair share of chances, including three power-plays. It looked like the Tigers would go into the intermission down a goal until the duo of Ricky Walton (Hamilton, ON/Hamilton Red Wings) (Hamilton, ON) and Rob Tarantino (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) (Oakville, ON) produced a turnover on a shorthanded fore-check. Walton hounded the goaltender into turning the puck over behind the Falcons net. Tarantino pounced on the loose puck and tried to center a pass back to Walton in the slot. However, it went off a defenseman in front and past Horrell to tie the game at 1. The goal was Tarantino’s second shorthanded tally of the season and third overall.
Bowling Green out-shot RIT 11-10 over the opening 20 minutes of play.
The Tigers found themselves in penalty trouble all second period, but managed to keep the game tied at 2 after 40 minutes of play.
Lambert gave RIT a 2-1 lead just 1:50 into the period, beating a defenseman behind the net for the loose puck, and putting a wrap-around off the pad of Horrell and into the net. The goal was Lambert’s 14th of the season.
The Falcons tied the game at two at the 7:08 mark of the period, as Brandon Svendsen stole the puck at his own line while killing off a RIT penalty. He led a 3-on-1 break into the Tiger zone, faked a pass left and ripped a snap-shot over the shoulder of Guimond, who had committed to playing the pass.
RIT killed off 53 seconds of a Bowling Green 5-on-3 power-play and five total penalties in the period. Guimond was sharp, stopping 17 of 18 Falcons shots in the period, including several from point-blank range.
The Falcons out-shot RIT 18-3 in the second period and held a 29-13 edge over two periods of play.
“We needed to stay out of the penalty box and what happened in the second period with them out-shooting us was because we could not stay out of the box,” said Wilson.
Bowling Green out-shot RIT 37-24. Both teams scored a short-handed goal. The Falcons went 1-for-8 with the man advantage. RIT was 0-for-7 on the power-play.
The two teams met once previously, as Bowling Green handed RIT a 4-3 loss at the Syracuse Invitational on Dec. 28, 1986.
Tonight’s game was a homecoming of sorts for head coach Wayne Wilson and assistant coach Brian Hills. Hills was a 1983 graduate and a two-time Hobey Baker Finalist and two-time All-American. He holds the Bowling Green record for most points in a season (94, 1982-83). Hills is a Bowling Green Athletics Hall of Famer and is second all-time in points at Bowling Green (270) (116-154-270). Wilson, a 1984 graduate, was a co-captain of the team that won the 1984 NCAA Championship. The defenseman scored 14 goals and added 87 assists for 101 points in 165 games.
RIT is back in action on Sunday, as they journey back east to renew their rivalry with Mercyhurst College. The contest starts at 3 p.m.
