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Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

W

windycityhockeynut

Registered User
Now that we have a semi-stable near future at BG, we can start the rebuilding process. A solid senior class of 8 players should help lead the team out of the CCHA basement this season (contrary to most prognosticators). We also have a solid freshman class of 10 players, at least half of which should contribute right away. We looked better than I expected against Wilfred Laurier over the weekend, and Coach Williams is running a tight ship with heavy emphasis on conditioning, so BG will not be out-worked by many teams this year. This weekend should be a good early test at Minn. St-Mankato for two games.
 
Re: Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

This could be a very early test for this new coach. We could be playing without 3 of our top forwards due to injury and discipline issues. (fight at OSU in final playoff game). I really believe that the team will play well against MSU, however, I am not convinced that we can win on the road facing these challenges this early in the season. We have 10 freshmen and I think they will all contribute to the success of BG, but under the circumstances this may be too much to expect right out of the gate.

Goaltending will be a bright spot for BG this year. Both Eno and Hammond are talented and they will flat out steal some games this year. I think coach Williams will not hesitate to play the guy that he has the most confidence in at game time. Hammond may be the strongest freshman goalie recruit in the country. Time will tell.

Defense is lead by Page and Krelove. Page is a strong skater who makes solid decisions and handles the leadership role naturally. Krelove is very competitive and can play in all situations. The Freshmen D looked good in the exhibition game but have not been battle tested like they should be this weekend. Look for some mistakes and some hesitation. Hopefully we will see the two that have not played yet.

Forwards, as mentioned should be full of holes without 3 of our top guys but we have a team full of guys that know how to compete and none of them get lost on the way to the corners. This should be a gritty contest. The Frosh Forwards looked very strong in the scrimmage and I look forward to seeing them step up this weekend and make a strong showing.

Overall, this weekend is an important building block for BG's march back to prominence.

Go Falcons
 
Re: Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

It's really difficult to judge anything by the exhibition games. W-L beating Ferris may be telling but Ferris also literally pummeled that goalie with shots. Was the goalie simply on fire, or was their shot selection suspect? Or maybe the stats are overly generous... Who knows?

I like what I'm seeing and hearing concerning Williams as a coach so we'll see if he gets the "interim" word removed after this year.

For the weekend, I just want a good defensive showing. The offense will come (especially after the suspensions and when Solway returns), but a good defensive showing is key. Win or lose, if we give up 1 or 2 goals per game I'll be happy...4 or more, not so much.
 
Re: Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

BGFan said:
It's really difficult to judge anything by the exhibition games. W-L beating Ferris may be telling but Ferris also literally pummeled that goalie with shots. Was the goalie simply on fire, or was their shot selection suspect? Or maybe the stats are overly generous... Who knows?

I like what I'm seeing and hearing concerning Williams as a coach so we'll see if he gets the "interim" word removed after this year.

For the weekend, I just want a good defensive showing. The offense will come (especially after the suspensions and when Solway returns), but a good defensive showing is key. Win or lose, if we give up 1 or 2 goals per game I'll be happy...4 or more, not so much.
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I would like a good showing by the defense, but I am also trying to be realistic, without 3 top players, the pressure goes way up on all fronts. If we hold MSU to under 3 goals per game, this could be a miracle under our circumstances. I hope we keep them under 2 but WL scored three and we had all of our players...
 
Re: Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

hockeyschmockey said:
I would like a good showing by the defense, but I am also trying to be realistic, without 3 top players, the pressure goes way up on all fronts. If we hold MSU to under 3 goals per game, this could be a miracle under our circumstances. I hope we keep them under 2 but WL scored three and we had all of our players...
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Outside of the P/K all three players that are out are forwards. The key for us is to stay out of the penalty box. We spent way too much time there in the third period when two of their goals were scored.
 
Re: Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

BGFan said:
Outside of the P/K all three players that are out are forwards. The key for us is to stay out of the penalty box. We spent way too much time there in the third period when two of their goals were scored.
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BGfan, I agree we have to stay out of the box. What I was trying to say is that goals are scored on an entire team not just the dmen. It take five guys plus a goalie to play strong defense. I am sure you would agree with that. Either way it is good to get some discussion.
 
Re: Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

hockeyschmockey said:
BGfan, I agree we have to stay out of the box. What I was trying to say is that goals are scored on an entire team not just the dmen. It take five guys plus a goalie to play strong defense. I am sure you would agree with that. Either way it is good to get some discussion.
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I don't disagree with that at all, I just feel that the impact of those three being out will be felt more on the offensive side of the game than on defense. However, of the three, Kantola will be missed the most in the defensive zone since there well be fewer MSU players lying on their backs wondering what hit them. :eek:

The jury is still out on whether Solway will make the trip or not. Even so, Saturday will give us a better idea of where we stand since both Kantola and Perkin will be back.
 
Re: Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

Yes, Friday will be tough playing a couple of forwards short (only 21 players traveling), and also playing on a bigger ice surface. If we can hang close Friday then Saturday should be a good one.
 
Re: Bowling Green hockey - starting the long road back

windycityhockeynut said:
Yes, Friday will be tough playing a couple of forwards short (only 21 players traveling), and also playing on a bigger ice surface. If we can hang close Friday then Saturday should be a good one.
Click to expand...

Have you heard who is making the trip? I was hoping that all of the frosh forwards were traveling.:cool:
 
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