Dec. 8, 2006
Box Score
By Danny Martin
Staff Writer, Fairbanks Daily Newsminer
Published December 9, 2006
Posted in Sports
Kyle Greentree missed on four chances for an empty-net near the end of Friday night's opener of a Central Collegiate Hockey Association weekend series at Carlson Center.
"Would you believe me that I did that on purpose?'' Greentree joked during the postgame media conference in the Pioneer Room.
However, the Alaska Nanooks' leading scorer was more focused on defense in the waning moments of a 4-3 victory over the Bowling Green State University Falcons than he was adding to the two goals and one assist he had already contributed in the first meeting of the season between the scheduling clustermates.
The struggling Falcons had pulled goaltender Jimmy Spratt for an extra attacker with 1:23 left in the game, hoping to force overtime and hopefully, end a nine-game losing streak.
"Stuff like that happens and obviously, you want to play defense first,'' said Greentree, "but it was a little bit frustrating.''
The frustration, though, was soothed by the 19th-ranked Nanooks winning and moving into a fourth-place tie with Michigan State after Alaska was swept last weekend at fifth-ranked Notre Dame.
"We had to fight through a lot of adversity tonight to get two points,'' Nanooks head coach Tavis MacMillan said.
MacMillan didn't elaborate but two of the Nanooks' 10 penalties for 20 minutes including a pair of bench minors for unsportsmanlike conduct, and opposition wise, Falcons junior center Jonathan Matsumoto scored on a pair of power-play goals.
"Jonathan Matsumoto is a great player,'' said MacMillan, "but there was so much we had to fight through and unfortunately for our guys, it was out of our control.''
The Nanooks (5-3-3 league, 7-4-4 overall) also got a goal and an assist from sophomore right wing Adam Naglich and two assists from freshman center Dion Knelsen and 31 saves from junior goaltender Wylie Rogers, who was coming off a brief but frustrating experience in the second period Sunday in Notre Dame, Ind.
Rogers came in relief of sophomore starter Chad Johnson and was pulled after allowing three goals to Notre Dame in a span of 6 minutes, 48 seconds.
The Falcons scored as many goals Friday night, but against Bowling Green, Rogers had more time to get focused and his teammates' defensive support was better than in Sunday's finale against the Fighting Irish.
"After evaluating last Sunday's game, I didn't think -- from a personal standpoint -- that those goals were my fault," Rogers said. "I knew that tonight that I had to come out and basically perform. I was going to start, I was getting a chance here and I had to play my absolute best and the guys played great in front of me.
"We had a couple of bad bounces to give up a few goals, but other than that, it was awesome the way our guys played in front of me.''
The Falcons (1-10-0, 3-13-1) have had bad bounces for nine straight games but head coach Scott Paluch saw some positive things about his team's effort in the series opener.
"Battling hard is not an exception for us; that's kind of a big staple of our team and who we are,'' said Paluch, who got three assists from junior left wing Derek Whitmore.
"There's no question that we're going through a very difficult time, but we gave ourselves an opportunity at the end of this game,'' Paluch said. "What we want to do now is build from this for the start of tomorrow's (tonight's) game and learn how we're able to score some goals and more importantly, be able to give ourselves 60 minutes and be able to get off this streak.''
Puckhandling gave the Nanooks an opportunity to win Friday night, as they generated a season-high 39 shots to the Falcons' 31. The total was also just two shots less than Alaska had in two games at Notre Dame.
"We don't like to dwell on the past, but we didn't have enough shots against Notre Dame,'' said Alaska junior defenseman T.J. Campbell. "That was definitely one of the things we came in this weekend looking to improve."
Matsumoto and Greentree deposited power-play goals to even the first period 1-1.
Matsumoto ended a serious goal drought on a 5-on-3 session at 3:24, pouncing on a trickling rebound of defenseman Mike Nesdilll's shot from the high slot and beating Rogers with a high wrist shot from the right side of the crease. It was the Falcons' assistant captain's first goal since Oct. 20, when he planted an empty-netter in a 4-2 win at Providence.
Greentree knotted the score at 9:00 with his team-high 13th goal of the season and league-high seventh power-play marker. The assistant captain walked up to the hash marks and lined a shot by Falcons goaltender Jimmy Spratt's glove side after taking Dion Knelsen's centering pass and taking advantage of slip by Nesdill in the low slot.
Greentree delivered the Nanooks' second power play goal of the night and put the hosts ahead 2-1 at 5:45 of the second period on a two-man advantage, as he seized a rebound of defenseman Tyler Eckford's slap shot and buried it from the right side of the crease.
Naglich and fellow sophomore right wing Braden Walls added to the Nanooks' tally in the third period for a 4-1 lead before the Falcons responded with freshman center Todd McIlrath's goal and Matsumoto's second power-play marker.
The Falcons later pulled Spratt and the Nanooks missed on five empty-net chances but held on to win.
