Jan. 23, 2007
Bowling Green Series Notes
FACE OFF
The Alaska Nanooks visit Bowling Green, Ohio this weekend for a two-game conference tilt against the BGSU Falcons. They are looking to snap a nine-game losing streak that began with a 6-4 loss to BGSU in Fairbanks on Dec. 9.
NANOOKS COVERAGE
This weekend's series will be televised local in Fairbanks on KFXF Fox 7. Bruce Cech will call the game.
Cech's call will also be simulcast live on the Fairbanks radio waves at KYSC 96.9 FM and KSUA 91.5 FM. The series against the Falcons will be available on the Internet through live audio streaming at http://ksua.uaf.edu/ and live stats will also be available online also at http://alaskananooks.cstv.com/.
THE SERIES
The Nanooks have met the Falcons 38 times since their first meeting on Dec. 27, 1987, when BGSU defeated Alaska 6-4. The all-time series is tied at 17-17-4; however, the Falcons have a two-game advantage against the Nanooks on their home ice with a 9-7-2 record in Bowling Green.
IN RECENT HISTORY
As members of the same cluster the Nanooks and Falcons met twice already this season in Fairbanks. Alaska earned a 4-3 victory in the opener, before BGSU came back with a 6-4 win in the re-match.
The Nanooks are 4-1 against the Falcons in their last five contests and 6-4 in the last ten. Prior to this season, Alaska had swept BGSU in the previous two weekend rendezvous, more recently in Fairbanks last Feb. and the year before in the first round of the CCHA playoffs in Bowling Green. The pair of 6-3 wins at BGSU represented the Nanooks first series-sweep on the road in the post season and their first series sweep of the Falcons in their own venue.
WHERE THEY STAND
The Nanooks are 1-9-2 overall and 1-7-2 in conference when playing on the road. They are looking to snap a nine-game winless streak this weekend the longest since the 1999-2000 season, when they lost 12 consecutive games. That was also the last season in which the Nanooks only won a single game on the road all season. Although they went 1-15, 1-13 CCHA that season, nine of the games they lost were by one goal and two were lost in an extra session. This season the Nanooks have lost two games in overtime (one on the road at MSU) and four of their nine games lost on the road have been by a goal.
Alaska's only win on the road thus far this season was a 4-3 decision at Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 4.
OUTLOOK ON THE FALCONS
The Falcons are facing adversity this season much like the Nanooks. They are riding a six-game losing streak, the second longest in the CCHA.
Last weekend they were swept by Northern Michigan in Marquette by a 4-1 tally both nights.
BGSU is led in scoring and assists by junior forward Jonathan Matsumoto, who has nine goals and 14 assists in 27 games this season, while junior forward Derek Whitmore has tallied a team-high 12 goals and seven helpers.
In goal, Jimmy Spratt has played the majority of the time this season. He is 4-14-1 with a .875 saves percentage and 3.88 goals-against average.
WHERE THEY STAND
Bowling Green bottoms out the conference rankings with just three wins in conference games this season it has six points. Despite having lost its last nine games (seven CCHA games) Alaska sits seven points ahead of BGSU with 13 points on five wins and three ties.
Notre Dame, Miami, Michigan State and Michigan make up the top four teams in the CCHA and are all within five points of one another.
WHO'S THE BOSS?
Scott Paluch is in his fifth season as head coach of the BGSU hockey team. The Chicago native played for the Falcons from 1984-88, helping lead the team to four-consecutive winning seasons (.655 winning pct.). He earned All-America and All-CCHA first-team accolades as a senior defenseman during the 1987-88 season.
He is 3-5-0 vs. Alaska and its third-year head coach, Tavis MacMillan.
LAST TIME OUT
The Nanooks losing streak continued after suffering their fourth weekend sweep in as many weeks, to Michigan at the Carlson Center last weekend in Fairbanks. They have dropped 11 of their last 12 outings and are approaching their longest losing streak since the 1999-2000 season, when they fell into a twelve-game losing streak.
The Wolverines overpowered the Nanooks in Friday's match-up netting two-goals a period, which they were unable to answer until the final frame. Alaska's two third-period goals Friday were too little to late, but built some confidence that carried over into Saturday's rematch. The Nanooks came out strong Saturday dominating the first period and a half of play and owning a 1-0 lead. It wasn't enough however; as Michigan knotted the game midway through the second period and went on to score four third-period goals to complete the sweep.
ROAD RAGE
Friday night will provide an opportunity for Nanooks to start a new season trend. Besides riding a nine-game losing streak going into Friday's showdown with the Falcons, Alaska is winless (0-4-2) on the first night of a two-game series when playing on the road, while they are 1-5-0 on the second night. Their only road win this season was a 4-3 triumph over Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 4.
