The BG hockey team made light work of the University of Windsor 12-1 Friday at the BGSU Ice Arena.
Though it was an exhibition game against a team that BG has defeated handily in exhibition games to open each of the previous two seasons, Coach Scott Paluch and his players were satisfied with Friday’s improved result.
“We were able to adjust 24 players tonight and everybody was a factor,” Paluch said. “That’s an impressive thing.”
Perhaps most impressive among those 24 players was freshman Dan Sexton. The Minnesota native finished off a hat trick with six seconds left in the second period with a shorthanded goal to make the score 8-1. Sexton displayed uncommon aggressiveness for a freshman on the play, intercepting a no-look pass from a Windsor player at center ice and bursting towards the opposing net with surprising speed.
“I knew I had a breakaway from a long distance away, and I knew I had a lot of time because the ice was bad with only six seconds left in the period,” Sexton said. “I tried to get a move in my head and if I didn’t score, whatever.”
Sexton did score, with a nifty move around Windsor goalie Jim Watt, and thus brought several hats onto the ice from the Falcon fans in attendance.
Sexton’s teammate, senior captain John Mazzei, also notched a hat trick in the game, scoring a goal in each period on each shot he took. Three shots, three periods and three goals, yet Mazzei spoke modestly in true captain form.
“I had some good linemates,” Mazzei said. “I went to the net and the puck was on my stick; I didn’t even have to look. I think our team had an all-around great game, but I just got some great chances, got lucky, and put them in the back of the net.”
Luck didn’t play much of a part in the game though – 17 different players recorded points. BG out-scored Windsor on power play opportunities 3-0 and out-shot them 48-15 overall. BG defensemen also blocked 13 shots in the game.
Alex White gave Windsor its only goal midway through the first period, but BG players quickly made the lone tally an afterthought. Sexton and Mazzei led the 4-1 Falcon first period charge, and Patrick Tiesling also added a goal.
The Falcons smothered the Lancers the rest of the way, putting up four unanswered goals in the second and third periods. Mazzei, James Perkin, Tomas Petruska, Sexton, David Solway, Tim Maxwell, and Kyle Page all scored in the final 40 minutes for BG.
The Falcons also displayed a high level of consistency in net, where Jimmy Spratt, Nick Eno, and Phil Greer shared minutes to make 14 of 15 total saves against Windsor.
Windsor played CCHA opponent and defending national champion Michigan State last week as well. Lancer coach Pete Belliveau spoke highly of the Falcons, though, saying he thought Bowling Green showed even more quickness than the Spartans.
“[BG] scored some pretty nice goals and they’re a pretty good team,” Belliveau said after the game. “To Michigan State’s defense, they played five lines, but this team here tonight could skate pretty good.”
