BGSU hockey took over the Huntington Center in Toledo for the second game of the Ice Breaker Tournament with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Caleb Moretz found twine 1:18 into the extra frame, giving R.I.T. the victory after scoring three straight goals.
Player of the game: Caleb Moretz (OT GWG)
Key stat: Falcons give up three straight goals
In both games this year, the Falcons have played with the lead with differing results. Sunday saw a 7-4 win over Miami where the team responded well. This game saw them give up three consecutive goals.
“I think it’s a learning experience for everybody,” Head coach Ty Eigner said after the loss. “We talked about this going into the third period of the two games we’ve played up to this point. We want to be in this position. How do you close out a game? Hopefully, we’re in this position a bunch this year where we’re playing with the lead.”
The Falcons broke the ice initially in the first period after Cameron Wright appeared to score his fifth goal of the year on the powerplay. A review of the shot would show Wright redirected the puck with a high stick.
However, another forward that scored for the second consecutive week in order to gain the 1-0 lead back. Evan Dougherty corrals a give-and-go set up from freshman Adam Conquest and finishes with a forehand-backhand goal to beat Tigers goaltender Logan Drackett.
All four lines were able to create chances in the R.I.T. zone throughout the first period, with the team attempting 28 shots to the Tigers’ eight.
The script was flipped in the second as R.I.T. tried for 25 shots. Some key penalties to Alec Rauhauser and Taylor Schneider swung momentum their way for a good portion of the latter half of the frame. However, it was Casey Linkenheld striking on a partial breakaway, beating Drackett through the five-hole and putting BGSU up 2-0.
“In the second period, it was a loose game. We were starting to get a little frustrated,” Eigner said. “Obviously R.I.T. is going to push back and play hard, so you have to give them credit.”
The Tigers were finally able to solve Eric Dop less than 30 seconds later with Brody Valette ripping a point shot top-shelf to inch closer.
From there, BGSU couldn’t seem to penetrate the slot of R.I.T. Each stint of possession resulted in the team distancing themselves from Drackett.
The Tigers hemmed the Falcons in their own zone for the second period, forcing them to regroup on breakouts. After that, the Falcons seemed to never return to form on the attack.
“I think we were too perimeter tonight. Just passing around, we weren’t really getting to the front of the net or to the dirty areas to get the goals we needed,” Rauhauser said.
When the Falcons were aggressive, it came back to cost them. Will Cullen gets caught going north and is unable to catch up to Andrew Rinaldi who sneaks one through Dop on the breakaway chance.
The zone time was there for the Falcons in the third period, but no dangerous chances to test Drackett bring the game to overtime.
Moretz goal, his first of his career, sealed the deal and sent R.I.T. to a matchup with Ohio State for the tournament crown.
As for Bowling Green, they will now see Western Michigan for the next three games.
“This is the possibility we thought could happen,” Eigner said. “Our biggest concern is to get home tonight, get rested, and come back to work tomorrow and see what we can do.”
The second half of the Ice Breaker Tournament will see Ohio State face R.I.T. at 5 p.m. and BGSU take on Western Michigan at 8 p.m.
