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Men’s basketball season review: Part 3

Now that the winter sports seasons have ended, Falcon Fodder is taking a look at BG’s hockey, women’s basketball and men’s basketball teams as all three prepare for the 2013-14 season. This week the focus is on the men’s basketball program.

In this installment, our focus shifts to how the Mid-American Conference looks entering the 2013-14 season.

Here we go …

EAST DIVISION OVERVIEW

AKRON: 26-7, 14-2 (T1st)

THUMBNAIL: The Zips’ graduation losses include Zeke Marshall (13.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.7 bpg) as well as sharp-shooter Brian Walsh (7.2 ppg) and Chauncey Gilliam (5.6 ppg). The future of point guard Alex Abreu (10.3 ppg, 6.0 apg) also is in doubt, although there’s a possibility Quincy Diggs, the MAC’s top sixth man in 2011-12, will return to school. Juniors Nick Harney (9.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Demetrius Treadwell (11.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg) give this team a foundation for success.

BUFFALO: 14-20, 7-9 (T4th)

THUMBNAIL: The Bulls bring back a stacked team for new coach Bobby Hurley. The returnees include All-MAC forward Javon McCrea (18.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg) as well as Will Regan (11.1 ppg). Expect guard Jarod Oldham (10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.4 apg) to bounce back from the wrist injury that ended his season early, while Jarryn Skeete gained valuable minutes as his replacement and averaged 10.4 ppg and 3.1 apg in MAC play.

KENT STATE: 21-14, 9-7 (3rd)

THUMBNAIL: The Golden Flashes took a hit similar to BG, losing the team’s top two scorers in Chris Evans (16.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Randal Holt (14.7 ppg). Among the returnees are Kris Brewer (9.2 ppg), who proved to be a solid 3-point shooter. KSU certainly has numbers returning, but this team also will need some players to step forward to contend for a league title.

MIAMI: 9-22, 3-13 (6th)

THUMBNAIL: The RedHawks had a number of post-season defections as Allen Roberts (12.3 ppg), Jon Harris (8.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Drew McGhee (5.2 ppg) are expected to transfer. But as Branch Rickey famously said, “We finished last with you, and we can finish last without you.” Will Felder (11.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) will be the most notable returnee, with the RedHawks expecting to rely on newcomers and a few transfers, most notably Blake McLimans from Michigan, to turn around last season’s dismal results.

OHIO: 24-10, 14-2 (T1st)

THUMBNAIL: The Bobcats arguably took the league’s largest graduation hit, with MAC player of the year D.J. Cooper (14.1 ppg, 7.1 apg) and all-league players Reggie Keely (12.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Walter Offutt (10.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg) lost along with Ivo Baltic (7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg). There are pieces in place for the Bobcats to keep rolling, most notably guards Nick Kellogg (8.0 ppg) and Stevie Taylor (3.1 ppg) along with forwards T.J. Hall (4.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and Jon Smith (4.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg).

WEST DIVISION OVERVIEW

BALL STATE: 15-15, 8-8 (3rd)

THUMBNAIL: The Cardinals have a new coach in James Whitford, who most recently was an assistant at Arizona but spent 11 seasons at Miami. He must replace the scoring lost by Jauwan Scaife (16.6 ppg), but nearly every other key player returns. Central among the returnees are a senior class who will need to lead next season: forwards Majok Majok (10.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg), Matt Kamieniecki (4.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Chris Bond (8.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) along with guard Jesse Berry (12.8 ppg).

CENTRAL MICHIGAN: 11-20, 4-12 (5th)

THUMBNAIL: The Chippewas suffered a big loss with the graduation of Kyle Randall, who averaged 18.7 ppg and 20.8 ppg in league play. But at this point he wasn’t even a part of the program, so a quick reload always is a possibility. CMU does have a few building blocks in place thanks to a pair of players who saw extensive action as freshmen, point guard Chris Fowler (8.1 ppg, 5.7 apg) and forwards John Simons (7.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Blake Hibbitts (8.8 ppg, 67 3’s).

EASTERN MICHIGAN: 16-18, 7-9 (4th)

THUMBNAIL: The Eagles lost their leading scorer in Derek Thompson (11.1 ppg), and may lose their second-leading scorer as Glenn Bryant (10.6 ppg) was suspended after he was arrested and charged with aggravated domestic violence. But the team’s 2-3 zone returns, as do a several players who made it a force, most notably Da’Shonte Riley (4.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.0 bpg). EMU has a number of players returning who saw significant minutes, as well as Duquesne transfer Mike Talley.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: 5-25, 3-13 (6th)

THUMBNAIL: The building has been slow for the Huskies, who again struggled with an extremely young roster. The transfer of leading scorer Abdel Nader (13.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg) won’t help, but the experience gained by last year’s large freshmen class will help. Too bad one of those freshmen, Akeem Springs, also will transfer after averaging 7.7 points per game. Among the most notable freshmen who will return is Darrell Bowie (5.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg). Transfer Pete Rakocevic, who stands 6-11, also may help.

TOLEDO: 15-13, 10-6 (T1st)

THUMBNAIL: The Rockets return two All-MAC performers in forward Rian Pearson (17.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Julius “Juice” Brown (13.1 ppg, 6.0 apg). Continued development by Matt Smith (9.8 ppg) and Nathan Boothe (5.2 rpg as a freshman) will help improve the team as well. But one of the team’s biggest problems last season, depth, should be solved to a degree by the end of scholarship sanctions due to APR problems and an influx of new players.

WESTERN MICHIGAN: 22-13, 10-6 (T1st)

THUMBNAIL: The Broncos bounced back nicely after a disappointing season the year before, as several players stepped up their games. Unfortunately, WMU will lose some of those players as Nate Hutcheson (10.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg) graduates along with Brandon Pokley (8.9 ppg), while MAC freshman of the year Darius Paul (10.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) transfers. Much of the load will fall to seniors Shayne Whittington (13.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and David Brown (11.0 ppg), but they will need to get help from players such as junior Austin Richie (6.1 ppg, 3.0 apg).

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: In the East, Buffalo returns a talented team that has to be considered a favorite, while perennial title contenders Akron and Ohio will give the Bulls a run for the top spot. Kent State, which always seems to reload rather than rebuild, will need to do that again. Because of the losses suffered by both Bowling Green and Miami –- and the uncertainty of who will fill the shoes of those lost –- both the Falcons and RedHawks will be picked near the bottom of the division.

In the West, Toledo returns as much talent as any MAC school and should be the favorite. The two teams most likely to challenge the Rockets for the division title are Ball State and Western Michigan, although both have some losses to overcome. Eastern Michigan is a dark horse candidate to push those three teams, and the Eagles’ tough zone allows them to be a thorn in any team’s side. Central Michigan and Northern Illinois both are expected to follow that pack, although the Chippewas do have a few bright spots returning.

Click here to read Wednesday’s overview of the BG program. Click here to read Thursday’s look at the Falcons returning players. Click here to read Wednesday’s Blade story about the team.

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Men's basketball season review: Part 2

Men’s basketball season review: Part 2

Now that the winter sports seasons have ended, Falcon Fodder is taking a look at BG’s hockey, women’s basketball and men’s basketball teams as all three prepare for the 2013-14 season. This week the focus is on the men’s basketball program.

In this installment, our focus shifts to an analysis of the returning players in the program as well as the newcomers. Friday we will focus on what the Mid-American Conference will look like next season.

Here we go …

OVERVIEW: The Falcons lost four players to graduation, including the team’s two all-league performers. There are nine returnees, but none of those nine have averaged more than seven points a game in a college season. The most notable returnees are three-year starter Cam Black at center and one-year starter Chauncey Orr at forward.

RETURNEES: Seniors: Cameron Black (C, 6-10); Craig Sealey (F, 6-6). Juniors: Jehvon Clarke (G, 6-1), Anthony Henderson (G, 6-1), Richaun Holmes (F-C, 6-8), Damarkeo Lyshe (G, 5-11), Chauncey Orr (G-F, 6-4). Sophomore: Spencer Parker (G-F, 6-7).

BY THE NUMBERS: Here are the scoring numbers for the Falcons, including where the leaders ranked among MAC players last season (in parentheses).

• Chauncey Orr … 7.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 44.8 FG%, 35.3 3FG%, 81.5 FT%
• Richaun Holmes … 6.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg (17th), 2.3 bpg (3rd), 63.3 FG%, 62.0 FT%
• Anthony Henderson … 3.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.8 apg, 32.7 FG%, 26.9 3FG%, 66.7 FT%
• Jehvon Clarke … 3.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 32.7 FG%, 30.0 3FG%, 80 FT%
• Cameron Black … 3.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg (9th), 48.1 FG%, 28.6 FT%
• Craig Sealey … 3.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 38.8 FG%, 63.2 FT%
• Damarkeo Lyshe … 1.8 ppg, 0.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 66.7 FG%, 66.7 3FG%, 50 FT%
• Spencer Parker … 1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 30.8 FG%, 66.7 FT%

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NUMBERS: I was surprised that Richaun Holmes’ points-per-game average was as high as it was. He averaged roughly four shot attempts per game, so there’s room for more scoring there. …. Several field-goal percentages were surprisingly low to me. Anthony Henderson has a history of being a much better shooting than his numbers, and “inside” players such as Cameron Black and Craig Sealey had shooting marks under 50 percent. Both shoot many of their shots close enough to the basket, so this percentage should be higher. … While much has (rightly) been made that the Falcons lose a large percentage of their scoring, they return a large percentage of their rebounding (62.6 percent, or roughly two-thirds). … I was surprised that several players had positive assist-to-turnover ratios, most notably Chauncey Orr (52-to-43), Anthony Henderson (24-to-13) and Cameron Black (22-to-20). The key player in this category, though, will be Jehvon Clarke (30-to-37 last season).

COACH LOUIS ORR SAID: “I think there’s a chance you’ll see [Cam Black and Richaun Holmes] on the floor together at times. We’ll have different looks. I think we have a versatile team because we have guys who can play a couple of positions. We can use a lineup that has Craig Sealey or Spencer Parker at the four; we can have a bigger lineup and play one of those guys at the 3 and have Chauncey Orr play some 2. … We have some versatility here – we have some different lineups we can put on the court.

“[At the post position] you have the experience of Cameron Black, who is a senior and a three-year starter, and you have Richaun Holmes, with his talent and the experience he gained last year. … With those two guys and Josh Gomez, you have size and length.

“We can’t practice together, but we can watch film and use ‘educated imagination’ to think about different combinations. We need to do some different things (emphasis is mine). … The next step becomes, ‘How are you going to use them?’ But you won’t know until you get them on the court. … I like our talent, and I like our work ethic. And I like our versatility.

“Jehvon Clarke is our best possibility at point guard – [a starting job] is right there for him. Not that he’s got to be the only playmaker, because we have a number of guys who can handle the ball. But I expect him to be the guy to initiate the offense. … And we have Damarkeo Lyshe, a young guy who’s getting better all the time.

NEWCOMERS: Zack Denny was named All-Ohio second team in Division II last season after averaging 35.0 points per game for Valley View High School this past season. That was the top mark in Ohio boys basketball last season, marking the second year in a row he led the state in scoring after averaging 28.8 ppg as a junior. … Garrett Mayleben averaged 8.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game for Milford High School this past season. … J.D. Tisdale was named All-Michigan sixth team in Class A (the largest class) while averaging 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game at Swartz Creek High School. … Josh Gomez sat out last season as a transfer from Iona. The 6-10 F-C is a sophomore in terms of eligibility.

COACH LOUIS ORR SAID: “Josh Gomez can score the ball. He’s got a good touch; he can stretch the defense because he can shoot the 3. Offensively, his ability to put the ball in the basket is his strength, because he can shoot well for a guy his size. … He hasn’t played in two years, so you have to give him some experience, but what he does well is put the ball in the basket.

“Zack Denny led the state in scoring this past year. … He can score the ball, and he’s been scoring all his life. He’s a very good shooter, he’s a competitor, and he’s smart. In high school he’s had to do a lot of everything; he can handle the ball, and he’s a really good passer. He’s unselfish. … He can stretch the defense, but he can do more than that. He’s crafty around the basket, and he can handle the ball well enough to get to the rim. He’s an active defender who gets his hands on a lot of balls, he’s tough, and he’s a gym rat. He’s got a lot of intangibles.

“J.D. Tisdale is a 6-5 point guard who can play other positions, but he’s a really good athlete with good vision. … He’s young, but he’s talented. He’s going to play.

“Garrett Mayleben is a skilled 6-9 player who can face-up, who has some really good offensive skills who needs to grow in strength and experience.”

FRIDAY: A look at the men’s basketball prospects around the Mid-American Conference next season.

Click here to read Wednesday’s overview of the program. Click here to read The Blade story about the program.

Click here to read a Dayton Daily News feature on Zack Denny and his scoring prowess. Click here to read a story about J.D. Tisdale being named to the Flint Journal Dream Team.

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Why Orr will return as BG men's coach

Men's basketball season review: Part 1

Wake up grumpy ... and this is the result

Men’s basketball season review: Part 1

Now that the winter sports seasons have ended, Falcon Fodder will take a look at BG’s hockey, women’s basketball and men’s basketball teams as all three prepare for the 2013-14 season. This week the focus will be on the men’s basketball program.

On Wednesday we’ll provide an overview of the program, followed by a look at the returning players on Thursday. Friday we will focus on what the Mid-American Conference will look like next season.

Here we go …

OVERVIEW: BG finished the season with a 13-19 record after posting a 16-16 mark the previous year. The Falcons were 7-9 in Mid-American Conference play, which is two fewer league wins than the previous season. Bowling Green finished tied with Buffalo for fourth in the MAC’s East Division and was the sixth seed in the league tournament.

“I thought we were pretty good at home and struggled on the road,” BG coach Louis Orr said. “If you look at it, 11 of our 13 wins came at home. … Not being consistent on the road [was a problem]. We weren’t able to close out games – that was the difference between the road and home.”

POST SEASON: The Falcons suffered a 63-52 loss to Miami, the 11th seed, at the Stroh Center in the first round of the MAC tournament. It marked the second year in a row BG had lost a first-round home tournament game to a lower-seeded team.

EXPLANATION: A number of Blade readers are getting their undies bunched over the headline on the BG men’s basketball story in Wednesday’s paper. Click here to read that story.

I am hearing from fans saying, in effect, “After the team’s struggles the past few years, I would think coach Orr would WANT to change.” Those fans are missing the point of his comment. The point is this: It would be easy for Orr to change what he’s doing to try and save his job -– for example, bring in a player who may be extremely talented but also a problem in the classroom or in the public at large, or playing an easy schedule to pick up extra wins. Orr’s point is that he’s NOT going to make a move that might ruin the program in order to save his job. He should be APPLAUDED for that attitude … it’s in the best interests of the program. If you disagree, think about this: How many of us would cut a corner to try and save our jobs? Orr’s point is that he won’t do that.

BY THE NUMBERS: The raw numbers, from 16 conference games, show that the Bowling Green offense ranked ninth in the 12-team league with its average of 61.8 points per game. The Falcons struggled to shoot the ball, making 43.3 percent of their shots (eighth in MAC) and just 30.8 percent of their 3-point attempts. While BG did a good job of not turning the ball over more than its opponents over the course of the season (plus-0.34 turnovers per game), in MAC play the Falcons were minus-1.38 in turnovers (ninth in MAC).

If you would like to read a pretty thorough analysis of the offense from a statistical perspective, click here to read this analysis by FalconBlog.

Defensively, Bowling Green tied for fourth in scoring defense, allowing 62.6 points per game. The Falcons did a nice job of contesting shots, forcing opponents to shoot just 42.1 percent overall (fifth in MAC) and 30.3 percent of their 3-pointers (third in MAC).  In terms of rebounding, the number I look at is defensive rebounding percentage (in short, what percentage of the available rebounds on the defensive boards did a team grab?), and BG ranked fifth at 69.4 percent.

If you would like to read a pretty thorough analysis of the defense from a statistical perspective, click here to read this analysis by FalconBlog.

If you didn't read those two analyses, here's the executive summary ... the offense was bad by MAC standards, the defense was good.

PLAYERS LOST: The Falcons graduate four seniors in A’uston Calhoun, Jordon Crawford, James Erger and Luke Kraus. By the numbers …

• CALHOUN: 15.1 ppg (6th MAC), 7.1 rpg (6th MAC), 78.2 FT% (11th MAC)
• CRAWFORD: 15.0 ppg (7th), 2.6 rpg, 4.3 apg (5th MAC), 75.6 FT% (15th MAC), 1.7 spg (5th MAC), 1.7 3’s per game (12th MAC), 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio
• KRAUS: 4.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 52 assists (only 30 turnovers), 38 steals, 22 3’s
• ERGER: 1.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 20 assists (only 13 turnovers), 11 steals

Offensively, it’s worth noting that while Calhoun and Crawford scored a large percent of the team’s points (Calhoun had roughly 45 percent, Crawford 39 percent), the pair also took the lion’s share of BG’s shots: Calhoun took 412 of 1795 (23.0 percent) while Crawford took 459 (25.6 percent). In MAC play

COACH LOUIS ORR SAID: “Even with A’uston and Jordon, our game plan wasn’t to go out and try to outscore people. We weren’t going out to play run-and-gun basketball. You still have to defend and rebound, you still have to win the battle of the loose balls. How you generate offense and make up for these lost points is something [we have to deal with]. …

“None of our players have reached their peak yet -– they all have a big upside. To me, as a coach, that’s the exciting part of it. And that’s the challenge of it. We have guys who have not played their best games yet, and you want them to play their best basketball. You know there’s room for growth based on their potential and talent. But a lot of that also is based on their work: You have to put the work in between now and November. When you have a team full of players with a high ceiling, with a high potential for growth, you have a chance to get better.”

THURSDAY: A look at the Falcons’ returning players.

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Why Orr will return as BG men's coach

Orr will return as coach for 2013-14 season

Monday morning QB -- BG football Spring Game

The Falcons played their annual Spring Game at Doyt Perry Stadium Friday, with the Orange team pounding the White Squad 34-7. Here’s a look back at the game ...

OPENING THOUGHTS: Spring Game analysis has to come with several asterisks. First, in the spring the team isn't trying to win a game -- players are trying to improve and gain experience, and coaches are trying to figure out which players are going to be on the field in the fall. So a Spring Game is very different from a "game." Second, the offenses and defenses are very "vanilla" -- for those watching, did you notice how little shifting of formations there was? Since the defense has a pretty good idea of what's in the offensive playbook, I think the defense has an advantage. And third, mixing the teams can cause problems for groups that play as a "unit," and I'm thinking of the offensive lines here. A team's best blocking often comes because a tackle knows where the guard next to him will be in a certain situation, and that can be lost in a Spring Game.

TRICK QUESTION: Who led the White team in rushing? And who led the Orange team in scoring? Answer below.

QUARTERBACK DERBY: Let's jump right to the question on everyone's mind, shall we? Senior Matt Schilz led the White and completed 13-of-27 passes (48.1 percent) for 118 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Freshman James Knapke completed 2-of-10 passes (20 percent) for 14 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for the White. ... Sophomore Matt Johnson led the Orange and completed 12-of-23 passes (52.2 percent) for 123 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Knapke completed 3-of-5 for 50 yards with no TDs or picks for the Orange. ... Knapke's combined totals show him completing 5-of-15 passes (33.3 percent) for 64 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

COACH DAVE CLAWSON SAID: "Matt Johnson certainly stepped up and made some nice throws, and he made some nice plays with his feet. To me, Kendall Montgomery was such a factor [in pass rush] that I don't think Matt Schilz had the same opportunity to make plays. ... I think Matt Johnson had a pocket to step in to and an opportunity to make plays, and from what I saw I don't think Matt Schilz had the same opportunity.

"That competition has to continue. You have to have two good ones, and we haven't stayed healthy at the position since I've been here except for the first year, with Tyler Sheehan. We're going to let that [competition] play through the summer, and play through camp. I think both [Schilz and Johnson] are playing better, and I'm really excited about James Knapke as well. As he learns the offense and learns to play faster, he's a very talented quarterback as well."

PLAYMAKERS: All spring the Falcons have been talking about making "big plays," so it was good to see several wide receivers make big plays. The catch by Shaun Joplin for a touchdown was a big-time play, and Jared Cohen's catch of a tipped pass to set up the second TD was impressive. And Diontre Delk had a 29-yard catch-and-run late in the third quarter to set up the White's lone touchdown. In short, there were some big plays despite not having wide receivers Chris Gallon, Herve Coby and Heath Jackson on the field because of injuries.

CLAWSON SAID: "It was exciting to see Shaun Joplin go up and make a play just like he did against Kent State last year. Shaun is going to be in his second year as a starter, and he needs to give us a play like that every game. A play like that takes a lot of pressure off a quarterback, and off an offense. Certainly Jared Cohen's catch was a big-time play. When you play against big-time teams, it's a game of plays. And you have to make those plays."

DEFENSIVE LINE: Yes, the Falcons Spring Game saw the team missing a lot of defensive linemen, including All-MAC senior Ted Ouellet and fellow senior Jairus Campbell as well as junior Bryan Thomas and sophomore Bryan Baird. And yes, recent suspensions/dismissals have removed Hunter Maynard and Shaq Hall from the equation. But the cupboard is far from bare at that position. Jhalil-Nashid Croley had a big game for the Orange, finishing with eight tackles -- a high number for a lineman -- as did Kendall Montgomery, who had two tackles and knocked down two other passes. For the White, Charlie Walker had four tackles, which is a good number for a lineman. The two defenses combined for six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, with five of the sacks and six of the TFLs coming from linemen.

CLAWSON SAID: "On defense we were playing without three of our starting defensive linemen -- it's a lot difference when you have Ted Ouellet, Jairus Campbell and Bryan Thomas out there. But I think giving some of those young guys reps -- Mike Minns, Izaah Lunsford, Zach Colvin, Kendall Montgomery -- are just going to help us become a better football team."

RUNNING BACKS: For the second spring in a row the Falcons didn't have a lot of running backs available after Anthon Samuel left the problem and Jamel Martin did not play because of a knee injury. Travis Greene shifted from wide receiver to running back this spring and had a good Spring Game, posting 88 yards rushing on 21 carries. He may not be an every-down back, but if BG can get him the ball in space, he will be tough to tackle. ... Andre Givens carried the ball 10 times but had just 10 yards in the game. That wasn't indicative of his spring: At times he was outstanding at making players miss and turning small gains into big plays. ... It was good to see Jordan Hopgood practice after injuries limited his time the past two seasons. He had 20 yards and two TDs in five carries for the Orange and 13 yards on two carries for the White.

By the way, I think my game story may have overstated the negative effect of the punting problems on the White's rushing game. Even if you throw the punt problems out, the White had 42 yards gained and 27 lost (by negative plays and sacks), so the team would have had a net of 15 yards rushing on 19 carries, which obviously is terrible. The Orange finished with 133 net yards rushing on 39 carries (3.4 per play).

CLAWSON SAID: "I think Andre Givens has had a great spring. I think the Orange O-Line and Orange D-line controlled the line of scrimmage. I though Travis Greene did a good job, and the seams [he had] were bigger. Andre didn't have the same types of seams and same opportunities."

TURNOVERS: The good news? Neither team threw an interception, and neither team lost a fumble. Bad news? There were six fumbles -- three on each side. Even when you recover a fumble, the fumble disrupts the offense and puts a team "off schedule." The defense needs to create more turnovers, and the offense needs to be more careful with the ball. Usually a Spring Game produces a winner and a loser, but in this instance I thought both the offense and defense were losers.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Obviously Clay Rolf struggled with some long snaps on punts, and that caused a lot of problems for the punting game. ... Yes, punter Brian Schmiedebusch had to contend with a tough wind on many of his punts. But that wasn't the only reason for a 12-yard punt in the third quarter, which came shortly after a 55 yard punt and was the same direction as a 42-yard punt earlier in the quarter. ... Tyler Tate made two short-range field goals (29 and 25 yards), and he came very close to making a 51-yard kick (with a strong wind). He also was perfect on four extra points. ... I think there are a variety of options for return men. BooBoo Gates has won All-MAC honors returning kicks, Ryan Burbrink has shown good hands on punt returns; two other players who showed glimpses of potential were Diontre Delk and Will Watson.

ANSWERS TO THE TRICK QUESTION: It was the same guy, senior Jordan Hopgood. He finished with 13 yards on a pair of carries to lead the White rushing game (which finished with minus-43 yards because of punting problems), and he scored on runs of 1 and 14 yards while carrying the ball five times for 20 yards for the Orange.

CAUGHT MY EYE: Here are a few players who I think helped themselves with strong Spring Game performances ... Kendall Montgomery is really becoming a force as a rush end since committing to the position. He has a chance to become another "Monster of the MAC" this fall. ... Jhalil-Nashid Croley was recruited to be a linebacker, but he quickly became too big for that position and has become a lineman. His athleticism is allowing him to become a good one right away; as he learns the position, he has a chance to become a great one. ... Chris Pohlman has been mostly a blocking back in his time at BG, but next fall I expect him to do more. He caught three passes for 31 yards and showed the ability to run after the catch. I also like his toughness. ... The Falcons have a number of strong safeties right now. BooBoo Gates already has won All-MAC honors at the position and is one of three seniors at the position (Aaron Foster and Josh Pettus are the others). And there are two strong juniors in this unit in Ryland Ward and Jude Adjei-Barimah. All five of these guys would be starters for just about any other MAC team.

THE LAST WORD: Even with the loss of top players such as Chris Jones and Dwayne Woods, I think the Bowling Green defense is going to be outstanding again this fall. Last year the goal was for the offense and special teams to not lose games for the Falcons. But to be a championship team, the offense and special teams need to do more than "not lose" games -- they need to "win" games. Reaching that level needs to be the goal this summer.

WANT MORE? Here you go … First, click here to read this Blade game story. Click here to read the BiG Look at the contest. Finally, click here to view a photo gallery from the contest.

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BiG look at Falcons Spring Game

The Bowling Green football team played its 2013 Spring Game and saw the Orange team crush the White team 34-7 at Doyt Perry Stadium on Friday, April 12. Here’s a look back at the contest. ...

BiG TWITTER POST: Orange rolls to 28 2nd-quarter points, including 2 TDs by Hopgood, leads 31-0 at half in 34-7 win over White in 2013 Spring Game at the Doyt

BiG OVERVIEW: The Orange scored the only points of the first quarter after a bad snap on a White punt gave the Orange the ball on the White's 37. Tyler Tate kicked a 29-yard field goal for those points. The Orange scored the game's first touchdown on a drive that began late in the first quarter and ended when Matt Johnson completed a 29-yard TD toss to Shaun Joplin, who made an acrobatic catch in the end zone for the score at 13:37 of the second period. After a three-and-out by the White, the Orange drove 61 yards in seven plays for another score. James Knapke completed a 37-yard pass to Jared Cohen down to the White 1 (also a fine catch by Cohen) to set up a one-yard TD run by Jordan Hopgood. The Orange then recovered an on-side kick, and Hopgood capped the drive with a 14-yard scoring run. Then late in the period there was another high snap on a White punt, and Cohen picked up the loose ball and ran six yards for a touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter the White scored their only touchdown on a six-yard pass from Matt Schilz to Diontre Delk in the back of the end zone at 14:54. The game's final points came midway through the period when Tate booted a 25-yard field goal for the Orange.

BiG PLAY: The Orange was facing a fourth-and-16 from the White 29 early in the second quarter. QB Matt Johnson threw a pass into the end zone and saw Shaun Joplin jump above the defender and catch the ball for the game's first touchdown. That seemed to relax the Orange, who also got TDs on their next two offensive possessions to roll to the win.

OFFENSIVE  BiG MAN, ORANGE: There were a lot of stars for the Orange, but let's give the honor to sophomore tailback Travis Greene, who carried the ball 21 times for 88 yards and seemed to be a difficult runner for the White to bring down. He also caught one pass for two yards. ... Junior wide receiver Jared Cohen caught four passes for 74 yards, both team highs. His catch that set of the second touchdown was especially impressive. He also picked up the loose ball on a White punt late in the first half and returned it six yards for a TD. ... Senior Jordan Hopgood carried the ball just five times for the Orange, but twice he carried the ball into the end zone. He finished with 20 yards on those five carries; he also had 13 yards on two carries for the White.

OFFENSIVE  BiG MAN, WHITE: The White offense struggled, so finding honorees was a little tougher here. Let's give the nod to sophomore wide receiver Diontre Delk, who caught seven passes for 57 yards and a touchdown, all team highs. he also returned four kickoffs 106 yards, including a 43-yard return.

DEFENSIVE BiG MAN, ORANGE: Redshirt freshman defensive end Jhalil-Nashid Croley led the team with eight tackles, including three solo stops, both strong numbers for a defensive lineman. He also had a quarterback sack. ... Among those receiving honorable mention are senior safety Josh Pettus, who had six tackles and broke up a pair of passes; sophomore cornerback Will Watson, who had five tackles and broke up a pass; junior safety Ryland Ward, who also had five tackles and broke up a pass.

DEFENSIVE BiG MAN, WHITE: Junior safety Jude Adjei-Barimah led the team with nine tackles, including eight solo stops. One of those tackles was for loss. He also broke up one pass. ... Among those receiving honorable mention are senior linebacker Paul Swan also had nine tackles, including five solo tackles and one tackle for loss; senior safety BooBoo Gates, who had six tackles; and junior cornerback Darrell Hunter, who also had six tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS BiG MAN, ORANGE: This may seem to be a little out of the blue, but let's give this honor to junior Chris Pohlman, who had a whopping four tackles on special teams. His day also included three passes caught for 31 yards. ... Junior Jared Cohen obviously had the biggest special teams play of the day, the fumbled punt return he picked up and scored. ... Sophomore Tyler Tate connected on four extra points and made field goals of 29 and 25 yards. He nearly made a 51-yard kick with the wind in the first quarter, with the ball banging off the crossbar.

SPECIAL TEAMS BiG MAN, WHITE: BG coaches have been saying that sophomore Diontre Delk has the skills to be a good return man, and he showed that in this game. He returned four kickoffs a total of 106 yards, including a 43-yard return. ... Sophomore Anthony Farinella made his only extra point and was solid on his two kickoffs, one of which was a touchback and the other returned just 18 yards.

BiG NUMBERS: While a number of defensive linemen were not in the game because of injury, that didn't stop the linemen who were on the field from putting pressure on the three quarterbacks. The Orange had four sacks by four different players, with junior Kendall Montgomery getting one sack and knocking down two passes at the line of scrimmage. Other Orange linemen with sacks were Jhalil-Nashid Croley and Mike Minns (rover Gabe Martin had the fourth). The White had two sacks, also by defensive linemen as junior Charlie Walker had one (along with four tackles, a good number) and Johnathan Fry had the other (along with another pass tipped at the line).

BiG QUESTION: Have the Falcons answered the questions they need to answer if they wish to push for a Mid-American Conference title? There are a few ... First, who will be the team's starting quarterback? Second, can they replace All-MAC defenders Chris Jones and Dwayne Woods? Third, can they get better play from their receiving corps? Fourth, can they clean up the special teams mistakes that plagued them in the Military Bowl loss to San Jose State? The short answer: Yes, these questions may be nagging, but there are enough talented players in the progrm to overcome these questions.

Click here to read The Blade game story from the Spring Game. Click here to view a photo gallery from Friday’s contest.

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MAC releases BG football schedule for 2013

Hockey season review: Part 4

Now that the winter sports seasons have ended, Falcon Fodder is taking a look at BG’s hockey, women’s basketball and men’s basketball teams as all three prepare for the 2013-14 season. This week the focus is on the hockey program.

In this installment, our focus shifts to the new-look Western Collegiate Hockey Association, BG’s home next season.

Here we go …

TEAM OVERVIEW

ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE: 3-21-1

THUMBNAIL: The Chargers suffered through a difficult season that saw them play just five home games. The team’s biggest problem came in scoring goals as UAH managed just 36 in 25 contests. While graduation takes away just four players, one of those seniors was goalie John Griggs, who posted a 3.96 goals-against and 89.6 save percentage. The young team, which had eight freshmen and eight sophomores on the roster, will return leading scorers Jeff Vanderlugt (7-3=10) and Kyle Lysaght (5-5=10).

ALASKA-ANCHORAGE: 4-25-7 overall, 2-20-6 WCHA (12th)

THUMBNAIL: The Seawolves finished last for the fifth time in eight years under coach Dave Shyiak, who lost his job after UAA lost its last nine in a row and staggered to a 1-20-3 finish. The team managed just 67 goals in 36 games (1.86 per game), and only Alabama-Huntsville scored fewer. Blake Tatchell led the offense as a freshman (9-16=25), while Scott Allen (12-7=19) topped the team in goals. A pair of juniors split the work in goal as Chris Kamal was 2-14-3 with a 3.31 goals-against and 88.8 save percentage while Rob Gunderson was 2-11-4 with a 3.89 GAA and 87.3 save percentage.

ALASKA (Fairbanks): 17-16-4 overall, 12-13-3-1 CCHA (sixth)

THUMBNAIL: The Nanooks lose seven seniors from this season, including leading scorer Andy Taranto (16-14=30), an All-CCHA second-team pick, and four other forwards. The returnees up front include Cody Kunyk (11-17=28), Colton Beck (11-10=21) and Tyler Morley (10-11=21), with Morley earning a spot on the CCHA’s all-rookie team. The only graduation loss on the blueline is Kaare Odegard, while freshman John Keeney saw the bulk of the action in net (13-11-3, 2.33 goals-against, 90.9 save percentage).

BEMIDJI STATE: 6-22-8, 5-16-7 WCHA (11th)

THUMBNAIL: The Beavers won only once after Dec. 15, although they gave Minnesota fits before losing their first-round WCHA playoff series. Bemidji State loses nine seniors, including its three of its top four leading scorers in Brance Orban (9-14=23), Jordan George (9-10=19) and Aaron McLeod (11-5=16), along with blueliners Brady Wacker (3-6=9) and Jake Areshenko (0-4=4). Andrew Walsh (5-14-6, 2.65 goals-against, 91.6 save percentage) returns after seeing the majority of the work in goal, while Danny Mattson (4-15=19) is expected to lead the offense.

FERRIS STATE: 16-16-5 overall, 13-12-3-1 CCHA (fifth)

THUMBNAIL: The Bulldogs were able to earn a first-round bye in the CCHA playoffs but were knocked off by Ohio State on the road in the second round. FSU will lose leading scorers Kyle Bonis (19-8=27), an honorable mention All-CCHA choice, and Travis Ouellette (11-15=26), but Garrett Thompson (11-15=26) and Cory Kane (9-9=18) return. C.J. Motte was strong in goal in his first season as the starter (15-15-5, 2.19 goals-against, 92.7 save percentage), also earning All-CCHA honorable mention, while Jason Binkley (2-18=20) and Simon Denis (4-14=18) return on the blueline.

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE: 17-21-1 overall, 11-16-1-1 CCHA (eighth)

THUMBNAIL: The Lakers were able to snag the CCHA’s final home bid for the first round of the playoffs but lost that best-of-three series to Bowling Green (after posting a 2-0 shutout in the first game, the Lakers were outscored 13-3 in losing the last two). LSSU also will lose leading scorers Domenic Monardo (20-11=31), an honorable mention All-CCHA pick, and Nick McParland (6-17=23) to graduation. Both goalies -– Kevin Murdock (10-12-0, 2.51 goals-against, 93.0 save percentage) and Kevin Kapalka (7-9-1, 2.86, 91.6) –- are expected to return, as will a large portion of the Lakers’ blueline corps.

MICHIGAN TECH: 13-20-4, 8-16-4 WCHA (tenth)

THUMBNAIL: While the Huskies will lose seven seniors, their up-and-down season was the result of youth throughout the program. Among the returnees are a pair of goalies who will be sophomores in Pheonix Copley (8-15-1, 3.22 goals-against, 90.0 save percentage) and Jamie Phillips (2-2, 2.40, 90.7). The team’s leading scorers -– Alex Petan (15-19=34), a member of the WCHA’s all-rookie team, David Johnstone (10-19=29), Jujhar Khaira (6-19=25), Blake Pietila (14-10=24) and Tanner Kero (11-13=24) -– all should be back, while Riley Sweeney (2-11=13) and Brad Stebner (1-10=11) are the top returnees on the blueline.

MINNESOTA STATE (Mankato): 24-14-3, 16-11-1 WCHA (fourth, tied)

THUMBNAIL: The Mavericks are the only team in this group that qualified for the NCAA tournament, and the team featured just five seniors. The key for MSU is in goal, where Stephon Williams was voted the WCHA’s top goalie and freshman of the year after going 21-12-2 with a 2.00 goals-against and 92.4 save percentage. While Eriah Hayes (20-16=36), a third-team All-WCHA pick, was lost on offense, top scorers Matt Leitner (17-30=47), who also was voted third team All-WCHA,, and Jean-Paul Lafontaine (9-26-=35) return. Several top defensemen also are gone, but the blueline returnees include Zach Palmquist (7-18=25) and Josh Nelson (5-9=14).

NORTHERN MICHIGAN: 15-19-4, 9-15-4-1 CCHA (tenth)

THUMBNAIL: The Wildcats struggled on special teams, giving up a whopping 36 power-play goals and a mind-bending 13 short-handed goals. NMU got solid play in goal from Jared Coreau (15-19-4, 2.70 goals-against, 91.9 save percentage), but he will not return after signing a pro contract after his junior season. Leading scorer Matt Thurber (6-26=32) is one of five seniors lost, as is defenseman Scott Macaulay (5-11=16). Reed Seckel (13-12=25), Erik Higby (9-12=21) and Stephan Vigier (7-14=21) will need to pick up the scoring, while C.J. Ludwig (4-11=15) will be asked to anchor the defense.

LEAGUE OVERVIEW: Based on last season’s results, the league favorites should be Minnesota State, Ferris State and Alaska – probably in that order.  Among the other teams expected to push for the upper echelon should be the Falcons, along with Lake Superior, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech and Bemidji State. It may take some time before Alaska-Anchorage and Alabama-Huntsville are league title contenders.

COACH CHRIS BERGERON SAID: “Next year we’re going to have legitimate expectations, and I think they are going to be real – and be deserved. We’re going to have to learn how to play with them. We haven’t done that very well. We won’t sneak up on anyone. We’re older, we’re deeper, and we’re going to have to learn to play with [expectations].”

NEXT YEAR’S SCHEDULE: The Falcons’ entire schedule has not been announced, but Bergeron said the non-conference portion of the schedule will include games against Union on the road and Colgate at home (to complete home-and-home contracts with both schools) as well as early season mid-week games against Ohio State. Bowling Green also will compete in the Three Rivers Classic, a tournament typically played between Christmas and New Year’s Day at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The competition will feature Boston College, Penn State and the host school, Robert Morris.

The Falcons’ WCHA schedule is a 28-game slate that features four games against five opponents and two games against the other four league members. Bowling Green will play its travel partner, Alabama-Huntsville, home-and-home, and also will play home-and-home series against Alaska-Anchorage, Minnesota State and Lake Superior State. The early season schedule shapes up as difficult as BG plays Minnesota State twice and Ferris State once (on the road) after opening with Alaska-Anchorage at home.

Click here to view BG’s 2013-14 WCHA schedule.

WCHA PLAYOFFS: The WCHA announced changes to its playoff format, which is called the “WCHA Final Five.” The top eight teams in the regular-season standings will advance to the playoffs, which will feature four first round “best-of-three” series hosted by the higher-seeded team. The four winners of those series will advance to the Final Five for one-game semifinals and a championship contest. The site of the Final Five will rotate between Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., in 2014 (next season) and 2016, while the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., will host the event in 2015 and 2017.

Click here to read Tuesday’s overview of the program. Click here to look at the Falcons’ offense/forward situation. Click here to look at the Falcons’ defense/goalie situation.

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Hockey season review: Part 1

Hockey season review: Part 3

Hockey season review: Part 3

Now that the winter sports seasons have ended, Falcon Fodder is taking a look at BG’s hockey, women’s basketball and men’s basketball teams as all three prepare for the 2013-14 season. This week the focus is on the hockey program.

In this installment, our focus shifts to the defense/goalies situation. On Friday we will focus on the new-look Western Collegiate Hockey Conference, BG’s home next season.

Here we go …

DEFENSEMEN

OVERVIEW: This group takes a hit with the graduation of Bobby Shea, an All-CCHA second team pick last season, and Ryan Peltoma. But there are good numbers returning, and some of the newcomers will push for time in the top six.

RETURNEES: Senior: Jake Sloat. Juniors: Connor Kucera, Marcus Perrier, Mike Sullivan, Rusty Hafner.  Sophomore: Jose Delgadillo, Ralfs Freibergs.

LOST: Ryan Peltoma (2-1=3, +1, 17 blocked shots), Bobby Shea (4-16=20, +17, 50 blocked shots)

BY THE NUMBERS: Here are the scoring numbers for the Falcons, including where the leaders ranked among CCHA players last season (in parentheses).

• Sullivan … 1 goal, 15 assists (T27, T16 defensemen), 16 points, +14, 69 blocked shots
• Kucera …. 2 goals, 6 assists, 8 points, -1, 25 blocked shots
• Freibergs … 1 goal, 6 assists, 7 points, +3, 2 blocked shots (8 games)
• Hafner … 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points, +10, 15 blocked shots
• Perrier … 0 goals, 6 assists, 6 points, -10, 47 blocked shots
• Delgadillo … 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point, -3, 22 blocked shots
• Sloat … DNP, injured

POTENTIAL NEWCOMERS: Mark Friedman played in 62 games for the Waterloo Blackhawks of the United States Hockey League, scoring eight goals and adding 26 assists to rank fifth among league defensemen in scoring. He also was +20. … Sean Walker played in 53 games for the Newmarket Hurricanes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, scoring four goals and adding 20 assists. … Reed Whiteside split time between the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL and Brookings Blizzard of the North American Hockey League. In 10 games with Sioux Falls, Whiteside had one assist; in seven games with Brookings, he had two assists.

COACH CHRIS BERGERON SAID: “We need more consistent play, especially from the sophomores (Perrier, Kucera and Sullivan). I think Sullivan took a step, I think Kucera took a step. I think Perrier’s year wasn’t what it was hoping it would be –- but he did finish strong.

“We think (Friedman) is going to be a good contributor for us next year. The biggest challenges for him will be the maturity of his game, dealing with college. But the expectations are really high for him.”

GOALIES

OVERVIEW: Entering the 2013-14 season, this is the area that most concerns BG hockey fans. The loss of Andrew Hammond, who was a pillar between the pipes the past two seasons, leaves a hole that must be filled. But there are options, and the job also could be split between several netminders.

RETURNEES: Senior: Scott Zacharias. Sophomore: Tommy Burke.

LOST: Andrew Hammond (10-15-3, 2.47 goals-against, 91.7 save percentage)

BY THE NUMBERS: Here are the numbers for the Falcons, including where the leaders ranked among CCHA players last season (in parentheses).

• Burke … 5-6-2, 2.57 goals-against (11), 88.9 save percentage (15)
• Zacharias … DNP

POTENTIAL NEWCOMERS: Tomas Sholl played in 32 games for the Fresno Monsters of the North American Hockey League. He posted a 10-14-5 record, a 3.14 goals-against average and a 90.8 save percentage. … Chris Nell has played in 25 games for the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, posting a 7-11-2 record, a 3.46 goals-against average and an 89.4 save percentage. Nell is expected to return to Chicago next season and join the Falcons in 2014-15.

COACH CHRIS BERGERON SAID: ““The only position where we’ll be unproven next year is in goal. And that’s arguable because Tommy Burke has proven he can play. I like where we’re going next year.

“Tomas Sholl is a guy we recruited to replace Hammond. And Tommy Burke got put in more action than we thought he would, which in the big picture is good news. Like any freshman, Tommy was up-and-down. But the ‘ups’ proved he can win games at this level -– and maybe steal games.

“The focus next year is to make sure our goalies don’t lose games for us next year, and there’s no reason to believe that’s going to happen.

“Going in, I don’t think it’s fair that we have one guy who feels he has to carry the mail. We don’t have one guy like Hammond, who is proven.”

FRIDAY: A look at the Falcons’ new league, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Click here to read Tuesday’s overview of the program. Click here to read Wednesday's look at the Falcons’ forward situation.

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Hockey season review: Part 2

Hockey season review: Part 1

Hockey season review: Part 2

Now that the winter sports seasons have ended, Falcon Fodder is taking a look at BG’s hockey, women’s basketball and men’s basketball teams as all three prepare for the 2013-14 season. This week the focus is on the hockey program.

On Wednesday’s we are taking a closer look at the offense/forward situation. On Thursday our focus shifts to the defense/goalies situation. On Friday we will focus on the new-look Western Collegiate Hockey Conference, BG’s home next season.

Here we go …

OVERVIEW: Without question this is the deepest position group in the program with nearly all of the team's top scorers returning. With the question marks in goal and with a few replacements needed on the blueline, this group must step forward for the Falcons to be successful in 2012. This group also must take steps to improve BG's power play, which ranked near the bottom of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and national rankings. But if this group continues to develop, those tasks are very do-able.

RETURNEES: Seniors: Brett Mohler, W; Chad Sumsion, W; Andrew Wallace, C; Bryce Williamson, W; Cam Wojtala, C. Juniors: Adam Berkle, W; Ryan Carpenter, C; Dan DeSalvo, C; Ted Pletsch, W.  Sophomore: Mark Cooper, W; Dajon Mingo, W; Ben Murphy, W; Brent Tate, W.

LOST: Marc Rodriguez (3 goals, 0 assists, 40.9% faceoffs won).

BY THE NUMBERS: Here are the scoring numbers for the Falcons, including where the leaders ranked among CCHA players last season (in parentheses).

• Carpenter … 18 goals (4), 15 assists (T27), 33 points (8), 46.3% faceoffs won (371-431), +12
• DeSalvo … 5 goals, 20 assists (T7), 25 points (T25), 39.1% faceoffs won (146-227), +4
• Mingo … 8 goals, 14 assists (T33), 22 points (34), +10
• Berkle … 7 goals, 14 assists (T33), 21 points, +8
• Williamson … 12 goals (T15), 7 assists, 19 points, -4
• Cooper … 9 goals (T39), 7 assists, 16 points, 43.5% faceoffs won (27-35), -4
• Wojtala … 8 goals, 8 assists, 16 points, 48.2% faceoffs won (282-303), -2
• Murphy … 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points, 0 (plus-minus)
• Tate … 4 goals, 9 assists, 13 points, 57.6% faceoffs won (34-25), +5
• Mohler … 6 goals, 5 assists, 11 points, -2
• Wallace … 3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points, 57.4% faceoffs won (316-235), 0 (plus-minus)
• Sumsion … 0 goals, 3 assists, 3 points, 0 (plus-minus)
• Pletsch … 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, 0 (plus-minus)

POTENTIAL NEWCOMERS: LW Kevin Dufour played in 57 games for the Carleton Place Canadians of the Central Canadian Hockey League, scoring 26 goals and added 32 assists. … Brandon Hawkins played in 60 games for the Texas Tornado of the North American Hockey League, scoring 35 goals and adding 23 assists. … Matt Pohlkamp played in 18 games for the Bismarck Bobcats of the NAHL, scoring eight goals and adding six assists.

COACH CHRIS BERGERON SAID: “Our two leaders are in that group in [Cam] Wojtala and [Ryan] Carpenter. I think next year our group of forwards has a chance to be pretty good. If you shut down one, you’ll still have to answer to two or three or four others.

“I know our power play is going to be better, and that’s going to help our offense. I liked what our offense group had become – but I think our guys have more.

“Our feeling is that expectations are higher the older you are. Yes, the jump from freshman to sophomore is a big jump, and the jump from sophomore to junior is a huge jump, as is the jump from junior to senior. If people think they’re just going to do what they did this year, and that’s going to be good enough, that’s not the case.

“I think we’re really going to have some nice options and some depth up there. For the first time, guys are going to have to hold themselves to a high standard on a daily basis – or they won’t play.”

THURSDAY: A look at the Falcons’ defense and goaltending situation.

Click here to read Tuesday’s overview of the program.

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Hockey season review: Part 1

Hockey season review: Part 1

Now that the winter sports seasons have ended, Falcon Fodder will take a look at BG’s hockey, women’s basketball and men’s basketball teams as all three prepare for the 2013-14 season. This week the focus will be on the hockey program.

On Tuesday we’ll provide an overview of the program, followed by a look at the offense/forward on Wednesday and the defense/goalies on Thursday. Friday we will focus on the new-look Western Collegiate Hockey Conference, BG’s home next season.

Here we go …

OVERVIEW: BG finished the season with a 15-21-5 record, with those 15 wins one better than last season. The Falcons were 10-15-3 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association play, which is five more league wins than the previous season. Bowling Green finished ninth in the 11-team CCHA, which is good and bad news. It’s good in that it’s an improvement over the previous two seasons, but it’s bad in that the expectation was to play at home in the first round of the CCHA tournament, and that didn't happen.

“We were the ninth-place team. That’s the reality and we take ownership of that,” BG coach Chris Bergeron said. “There were some contributing factors to that that we have to clean up. But if we’re a better team than ninth, we have to play better.”

POST SEASON: The Falcons won their first-round CCHA playoff series at Lake Superior, bouncing back from a Friday shutout to outscore the Lakers 13-3. In the second round BG lost a pair of one-goal games at Notre Dame, the eventual tournament champion.

“I want the fact that we had to drive to Lake Superior [for the playoffs] to burn –- even though we won,” Bergeron said. “Taking nothing away from anybody, but we should have been playing at home.

“The last four weeks of the season we weren’t very good. I think we turned it around a little bit the last four games, but I don’t think we finished as strong this year over the last four or five weeks as we did last year.”

BY THE NUMBERS: The Falcons scored 100 goals in 41 games, an average of 2.44 goals per game that ranked sixth in the CCHA. In league play BG scored 65 goals in 28 games, or 2.32 per game to rank seventh.

Defensively, the Falcons allowed 105 goals, or 2.56 per game, and also ranked sixth in that area. In CCHA play Bowling Green gave up 75 goals, or 2.68 per contest, and also ranked seventh.

The area that caused the Falcons the biggest problems were special teams. For the season Bowling Green converted just 23-of-168 power plays (13.7 percent) while killing off just 123-of-161 penalties (76.4 percent). BG ranked 10th in the CCHA on the power play and 11th on penalty kill. The Falcons’ minus-20 net on special teams (allowed 20 more special teams goals than they scored) placed then next-to-last in the league.

In CCHA play the Falcons scored on just 14-of-116 power players (12.1 percent) and killed off just 84-of-113 opponent power plays (74.3 percent) to rank last in the 11-team league in both categories. And BG’s special-teams net of minus-18 tied for the league’s worst mark; to put that number in perspective, only four of the 11 CCHA teams had a negative number. It also meant BG nearly gave up one more special teams goal than it scored in every league game.

 “That cost us hockey games,” Bergeron said of special teams. “They are two areas of concern, and two areas where we need improvement.

“They are two areas where, when you see the games where we play hard but we lose, we’re going to win those games if we are on the positive side of the special teams battle.”

GOOD NEWS: The Falcons graduate all but four seniors from last season. … BG played well, generally, from Thanksgiving until late in the season. … Bowling Green claimed its fourth playoff series win in three seasons, with all four of those victories coming on the road.

BAD NEWS: With a chance to secure a first-round home series for the first time since 2008, the Falcons struggled at the end of the regular season. … While BG showed improvement, the team still finished ninth in an 11-team league. … Bowling Green must improve on special teams. Bergeron has set a modest goal of 15 percent efficiency on the power play (BG would have ranked only seventh in CCHA play had it reached that number last season). An improvement to 80 percent on the penalty kill would have resulted in six fewer goals for BG’s opponents; shooting for 85 percent success (good for sixth in the CCHA) would have meant 12 fewer goals in 28 games -– and almost certainly a few more wins.

WEDNESDAY: A look at the Falcons’ forward situation.

A closer look at NCAA regional hockey attendance and concerns

Notre Dame hockey coach Jeff Jackson was one of the people who brought up concerns about the NCAA hockey tournament's format of playing its tournament at neutral sites.

And while some Toledoans were upset at Jackson's remarks -- which, personally, I think was misplaced anger; he seemed to be more upset at the system than with Toledo in general -- everyone can admit that his thoughts had merit.

Let's take a look at some of the numbers surrounding the NCAA hockey tournament from recent seasons, beginning with this year's attendance numbers for all four regional sites.

2013
Site	Semis	Pct.	Finals	Pct.	Capacity
Huntington Center	2,988	40%	2,460	33%	7,431
Van Andel Arena	2,289	21%	1,918	18%	10,834
Dunkin' Donuts Center	6,253	50%	10,974	89%	12,400
Verizon Wireless	8,049	82%	8,357	85%	9,852

Before we move on, a bit of explanation. The "Semis" and "Finals" numbers are the announced crowds at each site. The "Pct." column lists the percentage of a site's capacity that attendance total is.

Now, a few notes. Yes, the Toledo numbers were terrible. The numbers at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., were worse because there really wasn't a "draw" at that site. The Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., benefitted from having Boston College. But the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., had a true "home" team (New Hampshire), and the attendance numbers reflect that.

All four sites also were hurt by the timing of the regional (Easter weekend). There also were numerous complaints about the ticket prices, which seemed to differ between venues. The cheapest tickets were at Van Andel ($65 all-tournament tickets, $35 single-day tickets), while the other venues were very similiar ($75 all-tournament at Huntington Center, $77 at other two venues; single-day were $45 at all three).

Let's provide a little more perspective with regional attendance figures from the recent past ...

2012
Site	Semis	Pct.	Finals	Pct.	Capacity
Webster Bank Arena	5,090	62%	5,328	65%	8,252
Resch Center	3,465	34%	3,108	30%	10,200
Xcel Energy Center	9,386	52%	10,974	61%	18,064
DCU Center	5,925	48%	4,470	37%	12,239

Notice that, while the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis., may have had a larger attendance total than the Huntington Center, its percentage of capacity was less. Also, while the Xcel Energy Center numbers were good, the building had been filled to its 18,064 capacity the previous week for the WCHA's Final Five.

2011
Site	Semis	Pct.	Finals	Pct.	Capacity
Webster Bank Arena	7,671	93%	7,816	95%	8,252
Resch Center	4,355	43%	3,956	39%	10,200
Verizon Wireless	7,608	77%	5,906	60%	9,852
Scottrade Center	5,024	26%		0%	19,150

Notice the difference in attendance at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., this season compared to others. The reason? Yale was there, so there was local fan support. Also, New Hampshire again was home at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Finally, if someone has the attendance figure for the final at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, I'd love to see it. I spent a LOT of time trying to find it, with no success.

2010
Site	Semis	Pct.	Finals	Pct.	Capacity
War Memorial Col.	4,133	51%	3,204	40%	8,103
Times Union Center	4,073	29%	3,737	26%	14,236
DCU Center	6,572	54%	6,054	49%	12,239
Xcel Energy Center	7,231	40%	7,182	40%	18,064

The Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., was hurt by its size (capacity is 14,236). Notice that while the attendance total at the Xcel Energy Center was good, there was no Minnesota there to make it great (although Wisconsin was there). As a result, the building was more than half-empty.

2009
Site	Semis	Pct.	Finals	Pct.	Capacity
Webster Bank Arena	8,478	99%	8,478	99%	8,525
Verizon Wireless	6,883	70%	7,863	80%	9,852
Mariucci Center	7,187	72%	7,554	76%	10,000
Van Andel Arena	4,052	37%	3,170	29%	10,834

While the Van Andel numbers weren't as bad as this season, they obviously weren't great. Also, Notre Dame was there for the semifinals and lost, causing the decreased attendance in the final. Yale was at Webster Bank Arena (in Bridgeport, Conn.) and New Hampshire was at Verizon Wireless Arena (in Manchester, N.H.) while Minnesota-Duluth was at the Mariucci Center (in Minneapolis).

Here's one other thing to consider: the number of times a venue has hosted the NCAA hockey tournament helps it become better at judging interest and drawing crowds. Toledo is at a bit of a disadvantage in this area because it had never hosted the tournament before (it's also just four years old).

Compare that with the other three venues for 2013: Van Andel Arena and Verizon Wireless Arena each was hosting its fifth regional since 2004 (others for VAA were 2005, 2007 and 2009; others for VWA were 2007, 2009 and 2011), while the Dunkin' Donuts Arena was hosting its first regional since 2003 but had hosted six Frozen Fours, the most-recent coming in 2000.

OK, the floor is open for questions and discussion. I'd love to hear what you think and answer any questions you might have. Click on the "Post A Comment" link at the bottom of this file and let us know what YOU think!

Click here to read the story about BGSU and Huntington Center officials talking about the attendance at the Toledo regional.

Click here to read the original story that includes Jackson's comments about the Toledo regional.

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