BGSU hockey excels in exhibition win over Robert Morris in Williams' home debut

BOWLING GREEN — Bowling Green State University’s hockey team had a pretty good mentality heading into Thursday’s exhibition against Robert Morris.

The Falcons treated it as another opportunity to grow under first-year coach Dennis Williams, and a highly-productive third period capped off an exciting night for the program.

BGSU scored five goals in the third period, including four in a four-minute stretch early on in the third, to win 7-2 in Williams’ return to a newly remodeled Slater Family Ice Arena.

“You can never really take being on the hockey sheet for granted,” BGSU junior forward Brett Pfoh said. “The new rink out there, we found a way to get some fans in, people had family coming in, and any time they get a chance to put on the jersey, it’s always a blast.

“... I think in the second intermission, we kind of felt that, even though we were winning, we hadn’t played our best hockey yet. It was a team that we thought we’d get some bounces on and find a way to get some pucks on the net and Willy kind of ripped into us and gave us a little bit of a, ‘Even though we’re winning, we’re not playing good enough, so let’s kind of pick it up here.’ I think the guys responded really well.”

Hundreds of fans, including numerous students, came out to support the Falcons and Williams, a former player, assistant coach, and interim coach at BGSU who took over the program earlier this year. Fans also got to check out the $5.75 million renovation to the arena, including a new mezzanine level on the south end of the arena.

“It’s my favorite rink that I’ve played in a long time,” Pfoh said. “I tell the recruits when they get to town, they always ask who has the best rink, and I always say ‘I think we do.’

“Nobody really knows, it’s kind of a hidden gem. But as soon as it gets packed and the metal roof gets echoing, it’s a blast in there. So I think it’s the best rink in the world.”

For Williams, being back in Slater as a coach was exciting, even if it was an exhibition.

“Exhibition’s such a bad word. There’s no exhibition games,” Williams said. “On Christmas Eve, I still go to win games against my family. If I’m playing cards with my kids or whatever it is, Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, I want to win it. So I said to our players, even though it’s an exhibition game, we still have to play the game to win.

“... It’s been some time [since coaching in the arena]. Actually, when I was here last, we were on the other bench on the other side. So I came out and I felt like I was a little bit of a visitor I guess on this side. It’s good. It’s fun to be back.”

Although Williams and the Falcons were a little disappointed with how they played in the first two periods, BGSU displayed a significant amount of energy all over the ice the entire game. The Falcons were able to use five lines and eight defensemen, as well.

A flurry of goals in the third period put BGSU well in control as Dalton Norris and Adam Schankula found the back of the net in a 35-second span, and Ryan O’Hara added a pair of goals over the next three minutes, as the Falcons took a 5-2 lead with 15:22 left. Nick O’Hanisain added a goal with five minutes remaining to put BGSU ahead 7-2.

“It was great to see,” Norris said. “We thought we were just OK in the first two periods. We wanted to make it an emphasis to come out in the third the first five minutes and put pucks on net, and we did a good job of that. Got some bounces too and guys were crashing the net, so it was a good job.”

BGSU’s Maxwell Martin tallied a goal with 15:51 left in the first period, shortly after Robert Morris took the lead with a goal from Thomas Haynes. Pfoh’s goal midway through the second period gave the Falcons 2-1 advantage, and Tanner Klimpke’s goal early in the third period cut Robert Morris’ deficit to 5-2.

Between the win on Thursday and last weekend’s season-opening sweep at Mercyhurst, BGSU is off to a solid start in the Williams era. The Falcons have another exhibition on Sunday at home before facing Western Michigan and Rochester Institute of Technology on the road next week.

“It’s a great start,” Norris said. “I think we did a good job last weekend finishing out games. Two different ways too, 2-1 and 5-4, so that’s great to see.

“Obviously, today was a step in the right direction and get out there Sunday, same thing, take a step in the right direction and then obviously, next week’s a big week for us.”