Untimely penalties, missed chances and a hot goaltender all led to the MSU hockey team's demise at the hands of Bowling Green (7-3-2, 4-2-2 CCHA), 2-1, Friday night at Munn Ice Arena.
"(There were) too many bad penalties," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "Too many silly, silly penalties."
Falcons goaltender Jordan Sigalet earned No. 1 Star honors by stopping 46 shots and his brother, defenseman Jonathan Sigalet scored power play goals just 38 seconds apart in the second period to garner No. 2 Star honors.
Missed chances plagued MSU (6-8-1, 3-6-0) in the first period, as junior forward Colton Fretter was just barely denied by Sigalet less than 30 seconds into the game.
Then senior captain Jim Slater was awarded a penalty shot. After stealing the puck from Bowling Green captain Ryan Minnabarriet and racing in on Sigalet, he was hauled down by the trailing Minnabarriet. After conferring with his assistant referee, referee Dan Brown crossed his arms over his head, signaling the penalty shot.
After a delay for Brown to confer with Falcons coach Scott Paluch, it was time to begin.
Slater took the puck at center ice, raced in on goal and tried to go high glove side on Sigalet, but the goalie was up to the task, stopping the puck with his shoulder.
"I just didn't get it up high enough," Slater said. "It was a big part of the game. I wish I could have that one back."
Only a few minutes after that with MSU shorthanded once again, senior forward Adam Nightingale found himself in a breakaway situation, but he too was denied by Sigalet to keep the game scoreless.
The Spartans pounded Sigalet with 16 shots in the first period.
But the second period, at least on the scoreboard, belonged to the Falcons.
Jonathan Sigalet scored his first of two on the night after Bowling Green capitalized on MSU junior defenseman Jared Nightingale's broken stick.
Sigalet found his way from the point down near the front of the goal and made no mistake about it.
Then, just seconds later, Sigalet's shot from the point somehow found its way to the goal and past MSU sophomore goaltender Dominic Vicari to give the Falcons a two goal advantage.
The third period saw MSU show signs of life, as they shot 20 pucks at Jordan Sigalet, but were only able to get one by him.
The goal came just under 11 minute mark of the period when Slater was credited with a goal that just trickled past the goal line. Brown had to consult with the goal judge before ruling that it was indeed a goal. Sophomore forward Tyler Howells and freshman forward Chris Mueller assisted.
Vicari was pulled from the net with 1:10 to go, but the Spartans could not find a hole in Sigalet and the Falcons rejoiced as they were able to hold on and pick up the win.
"A lot of credit to them," MSU sophomore forward Drew Miller said.
Vicari made 21 saves for MSU, when Sigalet stopped 46 shots for Bowling Green.
These two teams will meet again at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow at Ice Arena in Bowling Green, Ohio.
