If not for top tier officiating accustomed to the more physical nature of the game, this one could have gotten even uglier than it did as starting netminder Nick Marcucci had to leave the game in the 3rd on a stretcher, taken to a local hospital for a severe knee injury, after a BGSU player took a tumble into his pads after the whistle. That let loose a flurry of already excessive anger that resulted with no less than 5 fighting majors and game disqualifications (3 BGSU, 2 UD).

The more than 130 minutes in penalties were the obvious highlight but somewhere in the midst of that action UD won the game 3-2 thanks to a late powerplay following the jump from behind by a BGSU player on Flyer Austin Thornton that resulted in a major penalty and game ejection giving UD 5 minutes to find the net. Jared Ostrander scored the game winner with a karma-induced helper from Thornton. UD outshot BGSU 41-28 with Vinny Barsanti fielding the last 2 shots after Marcucci left the game due to injury.

Kettering (OH) - Nov 9/10, 2007 - Friday night's game found the UD team finding the net fast and often against Illinois. Highlights included chasing the starting Illinois netminder before the mid-way point of the game after surrendering 7 goals and seeing several UD players with a shot at a hat trick going into the 3rd period. The final score in the win over Illinois was 11-4. The Flyers dominated the first 2 ½ periods of play, but surrendered 2 late goals in the 3rd to give the Illini a sniff of hope for the Saturday afternoon game. The game winning goal went to Bobby Block and the winning goaltender was Vinnie Barsanti who made 22 saves on 26 shots. Top scorer for the game was Adam Burgess with 2 goals and 3 assists and top PIM honors went to John Markwell with 12 minutes feeling shame.

With their bus legs gone and building on Friday's strong finish, the Illini came out firing on all cylinders in Saturday's game as the UD team seemed to have already presumed victory before ever stepping on the ice. At the end of the first period the teams were locked in what looked to be a defensive game 0-0 with shots nearly even at 8-6 favoring the Flyers.

Once awakened from their slumber with a stirring discussion between periods, the Flyers went on the aggressive forecheck and peppered the Illinois goaltender with 15 shots in the 2nd, but with different results than a night previous. The Illini, fighting a short bench, looked to stretch the ice with long fast break passes which worked well enough give them the lead 2-1 at the end of 2. Dayton's lone goal came on a short-handed effort from Jared Ostrander compliments of Connor Hourihan.

The 3rd period began with Dayton on the power play and answering the call with Marc Sease's power play goal only 30 seconds in to tie the game. Scotty Baird gave Dayton the lead at the midpoint of the final period with another shorthanded goal only to see Illinois tie it up a short time later on the same power play while John Bok sat in the sin bin for 2 of his game leading 18 PIM's.

The result was a game much closer than it should have been as the Flyers out shot the Illini 38-20. Both teams battled it out neck and neck the entire way only to end in a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation. Due to time constraints, a 5 minute overtime period was not played and the game ended with a shootout, which the Flyers lost 2-0, resulting in a 4-3 loss.

After an inspiring pre-game lecture from Coach Gruhly, Saturday saw a completely different Dayton team who came out with a score to settle. This game was driven by two high-powered offenses with a back and forth battle keeping the scores within 1 goal most of the way. The team played with great intensity, driven by trying to pull one out for injured teammate Bobby Block who was taken by stretcher to a nearby hospital in the second period after being the target of a major boarding penalty (he was released later that evening diagnosed with mild concussion and compressed spine). The score at the end of regulation was 7-7 due in large part to the coach's hat trick (4 goals) for hometown favorite Marc Sease who put on a scoring clinic against the Lindenwood netminder and thanks to the last minute heroics of John Markwell who sustained a fractured rib for his efforts in tying the game to head to OT where it still could not be decided and the Flyers had to kill a penalty. Despite the valiant attempt to defeat their opponent as a win for their fallen teammate, the game could not be won on emotion alone as Lindenwood prevailed in a heartbreaking shootout 2-1.

The Flyers will be at home this weekend taking on the University of Illinois for the hockey parents' weekend on Friday at 9:40 pm and Saturday at 5:30 pm at Kettering Rec Center.

Check back next week for a recap on the game and the first of our player profile spotlights.

"We are extremely thrilled that Bob Gruhl has decided to take UD Hockey to the next level, mentioned club president Anthony Sirabella. Coach Gruhl brings with him a wealth of playing, coaching, officiating and administrating experience and we are very confident that he is definitely the right person to move our hockey club in the right direction. All of the returning players can hardly wait to get next season underway."

A native Canadian, Gruhl began his minor hockey career in Ontario's Niagara District and eventually played five years of junior hockey - three in the heralded Ontario Provincial Junior A. League where he played for two national championship finalist teams. After exiting juniors, Gruhl accepted a hockey scholarship to the Ohio State University where averaged 20 points per season and earned four letters between 1982 - '86. His 30 years of coaching and teaching experience is admirable, having guided two local pro teams to league championships in the All American Hockey League and winning several league, Silver Stick and state championships at the youth level along the way. Gruhl is also an accomplished hockey official and CEO and Commissioner of the Dayton Adult Hockey Association.

"I couldn't be happier with having the opportunity to coach a tremendous group of student-athletes at the University of Dayton, Gruhl said. While my hockey heart will always remain with the Buckeyes because I played there, I did receive my graduate degree from UD so my ties here are very strong. I am looking forward to getting started and turning the page on a new era for UD hockey. This program has so much potential and a great crop of returning veterans. UD has a knack for attracting strong, intelligent hockey players and I know that it will be a great experience moving this hockey program forward to loftier heights," he said.

Bob Gruhl resides in Kettering with wife Laura, and children Taylor (14) and Cassandra (9).

Bob Gruhl's Hockey Resume