ADRIAN, Mich. - Senior Eric Miller netted his first hat trick of the season and sixth of his career and three other Bulldogs each scored their first goals of the season in a 9-2 rout of Finlandia University on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 29). The nine goals scored by Adrian is a season-high. Miller scored all three goals at even strength with one in the first and two more in the second. Blake Barkwell, Eric Roman and Mark Gertsakis also scored a goal for the first time in 2010-11.
Adrian led 3-0 after 20 minutes scoring those goals in the first 9:06 of the period. Barkwell scored at 1:55 with assists from Jordan Watts and Gertsakis. Shawn Skelly followed at 4:15 with his 12th goal of the campaign with assists from Zach Graham and Andrew Dovey. Miller made it 3-0 at 9:06 for his 10th tally of the season from Mike Dahlinger and Brad Houston.
The Bulldogs scored in first three goals of the second period to take a commanding 6-0 lead in the first 4:09 of the stanza. Miller's 11th goal came at 1:01 from Dahlinger and Shawn Courtney. Roman scored at 3:04 from Bobby Hineman and Kyle Watson. Gertsakis scored at 4:09 from Barkwell and Watts.
Finlandia had two quick goals of their own with the first one coming at 5:01 on the power play off the stick of Sean Burke on the 5-on-4 chance. Griffen Hodges scored just 11 seconds later for his first goal of the season to make it 6-2. Adrian finished off the second with two more goals to lead 8-2. Dovey's sixth goal of the year at 9:06 came from Graham and Quinn Waller and Miller's 12th of the season came from Skelly and Jeremy Klaver at 19:55 on a 4-on-4.
Sam Kuzyk concluded the scoring with the only goal of the third period at 7:06 on the power play. It was Adrian's fifth chance of the game and was Kuzyk's fifth goal this season. Houston and Dahlinger were given credit for an assist. Finlandia went 1-of-7 on the power play and were outshot 45-30. Brad Fogal made 26 saves for Adrian to get the win in net. Jeremy Cross saw action for the final 6:10 of the game and made two saves.
