Bowling Green’s hockey program has attracted plenty of talent during its storied 40-year history. Players like George McPhee, Nelson Emerson and Rob Blake, to name a few. All of these Falcons, and many more, went on to have careers in the National Hockey League after their college days were over. And the program may be able to claim another alumnus in professional hockey in the coming years, though this one never even played college hockey.

Ryan Ward, the team’s video coordinator, will begin a semester-long internship with the New York Islanders in less than a month.

“He’s a really important piece of our staff and it’s rewarding to see that he has an opportunity to move on to the NHL,” Paluch said. “Our players have the same aspirations and it’s good that Ryan has that chance as well.”

Ward, a senior, is in his second season as BG’s video coordinator after working as a student equipment manager in his freshman and sophomore years. Throughout high school, Ward sought a college with both a Division I hockey team and a quality sports management degree program.

The Assonet, Mass. native found each at Bowling Green.

“BG was just a special place from the get-go,” Ward said. “The hockey program is kind of unique because it allows someone like me to get involved and be part of a major D-I school right away.”

Ward worked as an assistant equipment manager for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League during his high school years. There he met J.W. Aiken, a Bowling Green graduate who had worked for the Falcon hockey team during his time here as well.

He also met Scott Gordon, then Providence’s head coach, who is now the Islanders’ head coach. Hence the internship, which Ward begins on December 16.

“I’ve known [Gordon] for eight years and we have a pretty special relationship,” Ward said.

“Wardo,” as BG players have fondly termed him, received a phone call from Gordon in August. The Islanders’ first year head coach offered him a position which could become permanent after Ward receives his diploma in May 2009.

Modern technology has undoubtedly helped Ward along a path to video coaching success. Paluch recalled that, in his playing days, the duty of taping games often fell to whichever player sat the bench that night.

“We had VHS to use in the 80’s, but the game has really evolved with technology,” said Paluch, who played for BG from 1984 to 1988.

The team currently uses a video analysis system called “XOS,” which can break a game down in every way imaginable. Players can access common game moments such as a goal or penalty, but can also go through and watch every offensive or defensive zone face-off, neutral zone play or penalty kill formation.

Ward carries his video-loaded laptop into the locker room during each intermission and projects the footage onto a video screen so coaches and players can immediately see what went right or wrong.

“After everything is done, you can sit there and evaluate yourself too,” said junior forward Tomas Petruska.

While all players are required to attend weekly team video sessions, Petruska said he likes coming in for additional individual review. A native of Presov, Slovakia, Petruska was introduced to watching game video during his junior hockey career in the North American Hockey League.

“It’s amazing. It’s a big help for us and it helps you to not make the same mistakes again,” Petruska said.

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is in its third year of requiring each home team’s video coordinator to upload game footage to an online league server within 24 hours of a weekend series completion.

That, along with other daily responsibilities, could become stressful for some, but Ward said he enjoys working for the team to such an extent that he doesn’t mind the demanding work pace.

“The most rewarding thing is being a part of it all and seeing the guys succeed,” he said. “So much goes into preparation, and more than people probably realize.”

He will likely be succeeded next month by Ryan David, the current student equipment manager and brother of Patrick David, who served as video coordinator before Ward.
Somewhere between all the hours spent editing video in a corner of the coaches’ office, manning a tripod in the press box each game and riding thousands of miles on buses to every CCHA arena, Ward has become an integral part of the team.

And one who will surely be missed.

“He’s definitely another guy on the team,” said sophomore Patrick Tiesling. “He’s always upbeat, positive and a good friend of everyone on the team.”