ALLENTOWN, Pa. — When the final horn sounded Saturday at the PPL Center, it was clear the stakes have changed for Bowling Green’s hockey team.
The ending, a 2-1 overtime defeat to Minnesota-Duluth in a game the Falcons led 1-0 late in regulation, was unkind, but the circumstances were new. After almost three decades away, Bowling Green returned to the NCAA tournament.
The Falcons sought to become a nationally relevant program again, and the season was an important first step toward staying on the national radar.
“From a program perspective, the things we’ve been talking about in terms of standards, they’re real,” Bowling Green coach Chris Bergeron said.