ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Bowling Green State University’s hockey program was on the verge of termination just
nine seasons ago.
The history that surrounded the once dominant program was a distant memory.
Current head coach Chris Bergeron took his first head-coaching job in 2010, tasked with reviving BG
hockey. He managed a combined 29 wins across his first three seasons leading the Falcons.
As the current senior class entered the program, BG had just a pair of winning seasons since the 1996-97
season.
That class leaves Bowling Green with four consecutive 20-win seasons, 91 total victories, two trips to
the Western Collegiate Hockey Association championship game and its first trip to the NCAA tournament
since 1990.
“The season’s been unbelievable. Obviously it’s a historic season for the program and community,” BG
sophomore Brandon Kruse said. “We’ve been through a lot together, ups and downs. Obviously these seniors
are going to leave this place way better than they found it, and I know we’re only sophomores, but we’re
going to try and continue to do the same.”
Ninety-one wins is the most victories the graduating class had tallied since the 1990 class nabbed 114
career wins.
BG fell in overtime in both WCHA title games and Saturday’s NCAA regional game in Allentown, Pa.
But the progression cannot be overstated.
The Falcons were national champions in 1984 and last made the national tournament six years later. Since,
BG had cycled through coaches, struggled to win multiple games in a month and watched its program teeter
on obscurity.
Bergeron helped reset the standard.
“We still made history for the program, not being here for 29 years, and we’re still proud of that,” BG
sophomore Max Johnson said of the team’s NCAA appearance.
The accomplishments were great, as Bergeron initially stated. But the expectations are more than that and
he later modified his sentiment.
“It was a really good season, it wasn’t great because we didn’t win anything,” Bergeron said. “We won a
bunch of games, we made it to the national tournament, that’s all great and stuff, and I’m not
downplaying that.
“These are the goals in the program. I’m not going to be the guy that (says) nothing is good enough,
that’s not fair. It was a really good year, but we define great as winning a championship, and making it
to the national tournament, and winning 20 games. That’s what we define as great. Unfortunately we fell
short.”
BG wanted more. BG was capable of more. BG nearly had more.
But the 2019 Falcons leave Bowling Green significantly better than they found it.