Story No. 1 From 2011-12: Hockey Makes Improbable Run To The Joe
August 01, 2012 | Ice Hockey
Throughout the summer, the Bowling Green Athletics Department will be counting down the top 10 stories of the 2011-12 school year, as voted on by members of the Athletics Department administration and the Athletics Communications Department. We released the list one at a time throughout the summer and today we announced the No. 1 story of 2011-12.
It really may have started a year ago when the BGSU hockey team, seeded 11th in the CCHA Tournament, became the first team in league history to win a playoff series from the bottom seed. But in 2012, the team took it to another level.
After a slow start to the 2011-12 season, the Bowling Green hockey team began to build momentum during the second half of the season. A pair of shootout wins over then-No. 2 Ohio State and victories over Western Michigan, Notre Dame, and Michigan showed the BG faithful that anything could happen, but the Falcons still limped into the CCHA Tournament as the 11th and last seed again.
After losing game one of the best-of-three first-round series at sixth-seeded Northern Michigan, Bowling Green battled back from a 3-1 deficit with four unanswered goals to win game two. And then in the deciding game, the Falcons again fell in a hole, trailing 1-0 early in the second. But Dan DeSalvo scored twice in a span of 4:29 midway through the second and Bowling Green again scored four straight for a 4-1 win and an upset in the first-round of the CCHA Tournament for the second straight year.
After re-seeding for the second round, the Falcons were set for another best-of-three series against top-seeded Ferris State, the No. 2 ranked team in the country. And Bowling Green again came up huge in the most dramatic of ways.
Trailing 2-1 late in game two, Cam Wojtala tied the contest with less than three minutes remaining. Just nine seconds later, Ryan Carpenter scored the game-winner to put Bowling Green on top of the series. As great teams often do, Ferris State bounced back with a 7-4 win in the second game to force another game three and when the Bulldogs led 3-0 after the first period, most everyone thought BGSU's run was over. But the Bowling Green defense stiffened and Carpenter cut the deficit to just two heading into the third at 3-1. That's when Dan DeSalvo took over.
Just 4:43 into the third, DeSalvo scored unassisted to get Bowling Green within one. Then his goal at 15:54 tied the game with just over four minutes remaining. The contest went to overtime until DeSalvo completed the hat trick 2:38 into the extra session to give the Falcons a 4-3 win.
The victory propelled Bowling Green to Joe Louis Arena for the CCHA semifinals and the Falcons faced the top remaining seed, Michigan. This time, it was Michigan that found magic as Bowling Green led 2-0 until late in the second and the Wolverines added the game-tying tally with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. The contest teetered back-and-forth through one scoreless overtime session until Michigan ended the Falcons' improbable run 64 seconds into the second overtime.
Countdown of the Top 10 Stories of 2011-12
No. 1 - Hockey Makes Improbable Run To The Joe
No. 2 - The Stroh Center Is Dedicated; Volleyball Stuns Michigan State
No. 3 - The Stroh Center Hosts The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
No. 4 - Softball Is Most Improved Team In The Country
No. 5 - The Stroh Center Rap Goes Viral
No. 6 - Women's Basketball Wins MAC Regular Season Championship
No. 7 - Men's Soccer Defeats No. 9 Michigan 2-0 In Front Of Record Crowd
No. 8 - Jennifer Roos Named Women's Basketball Coach
No. 9 - Hockey Team Beats No. 2 Michigan; Sets Arena Attendance Record The Next Night
No. 10 - Torian Oglesby Sets NCAA Record By Making 26 Consecutive Field Goal Attempts
Notable "Other" Moments
It really may have started a year ago when the BGSU hockey team, seeded 11th in the CCHA Tournament, became the first team in league history to win a playoff series from the bottom seed. But in 2012, the team took it to another level.
After a slow start to the 2011-12 season, the Bowling Green hockey team began to build momentum during the second half of the season. A pair of shootout wins over then-No. 2 Ohio State and victories over Western Michigan, Notre Dame, and Michigan showed the BG faithful that anything could happen, but the Falcons still limped into the CCHA Tournament as the 11th and last seed again.
After losing game one of the best-of-three first-round series at sixth-seeded Northern Michigan, Bowling Green battled back from a 3-1 deficit with four unanswered goals to win game two. And then in the deciding game, the Falcons again fell in a hole, trailing 1-0 early in the second. But Dan DeSalvo scored twice in a span of 4:29 midway through the second and Bowling Green again scored four straight for a 4-1 win and an upset in the first-round of the CCHA Tournament for the second straight year.
After re-seeding for the second round, the Falcons were set for another best-of-three series against top-seeded Ferris State, the No. 2 ranked team in the country. And Bowling Green again came up huge in the most dramatic of ways.
Trailing 2-1 late in game two, Cam Wojtala tied the contest with less than three minutes remaining. Just nine seconds later, Ryan Carpenter scored the game-winner to put Bowling Green on top of the series. As great teams often do, Ferris State bounced back with a 7-4 win in the second game to force another game three and when the Bulldogs led 3-0 after the first period, most everyone thought BGSU's run was over. But the Bowling Green defense stiffened and Carpenter cut the deficit to just two heading into the third at 3-1. That's when Dan DeSalvo took over.
Just 4:43 into the third, DeSalvo scored unassisted to get Bowling Green within one. Then his goal at 15:54 tied the game with just over four minutes remaining. The contest went to overtime until DeSalvo completed the hat trick 2:38 into the extra session to give the Falcons a 4-3 win.
The victory propelled Bowling Green to Joe Louis Arena for the CCHA semifinals and the Falcons faced the top remaining seed, Michigan. This time, it was Michigan that found magic as Bowling Green led 2-0 until late in the second and the Wolverines added the game-tying tally with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. The contest teetered back-and-forth through one scoreless overtime session until Michigan ended the Falcons' improbable run 64 seconds into the second overtime.
Countdown of the Top 10 Stories of 2011-12
No. 1 - Hockey Makes Improbable Run To The Joe
No. 2 - The Stroh Center Is Dedicated; Volleyball Stuns Michigan State
No. 3 - The Stroh Center Hosts The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
No. 4 - Softball Is Most Improved Team In The Country
No. 5 - The Stroh Center Rap Goes Viral
No. 6 - Women's Basketball Wins MAC Regular Season Championship
No. 7 - Men's Soccer Defeats No. 9 Michigan 2-0 In Front Of Record Crowd
No. 8 - Jennifer Roos Named Women's Basketball Coach
No. 9 - Hockey Team Beats No. 2 Michigan; Sets Arena Attendance Record The Next Night
No. 10 - Torian Oglesby Sets NCAA Record By Making 26 Consecutive Field Goal Attempts
Notable "Other" Moments
BG Hockey : Kevin Piel w/Dennis Williams
Friday, April 25
BG HKY Postgame 3/15/25
Sunday, March 16
BG Hky Postgame 03.08
Sunday, March 09
BG Hky Postgame 3.7
Saturday, March 08