Bowling Green State University Athletics
Turn Back The Clock: BGSU Hockey In the 1970s
January 24, 2020 | Ice Hockey
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Bowling Green State University hockey at the varsity level, the BGSU Department of Athletics will take a look back at the history of the program. This is the first of a five-part series looking back at each decade of the program. Today we review the era from 1969-79. BGSU will celebrate the 50th anniversary on Feb. 22 as the Falcons host Ferris State.
1969-1979
Overall Record: 228-116-14 (.656)
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The story of Bowling Green State University hockey begins in 1969, the year the program was elevated from club to varsity level. While some programs struggle to find success early, the Falcons exploded onto the national scene within the first decade. Jack Vivian's squad won the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA) crown in each of its first two seasons playing as a varsity team. BGSU was ranked as high as No. 11 in 1970-71, despite playing less than two full varsity seasons.
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Bowling Green transitioned to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in 1971, and they had the program's first 20-win season and top 10 national ranking that season. Despite having a losing record in the regular season in 1972-73, the Falcons rebounded to defeat St. Louis and Ohio State in the conference tournament to win the CCHA crown. Legendary coach Ron Mason grabbed the reins of the program the following season and led the team to a consistent status of national recognition. Mason led BGSU to four conference titles and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament, with several Falcons gaining conference and national accolades. The 1977-78 season featured a 23 consecutive home wins, as well as regular season and conference tournament championships. The Falcons placed third at the NCAA Tournament thanks to a Paul Titanic goal against Wisconsin in the semifinal consolation game.
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1978-79 also featured a historic winning streak, with BGSU winning 15 games in a row as part of a 23-game unbeaten streak. The Orange and Brown won an NCAA-record 37 games that year, en route to another NCAA Tournament berth. The Falcons closed the decade with three consecutive CCHA Player of the Year winners, all at different positions. Goaltender Mike Liut, forward John Markell, and defenseman Ken Morrow all won the award for BGSU, with Morrow gaining recognition as BGSU and the CCHA's first All-American. Future Hobey Baker Award winner George McPhee was recognized as the CCHA Rookie of the Year in 1978-79, scoring a BGSU freshman record 88 points on the year.
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In total, BGSU had 57 all-conference selections from 1969-1979. Defenseman Roger Archer was a three-time selection to the All-CCHA First Team, as was forward John Markell. Of the 72 Falcons to score 100 or more points, 25 did so playing some or all games from 1969-79. Mike Bartley and Mark Wells, who rank second in goals and assists, respectively, each played in the 1970s. Mike Hartman, who averaged nearly a goal per game, also played in the 1970s. The decade winning percentage of .656 is the highest of any decade in school history, and the total of 228 wins is the second-most of any decade.
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Longest Win Streak – 15 in 1978-79
After starting the 1978-1979 campaign 3-3 with two overtime losses, the Falcons closed the month of November with seven straight wins. A December 1st tie with St. Lawrence ended the winning streak, but the Falcons ripped off 15 consecutive victories to give them a 26-4-1 record entering February, including a 22-0-1 mark over the past 23 games. Among the 15 victories were three wins at the Old Colony Invitational in Providence. Playing three games in as many days, BGSU outscored Vermont, McGill, and Brown 21-8 to close the 1978 schedule at 18-3-1.
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The winning streak continued when they opened the 1979 portion of the season with a sweep of Lake Superior. After winning both games of a home-and-home battle with Western Michigan, the Falcons were rewarded with the number one ranking in the WMPL Coaches' Poll. BGSU finished the regular season with an overall record of 33-5-2 and a CCHA-best 21-2-1 record. They would win all four conference tournament games, defeating Lake Superior and Ohio State by a combined score of 29-10. This was the third consecutive season the Falcons won the CCHA Tournament and participated in the NCAA Tournament.
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Notable Performance
Searching for their tenth consecutive victory, the Falcons hosted a weekend series against Ohio State to close the regular season. On February 25, 1977, BGSU had a decisive 10-6 victory over the Buckeyes, marking their tenth consecutive win and tenth conference win of the season. Senior wing Jack Laine found the back of the net five times for the Orange and Brown, tying the program record for goals in a game. He scored the goals in just over 45 minutes of game time.
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Laine's performance against Ohio State helped the Falcons claim second place in the CCHA, good for a berth in the CCHA tournament. BGSU swept Ohio State in the first round before splitting with St. Louis in the championship round. However, the Falcons outscored the Billikens 5-4 on the weekend, giving them the conference crown and the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament. Laine finished his BGSU career with 103 points before being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Notable Players
Bob Dobek (C): Hailing from Taylor, Michigan, forward Bob Dobek developed into one of BGSU's most effective scorers and earned a spot on the 1976 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. A three-time All-CCHA selection, Dobek scored 228 points in just three seasons. He led the team each year he played, and he currently ranks eighth all-time in career points for the Falcons. His total of 94 goals is tenth in BGSU history and his 134 assists land him at eighth. Of the 72 Falcons who have scored over 100 points in their career, Dobek is the only one to average over two points per game.
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Dobek's 1973-74 campaign was especially notable, as he scored 44 goals and tallied 42 assists in just 39 games. The total of 44 goals remains the BGSU single-season record, as does his total of five games with a hat trick. His efforts helped the Falcons earn third place in the CCHA, and he was named team captain on the 1974-75 team. That season, Dobek collected 58 assists in 35 games, setting another BGSU single-season record that still stands today. The captain's collegiate career came to a close with a 23-10-2 record his senior year, helping the Falcons earn CCHA runner-up. In 1983, Dobek was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame.
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Mark Wells (C): One of two Falcons to win a gold medal as part of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, Mark Wells donned the orange and brown before winning the Miracle on Ice. Wells was a three-time All-CCHA selection and he averaged exactly one assist per game over his career. His assist total is 154, which is tied for second-most in program history. He led the team in assists three consecutive years. Wells tallied three points in the 1980 Olympics, including an assist against West Germany that helped the United States move to the semifinals, where they upset the Soviet Union. Wells, a 1992 BGSU Hall of Fame inductee, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft.
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Ken Morrow (D): The other gold medal-winning Falcon from the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, Ken Morrow was BGSU's first All-American before becoming an icon to all Americans. Morrow was named First Team Titan West All-American after the 1977-78 season, in which he led the Falcons to conference titles in the regular season and tournament. The Orange and Brown earned their second consecutive NCAA tournament berth, where they won the semifinal consolation game over Wisconsin. Morrow was the 1978-79 CCHA Player of the Year and a four-time all-conference selection.
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The defenseman totaled 125 points in his BGSU career, which concluded after a 1978-79 campaign that featured a 15-game winning streak, a CCHA crown, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Morrow was drafted by the New York Islanders in 1976, and he spent nine seasons there following the "Miracle on Ice." At the 1980 Olympics, Morrow scored three points, including a goal and an assist against Norway. While playing for the Islanders, he was part of four Stanley Cup champion teams. He was the first player in NHL history to win an Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup in the same year. Morrow was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame in 1984 and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995. He was the 1996 recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy, an award that goes to an individual who made great contributions to hockey in the United States.
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Notable Coach
Ron Mason (1973-79): In six seasons behind the bench, Ron Mason led the Falcons to 160 wins, three CCHA titles, and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Taking over a program that had just suffered its first losing season, Mason led the Falcons to a 20-19-0 record and third place CCHA finish in 1973-74. The Falcons improved to 23-10-2 and CCHA runner-up the following season before winning the regular season conference crown in 1975-76. For his efforts that season, Mason was named CCHA Coach of the Year. He would be recognized twice more before he departed from Bowling Green.
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In his final three seasons with the Falcons, Mason led the Orange and Brown to a pair of regular season conference titles, three conference tournament championships, three NCAA Tournament berths, and a spot in the NCAA Tournament "Frozen Four," where they defeated Wisconsin in the consolation game to finish third. His 1978-79 squad won a then-NCAA record 37 games, including 26 victories before February. Mason took the head coach position at Michigan State the following season, where he would go to lead the Spartans to national championships as a coach and, eventually, the director of athletics.
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Before joining the Falcons, Mason was the head coach at Lake Superior State. While leading the Lakers, Mason won an NAIA title while making four appearances in the NAIA Championship. Mason coached Mike Luit, John Markell, and Ken Morrow, who all won CCHA Player of the Year for the Falcons. He also recruited Geroge McPhee, BGSU's first Hobey Baker Award winner. Mason retired from coaching with 924 wins, an NCAA record that stood until 2012. His .712 winning percentage is the highest in school history, as is his .717 winning percentage in conference games. He was a 2009 inductee to the BGSU Hall of Fame and 2013 inductee to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
1969-1979
Overall Record: 228-116-14 (.656)
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The story of Bowling Green State University hockey begins in 1969, the year the program was elevated from club to varsity level. While some programs struggle to find success early, the Falcons exploded onto the national scene within the first decade. Jack Vivian's squad won the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA) crown in each of its first two seasons playing as a varsity team. BGSU was ranked as high as No. 11 in 1970-71, despite playing less than two full varsity seasons.
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Bowling Green transitioned to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in 1971, and they had the program's first 20-win season and top 10 national ranking that season. Despite having a losing record in the regular season in 1972-73, the Falcons rebounded to defeat St. Louis and Ohio State in the conference tournament to win the CCHA crown. Legendary coach Ron Mason grabbed the reins of the program the following season and led the team to a consistent status of national recognition. Mason led BGSU to four conference titles and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament, with several Falcons gaining conference and national accolades. The 1977-78 season featured a 23 consecutive home wins, as well as regular season and conference tournament championships. The Falcons placed third at the NCAA Tournament thanks to a Paul Titanic goal against Wisconsin in the semifinal consolation game.
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1978-79 also featured a historic winning streak, with BGSU winning 15 games in a row as part of a 23-game unbeaten streak. The Orange and Brown won an NCAA-record 37 games that year, en route to another NCAA Tournament berth. The Falcons closed the decade with three consecutive CCHA Player of the Year winners, all at different positions. Goaltender Mike Liut, forward John Markell, and defenseman Ken Morrow all won the award for BGSU, with Morrow gaining recognition as BGSU and the CCHA's first All-American. Future Hobey Baker Award winner George McPhee was recognized as the CCHA Rookie of the Year in 1978-79, scoring a BGSU freshman record 88 points on the year.
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In total, BGSU had 57 all-conference selections from 1969-1979. Defenseman Roger Archer was a three-time selection to the All-CCHA First Team, as was forward John Markell. Of the 72 Falcons to score 100 or more points, 25 did so playing some or all games from 1969-79. Mike Bartley and Mark Wells, who rank second in goals and assists, respectively, each played in the 1970s. Mike Hartman, who averaged nearly a goal per game, also played in the 1970s. The decade winning percentage of .656 is the highest of any decade in school history, and the total of 228 wins is the second-most of any decade.
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Longest Win Streak – 15 in 1978-79
After starting the 1978-1979 campaign 3-3 with two overtime losses, the Falcons closed the month of November with seven straight wins. A December 1st tie with St. Lawrence ended the winning streak, but the Falcons ripped off 15 consecutive victories to give them a 26-4-1 record entering February, including a 22-0-1 mark over the past 23 games. Among the 15 victories were three wins at the Old Colony Invitational in Providence. Playing three games in as many days, BGSU outscored Vermont, McGill, and Brown 21-8 to close the 1978 schedule at 18-3-1.
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The winning streak continued when they opened the 1979 portion of the season with a sweep of Lake Superior. After winning both games of a home-and-home battle with Western Michigan, the Falcons were rewarded with the number one ranking in the WMPL Coaches' Poll. BGSU finished the regular season with an overall record of 33-5-2 and a CCHA-best 21-2-1 record. They would win all four conference tournament games, defeating Lake Superior and Ohio State by a combined score of 29-10. This was the third consecutive season the Falcons won the CCHA Tournament and participated in the NCAA Tournament.
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Notable Performance
Searching for their tenth consecutive victory, the Falcons hosted a weekend series against Ohio State to close the regular season. On February 25, 1977, BGSU had a decisive 10-6 victory over the Buckeyes, marking their tenth consecutive win and tenth conference win of the season. Senior wing Jack Laine found the back of the net five times for the Orange and Brown, tying the program record for goals in a game. He scored the goals in just over 45 minutes of game time.
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Laine's performance against Ohio State helped the Falcons claim second place in the CCHA, good for a berth in the CCHA tournament. BGSU swept Ohio State in the first round before splitting with St. Louis in the championship round. However, the Falcons outscored the Billikens 5-4 on the weekend, giving them the conference crown and the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament. Laine finished his BGSU career with 103 points before being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Notable Players
Bob Dobek (C): Hailing from Taylor, Michigan, forward Bob Dobek developed into one of BGSU's most effective scorers and earned a spot on the 1976 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. A three-time All-CCHA selection, Dobek scored 228 points in just three seasons. He led the team each year he played, and he currently ranks eighth all-time in career points for the Falcons. His total of 94 goals is tenth in BGSU history and his 134 assists land him at eighth. Of the 72 Falcons who have scored over 100 points in their career, Dobek is the only one to average over two points per game.
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Dobek's 1973-74 campaign was especially notable, as he scored 44 goals and tallied 42 assists in just 39 games. The total of 44 goals remains the BGSU single-season record, as does his total of five games with a hat trick. His efforts helped the Falcons earn third place in the CCHA, and he was named team captain on the 1974-75 team. That season, Dobek collected 58 assists in 35 games, setting another BGSU single-season record that still stands today. The captain's collegiate career came to a close with a 23-10-2 record his senior year, helping the Falcons earn CCHA runner-up. In 1983, Dobek was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame.
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Mark Wells (C): One of two Falcons to win a gold medal as part of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, Mark Wells donned the orange and brown before winning the Miracle on Ice. Wells was a three-time All-CCHA selection and he averaged exactly one assist per game over his career. His assist total is 154, which is tied for second-most in program history. He led the team in assists three consecutive years. Wells tallied three points in the 1980 Olympics, including an assist against West Germany that helped the United States move to the semifinals, where they upset the Soviet Union. Wells, a 1992 BGSU Hall of Fame inductee, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft.
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Ken Morrow (D): The other gold medal-winning Falcon from the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, Ken Morrow was BGSU's first All-American before becoming an icon to all Americans. Morrow was named First Team Titan West All-American after the 1977-78 season, in which he led the Falcons to conference titles in the regular season and tournament. The Orange and Brown earned their second consecutive NCAA tournament berth, where they won the semifinal consolation game over Wisconsin. Morrow was the 1978-79 CCHA Player of the Year and a four-time all-conference selection.
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The defenseman totaled 125 points in his BGSU career, which concluded after a 1978-79 campaign that featured a 15-game winning streak, a CCHA crown, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Morrow was drafted by the New York Islanders in 1976, and he spent nine seasons there following the "Miracle on Ice." At the 1980 Olympics, Morrow scored three points, including a goal and an assist against Norway. While playing for the Islanders, he was part of four Stanley Cup champion teams. He was the first player in NHL history to win an Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup in the same year. Morrow was inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame in 1984 and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995. He was the 1996 recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy, an award that goes to an individual who made great contributions to hockey in the United States.
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Notable Coach
Ron Mason (1973-79): In six seasons behind the bench, Ron Mason led the Falcons to 160 wins, three CCHA titles, and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Taking over a program that had just suffered its first losing season, Mason led the Falcons to a 20-19-0 record and third place CCHA finish in 1973-74. The Falcons improved to 23-10-2 and CCHA runner-up the following season before winning the regular season conference crown in 1975-76. For his efforts that season, Mason was named CCHA Coach of the Year. He would be recognized twice more before he departed from Bowling Green.
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In his final three seasons with the Falcons, Mason led the Orange and Brown to a pair of regular season conference titles, three conference tournament championships, three NCAA Tournament berths, and a spot in the NCAA Tournament "Frozen Four," where they defeated Wisconsin in the consolation game to finish third. His 1978-79 squad won a then-NCAA record 37 games, including 26 victories before February. Mason took the head coach position at Michigan State the following season, where he would go to lead the Spartans to national championships as a coach and, eventually, the director of athletics.
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Before joining the Falcons, Mason was the head coach at Lake Superior State. While leading the Lakers, Mason won an NAIA title while making four appearances in the NAIA Championship. Mason coached Mike Luit, John Markell, and Ken Morrow, who all won CCHA Player of the Year for the Falcons. He also recruited Geroge McPhee, BGSU's first Hobey Baker Award winner. Mason retired from coaching with 924 wins, an NCAA record that stood until 2012. His .712 winning percentage is the highest in school history, as is his .717 winning percentage in conference games. He was a 2009 inductee to the BGSU Hall of Fame and 2013 inductee to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
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Regular Season Champions
MCHA: 1969-1970, 1970-1971
CCHA: 1975-1976, 1977-1978, 1978-1979
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CCHA Tournament Champions
1972-1973, 1976-1977, 1977-1978, 1978-1979
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NCAA Tournament Appearances
1976-1977, 1977-1978 (won semifinal consolation), 1978-1979
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Regular Season Champions
MCHA: 1969-1970, 1970-1971
CCHA: 1975-1976, 1977-1978, 1978-1979
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CCHA Tournament Champions
1972-1973, 1976-1977, 1977-1978, 1978-1979
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NCAA Tournament Appearances
1976-1977, 1977-1978 (won semifinal consolation), 1978-1979
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| Year | Overall Record | Conference Record | Head Coach | Team Captain(s) |
| 1969-70 | 13-12-5 | 6-1-1 (MCHA) MCHA Champions |
Jack Vivian | Greg Shirton (C), Eric Preston (A), Mike Root (A) |
| 1970-71 | 18-12-1 | 7-1-0 (MCHA) MCHA Champions |
Jack Vivian | Bryce Blyth, Glen Shirton |
| 1971-72 | 21-10-2 | 6-4-2 (CCHA) | Jack Vivian | Glen Shirton |
| 1972-73 | 16-19-0 | 6-10-0 (CCHA) CCHA Tournament Champions |
Jack Vivian | Chuck Gyles |
| 1973-74 | 20-19-0 | 2-6-0 (CCHA) | Ron Mason | Mike Bartley |
| 1974-75 | 23-10-2 | 4-3-1 (CCHA) | Ron Mason | Roger Archer, Bob Dobek, Kevin MacDonald |
| 1975-76 | 21-9-2 | 11-4-1 (CCHA) CCHA Champions |
Ron Mason | Dave Eastern, Kevin MacDonald, Rich Nagal |
| 1976-77 | 28-11-0 | 10-6-0 (CCHA) CCHA Champions, NCAA Tournament Participant |
Ron Mason | Dave Easton, Byron Shutt, Tom Thomas |
| 1977-78 | 31-8-0 | 15-3-0 (CCHA) CCHA Champions, NCAA Tournament Third Place |
Ron Mason | Dave Easton, Byron Shutt, Tom Thomas |
| 1978-79 | 37-6-2 | 21-2-1 (CCHA) CCHA Champions, NCAA Tournament Participant |
Ron Mason | Paul Titanic (C), John Markell (A), Tom Newton (A) |
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