A rare Tuesday night game turned into a Tuesday night gem, as Western Michigan and Bowling Green battled their way to overtime, with the Broncos prevailing 4-3.
The Broncos appeared to score the game winner just 1:30 into the overtime period, and the Broncos players stormed the ice, but referee Matt Shegos ruled no goal.
Later, with just 20 seconds left in the extra period, Lucas Drake deflected Dwyer’s pass from the corner into the Falcons net and the Broncos stormed the ice a second time.
This time the goal would stand.
Scott Foster and Jordan Sigalet tuned in outstanding performances in net for WMU and BGSU respectively. Both netminders made key saves throughout the game to keep their teams in the hunt. Foster stopped 26 of 29 shots faced, while Sigalet turned away 31 of 35 Broncos shots.
“I thought it was a well played game,” said Western Michigan coach Jim Culhane. “They battled back to tie it up and I thought it was a well played game by everyone.”
The first home conference game in a month for the Broncos turned into a physical CCHA epic.
The Falcons were first on the board as Alex Rogosheske put his stick on a loose puck in front of the Western net. The goal at 11:30 of the first was the lone tally of the period.
The Broncos came out running and gunning in the second, hitting the Falcons hard on the open ice and putting the puck in the net; Pat Dwyer put the Broncos on the scoresheet on a power-play goal at 7:50 of the second.
Dana Lattery was next to find the back of the net and the Broncos were up a goal.
Second period scoring closed when Jeremy Cheyne ripped a wrister to the top corner, and the Broncos led 3-1 after two.
But Bowling Green battled back, and it pulled within one early third following Brett Pilkington’s goal at 4:41. With seven minutes to play, BGSU knotted the game following D’Arcy McConvey’s breakaway finish.
The Broncos will continue their homestand this weekend with a pair of contests against Colgate. Bowling Green will face CCHA rival Ohio State on Saturday.
