Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan scored five unanswered goals to come back and beat the Bowling Green Falcons, 5-2, on Friday night in front of 1,883 fans at Lawson Ice Arena.
Sophomore center Max Campbell had his first career three-point game, netting the game winning goal on the power play 2:08 into the third period. Campbell finished the night with two goals and an assist to earn the Perani Cup No. 1 Star of the Game.
The Falcons jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 11:30 mark of the first period. James McIntosh took a shot from the left circle and it was deflected by Kai Kantola in front of the net and trickled in past WMU goaltender Riley Gill. Kantola tallied his 12th on the season and McIntosh earned his second helper of the season.
The Broncos (11-17-7, 8-13-6-2 CCHA) did get pressure on BGSU during the first period, getting 12 shots on goal with three coming on two power plays.
Just 1:14 into the second period the Falcons extended their lead, 2-0, on a goal by James Perkin. Kantola fired a shot on net that was blocked by Gill but Perkin was there to clean up the rebound for his sixth goal of the season. Gill did not let another goal past him the rest of the night, ending the night with 40 saves for his 10th victory of the season.
Western Michigan responded at the 15:00 mark to cut the lead, 2-1. Defenseman Kevin O'Connor fired a puck from just in front of the blue line and Campbell deflected it in front and past BGSU goaltender Jimmy Spratt for his 15th of the season. The assist was the first of the season for O'Connor, with freshman winger Derek Roehl also tallying an assist on the goal, his sixth of the season.
Only 1:33 later there was a face-off in the Bowling Green zone in the left circle. Junior center Jared Katz won the face-off, passing it back to defenseman Tyler Ludwig. Ludwig cycled the puck to freshman defenseman Kevin Connauton and Connauton ripped a slapper past Spratt for his four of the season to square the game at two-all. Ludwig notched his 18th assist on the season and Katz tallied his seventh helper.
Despite the goal given up the Bronco defense performed strongly in the second period, killing off two back-to-back penalties and blocking nine shots of its game-high 19 shots in the period.
The Broncos opened up the third period with Campbell's power play goal and then scored again with 5:10 remaining in the third period. Chris Clackson won a face-off deep in the Bronco zone and Ludwig passed the puck around the boards. Ian Slater chipped the puck out to Patrick Galivan, who skated in on net with Clackson for a two-on-one. Galivan waited and made the pass into the slot and Clackson beat Spratt high on his glove side for his seventh goal of the season. Slater tallying his third assist of the season on the goal and Galivan picked up his team-leading 24th helper. The assist extended Galivan's point-scoring streak to 11 games.
Galivan later extended his goal-scoring streak to six games by netting an empty-net goal with 30 seconds remaining in the game to put the nail in the coffin. The goal was his 16th on the season and tied him with Michigan's Aaron Palushaj for first in points scored in CCHA games this season. Campbell tallied his 12th assist of the season on the goal.
The Broncos host Bowling Green on Senior Night at 7:35 p.m. on Saturday night. The game is also being broadcast by Comcast and will be replayed on the NHL Network on Sunday afternoon. If the Broncos win or win in a shootout, they will host a team during the first round of the CCHA Playoffs.
