The CCHA has been more competitive over the last few years, and one of its teams is being very overlooked within conference discussions. You can even argue that this team has the potential to be much more than a regular CCHA team, and that's Bowling Green.
Bowling Green might be the most underrated team in the CCHA heading into the 2026-27 season, but how is that?
The Falcons are coming off a strong season where they finished near the top of the conference and showed they could compete with some of the best teams in the CCHA. Yet when you look at the preseason conversation, Bowling Green doesn’t seem to be getting the same attention as some of the other contenders.
The way I see Bowling Green is that they have already proven they can win, and now they are bringing in a freshman class that could take them to another level.
The biggest reason is the players they brought in from major junior hockey.
Carson Campbell is an obvious name to start with. Campbell is coming to Bowling Green after playing for the Kitchener Rangers, where he helped them win the Memorial Cup. He put up 12 points in 18 playoff games, showing that he can produce when the games matter most.
Then you have Ty Chevaldayoff, another big addition who brings size and experience to the lineup. He is one of several players coming into Bowling Green with major junior experience, but it doesn’t stop there. He’s played the past two seasons in the ECHL, where he had a combined 281 penalty minutes.
Bowling Green has continued to build its roster through junior hockey, bringing in players who have already faced high-level competition before arriving in the NCAA.
That goes directly back to head coach Dennis Williams.
Williams has spent years coaching in junior hockey, including the WHL, and he understands how to identify and develop players from that level. His recruiting classes have reflected that, with Bowling Green becoming one of the more aggressive programs when it comes to bringing in major junior talent.
They aren’t a team starting from scratch. They already showed last season that they can compete in the CCHA, and now they are adding a group of freshmen who have played in some of the toughest junior leagues in North America.
When you combine that with Williams’ coaching and recruiting, Bowling Green has a chance to be much better than people expect.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the Falcons are one of the biggest surprises in the CCHA this season.
