UPCOMING
Western Michigan (9-13-1, 8-10-1 CCHA-T-7th) will skate in its fifth of eight-straight home games this Tuesday when CCHA rival Ferris State comes to Lawson Arena for a 7:35 p.m. faceoff. The Broncos then take a respite from conference action to host a weekend series against Alabama-Huntsville on Jan. 26-27 with both games beginning at 7:35 p.m. as well.

COVERAGE
Radio: WQXC (100.9) ? COOL 101; Robin Hook
STORYLINES

• D Ryan Mahrle was named Bronco Player of the Week for his performance in WMU's series split against third-ranked Notre Dame. Mahrle helped the Broncos kill 14 of 15 short-handed situations while holding the nation's seventh-highest scoring team to five goals over the weekend.
• Western Michigan is 5-7 this season against ranked opponents and has gained a series split with each one. The only ranked teams WMU has gone winless against were No. 5 Maine and No. 2 New Hampshire at the Florida College Classic.
• If the season were to end today, the Broncos would host a CCHA Tournament First Round series. The top four finishers in the league standings earn a first-round bye while teams placing fifth through eighth host the ninth through 12th-place teams. WMU is in a three-way tie for seventh place with Lake Superior State andNorthern Michigan at 17 points apiece.

LAST WEEK
WMU earned its second series split in as many weekends against a ranked opponent as the Broncos knocked off the third-ranked Irish of Notre Dame, 3-2, on Friday and fell short, 3-0, on Saturday. Daniel Bellissimo stopped 52-of-57 shots during the series and Jeff LoVecchio picked up his 12th goal of the season.

COACH CULHANE
Head Coach Jim Culhane enters his eighth full season behind the bench, sporting a career record of 119-150-30. He is the first WMU varsity player to coach the Broncos and previously served in every capacity on the Bronco coaching staff: interim head coach (1998-99), assistant coach (1994-95 to 1998-99), restricted earnings coach (1993-94), volunteer coach (1992-93). Culhane has led WMU to 30 wins against nationally ranked opponents and is the second-longest serving coach in the program's history. He spent time in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers.

SCOUTING REPORT
Ferris State is currently ranked 11th in the CCHA with a conference record of 4-11-2 and an overall mark of 7-15-3. A team that finished the 2005-06 regular season tied for sixth in the CCHA and advanced to the tournament quarterfinals has split its last three two-game series and is coming off a 6-3 win against Nebraska-Omaha. Head coach Bob Daniels is in his 15th season with the Bulldogs and is the winningest coach in Bulldog hockey history at 232-279-51. Alabama-Huntsville (7-14-1/4-8-0 CHA) is coming off a College Hockey America split against Robert Morris in head coach Doug Ross' final season at the helm. Ross, the 15th winningest coach in NCAA hockey history has 448 wins at UAH and 504 for his career. The Chargers are currently fourth in the CHA standings.

SERIES HISTORY
FSU swept the season series a year ago, 4-0 and has already captured two of the first three games this season. WMU owns a 63-41-6 against the Bulldogs but Ferris State has taken five of the last six meetings. WMU leads the all-time series, 3-1, but Alabam-Huntsville captured the first-ever meeting with the Broncos, 6-5 OT, in 2000 but it has been all Western Michigan since with WMU winning three-straight.

HOMELAND SECURITY
Western Michigan is in the midst of an eight-game homestand , its longest of the season. The Broncos are 2-2 so far having faced the No. 6 and No. 3 teams in the nation the past two weekends. In fact, WMU is 5-5 at home in 2006-07 and is undefeated against non-conference foes at Lawson. The Broncos lost to FSU, 2-1, in their meeting on Oct. 20 but the Brown & Gold have taken the last three meetings with Alabama-Huntsville on home ice.