Box score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan's hockey team dealt Windsor a 5-2 loss in a preseason exhibition contest at Lawson Ice Arena tonight. Four Broncos scored multiple points, led by freshman Max Campbell's three-point night on two goals and an assist. Junior Patrick Galivan matched Campbell's three-point effort with three assists.
“It's what we expected as a staff. We had to dust the rust off a little bit in the first two periods. I thought our best period of hockey was the third period and I thought our goaltending and our defense corps played very solid,” head coach Jim Culhane said.
Windsor took a 1-0 lead with a 4-4 goal by Derek Merlini at 8:16 of the first period. Evan Weber and Alex White earned assists on the play. Jon Ryan extended the Lancers' lead to 2-0 with a 4-3 power-play goal at 9:39 of the first, firing a shot from the left point just inside the far post. Chad Snihur and Jon Romic helped set up the play.
Campbell netted his first goal of the game at 14:08 of the first while WMU had the two-man advantage. Galivan started the play, passing from behind the goal line on the left side to junior Tyler Ludwig on the point. Ludwig sent a pass to Campbell in the slot and his one-timer found the back of the net, slicing the Windsor lead in half 2-1.
It would remain a 2-1 game until late in the second when senior Nathan Ansell knotted the score 2-2 with just six seconds left on the clock. Freshman Travis Paeth and Galivan earned helpers on the power-play goal, WMU's second of the game.
Junior Jeff LoVecchio put the Broncos up for the first time just 38 seconds into the final stanza, converting once again on the power play to give WMU a 3-2 edge. Campbell and Ansell assisted on the play.
Junior Jeff Pierce tallied Western Michigan's fourth power-play goal of the game at 6:33, deflecting Brian Bicek's shot from the point. Ludwig also garnered an assist on the play. Campbell registered the Broncos' only even strength goal of the contest at 9:05 of the third to push WMU's advantage to 5-2. Galivan earned an assist on the play, breaking up a Windsor pass in the neutral zone and deflecting it to Campbell, springing him on a breakaway.
Sophomore Riley Gill earned the win in net for the Broncos, making 18 saves, while his Lancer counterpart Jim Watt stopped 27 shots. Western Michigan outshot Windsor 32-20 and was 4-15 with the man advantage whilst the Lancers were 1-6.
Western Michigan opens the regular season with a two-game series against Bentley next Friday and Saturday. Faceoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. each night.
