KALAMAZOO --
Dane Walters had his first career three-point game as the seventh ranked Western Michigan Bronco hockey team defeated No. 14 Northern Michigan, 4-2, in front of 3,053 fans at Lawson Ice Arena on Friday Night.
Walters had two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist on his career-night, while the Broncos also got two goals from junior forward Trevor Elias. WMU goalie Frank Slubowski made 12 saves to earn the second win of the season as the Broncos improved to 4-0-3 overall and 2-0-1-1 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.
Elias got the party started for the Broncos early in the first period. During a line change Walters stopped the puck at the wall at the far blue line and flung the puck towards the goal. Elias sped through the slot and redirected it past NMU goalie Reid Ellingson and into the net for his second goal of the season.
With a 1-0 lead the Broncos added their second goal of the night just halfway through the first period. At 10:05 Chase Balisy picked up a feed from Shane Berschbach and headed to the left circle. He found Walters streaking through the slot and passed it to his line-mate and the junior alternate captain buried it top-shelf for his second goal of the season. Balisy picked up his seventh assist and Berschbach added his third, and first of two helpers on the night.
The Wildcats took one back to make it 2-1 just 25 seconds into the second period. Stephan Vigier came out of the penalty box and was hit with a pass from Andrew Cherniwchan and skated in on Slubowski, beating him high stick side for his first of two goals in the game.
Walters added his second of the game 36 seconds into the third period after he deflected a slap-shot from Matt Tennyson during a power play. Tennyson shot the puck from the deep slot and it caromed off of Walters and into the net for his third of the season. Berschbach and Tennyson each tallied assist on the goal as the Broncos took a 3-1 lead.
Vigier added his second of the night to cut the lead back to one with a power play goal of his own at 5:40 in the third period. Vigier punched in a rebound on a shot by Matt Thurber for his third of the season but that was all Northern Michigan could muster.
Elias added his second of the night with 1:06 left on an empty-net goal after Dan DeKeyser flipped the puck over the blue line and Elias beat a NMU defender in a speed race to bury his third of the season.
The Broncos finished 1-for-6 on the power play and outshot Northern Michigan 33-14.
WMU and NMU do battle once again on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. The Broncos will be wearing camouflage jerseys for Military Appreciation Night. The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project. The auction at www.wmubroncos.com begins at noon on Saturday afternoon and runs until Nov. 4 at midnight.
