BIG RAPIDS -- Western Michigan's
Matt Tennyson netted two of the Broncos' four goals in the third period as the Western Michigan hockey team ended a five-game winless streak by beating sixth ranked Ferris State 4-2 in front of a sold out crowd at Ewigleben Arena on Friday night.
Freshman
Jordan Oesterle netted his first collegiate goal at 8:21 in the third period to tie the game. Tennyson then scored back-to-back goals on a delayed penalty goal and on a power play goal for his fourth and fifth of the season.
Derek Roehl netted an empty-net goal with 48 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Broncos.
Freshman goalie
Frank Slubowski made 23 saves in net for the Broncos and Nelson made 35 on the night. The Broncos finished 1-for-6 on the power play, ending a three game drought.
Ferris State pressured the Broncos early in the first period but WMU was able to recover and outshoot the Bulldogs 11-10. The Broncos held FSU without a shot on two first period power plays.
The scoreless deadlock was broken at 6:40 in the second period when a shot by Kyle Bonis went high over the net, bounced off the glass and off of Slubowski's back and rolled across the goal line.
Oesterle had a rebound on a shot by
Trevor Elias find him on the left boards just beyond the circle and he fired a wrist shot on net that trickled past Nelson. Elias picked up his first of two assists on the night and
Greg Squires also notched a helper.
WMU took a 2-1 lead just 3:20 later during a delayed penalty at 11:41 in the third period after the puck was loose in front of the net and Tennyson came all the way in from his defensive position to punch it in. Elias and Squires once again notched assists on the goal.
Tennyson unleashed a bomb of a shot from the left circle just 37 seconds later on the ensuing power play to give the Broncos a 3-1 lead.
Dennis Brown and
Chase Balisy tallied assists on the power play goal, the first since Nov. 11 against Michigan State.
Ferris State's Dominic Panetta was booted from the game after a checking from behind penalty that created a five minute power play for the Broncos with just over seven minutes remaining in the game but it was the Bulldogs that netted a goal. Matthew Kirzinger was left alone in the right circle and Scott Czarnowczan made a pin-point pass for the one-timer.
The Broncos held on to the lead and added an empty net goal by Roehl with 48 seconds remaining.
Brett Beebe broke up a play in the WMU zone and was able to send it out to Roehl and the senior buried it for his fourth of the season.
The Broncos and the Bulldogs battle it out again on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. in Kalamazoo. The Broncos hockey team is holding its annual Teddy Bear Toss and ask fans to bring a teddy bear or stuffed animal to toss onto the ice during the first intermission. The bears will be taken to the Bronson Children's hospital on Sunday by the WMU hockey team.
