OXFORD, Ohio -- The 15th ranked Western Michigan hockey team battled back from a 3-1 deficit with two third-period goals to tie 12th ranked Miami before beating them for a 4-3 shootout win in front of 3,089 disappointed fans at Steve Cady Arena on Friday night.
With the tie the Broncos tie Minnesota State Mankato for the NCAA record for ties in a season with 10. Western Michigan (15-6-10, 9-5-9-5 CCHA) had Ian Slater and Luke Witkowski score goals just 1:33 apart midway through the third period to tie the game at 3-3. Jerry Kuhn made 27 saves and was a perfect 5-for-5 in the shootout to help the Broncos earn the extra point. Dane Walters was the lone Bronco to tally in the shootout as WMU picked up its fifth shootout win and improved to 5-0 in shootouts on the road this season. Mike Leone scored WMU's first goal of the game in the second period.
Miami took a 1-0 lead late in the first period. A shot by Alden Hirschfeld was saved by Kuhn but the rebound wasn't cleared and Justin Vaive pounced on it to poke it in for his seventh of the season. At that point the RedHawks were outshooting the Broncos 10-2 but a power play allowed WMU to close the shot gap at the end of the period.
The RedHawks took a 2-0 lead at the 4:33 mark in the second period on a goal by Curtis McKenzie. Pat Cannone had a breakaway chance save but he took the rebound and found McKenzie in front of the net.
Leone's goal came just as a power play ended at the 7:06 mark in the second period. Matt Tennyson did a great job holding in the puck as Miami attempted to clear and found Walters wide open in front of the net. Walter's chance was stopped by MU goalie Cody Reichard but Leone came streaking in from the right corner to bang in the rebound for his third goal of the season. Tennyson tallied his ninth assist of the season while Walters added his seventh.
Miami answered with less than two minutes remaining in the second period on a goal by Trent Vogelhuber. Vogelhuber was screening Kuhn and deflected in a shot by Joe Hartman for his seventh of the season.
Slater answered to bring WMU within one at the 11:01 mark in the third period. A shot by Witkowski went wide and J.J. Crew took the puck behind the net and centered it to Slater. The Bronco captain held the puck, spun and fired it by Reichard on his low glove side for his seventh of the season. Witkowski picked up his seventh assist of the season and Crew added his sixth.
At 12:33 a faceoff was held in the Miami zone and at 12:35 the Broncos tied the game. Ryan Watson won the draw right to Witkowski and he blasted one through Reichard's legs for his first of the season. Watson tallied his fifth assist of the season on the game-tying goal.
The Broncos and RedHawks battle for the final time of the regular season on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.
