DENVER -- Western Michigan goalie Frank Slubowski made a season-high 35 saves and the Broncos picked up three points from Kyle Novak as WMU downed No. 10/12 Denver, 6-3, at Magness Arena on Saturday night
The Broncos (3-5-0, 1-3-0-0 NCHC) also picked up goals from Aidan Muir, Kenney Morrison, Sheldon Dries and Colton Hargrove in the win. Will Kessel, Nolan LaPorte and freshman Frederik Tiffels each tallied two assists.
In a mirror of Friday night's game, WMU jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals at 5:16 and 6:19 in the first period. Will Kessel won a faceoff in the WMU zone and Chris Dienes poked it out to the neutral zone. Muir took off after the puck and created a breakaway, beating DU goalie Evan Cowley for his first collegiate goal.
Just over a minute later Hargrove fired a shot on net and Dries was positioned in the slot for the rebound and punched it in for his fourth of the season. The assist was Hargrove's second and LaPorte tallied his fifth on the season.
Joey LaLeggia cut the lead to 2-1 with a power play goal at 14:21. Nolan Zajac left a drop pass for the trailing LaLeggia and the Edmonton Oilers draft pick fired it under the crossbar for his third goal on the weekend.
Morrison tallied his fourth of the season at 17:02 to push WMU's lead to 3-1. Tiffels found Morrison at the right point and the defenseman tossed a soft shot towards the net that found its way through traffic and past Cowley. The assist was the first of Tiffels' career and Novak also tallied an assist on the goal.
Novak got his first of two goals on the night at 18:37 of the first period. After some nifty passing by Justin Kovacs and LaPorte, Novak found himself alone near the crease and put it between Cowley's legs. With a 4-1 lead that was all for DU's goalie as Tanner Jaillet was brought in to relieve Cowley.
Daniel Doremus netted a power play goal at 7:36 in the second period to cut WMU's lead to 4-2. Danton Heinen fired a shot on net that was saved at the back post by Slubowski but the rebound kicked right to Doremus in the slot and he put it into an open net.
The Broncos responded at 13:24 with Novak's second of the night. Kessel fed Tiffels, who threaded the needle to Novak and the crafty sophomore got past his marker and in alone to beat Jaillet for the goal.
Trevor Moore cut the lead to 5-3 after a turnover in the WMU zone. Heinen stripped his man and found Moore in the right circle and the sophomore fired it past Slubowski.
After a hard-fought third period Hargrove buried an empty-net goal to push the lead to 6-3 with just 43 seconds remaining.
Western Michigan returns to Kalamazoo to host St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Both games will be on NCHC.tv and tickets are available by calling 1-888-4-WMUTIX and online at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets.
