KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan hockey team dropped its exhibition game, 4-3, to the University of Toronto on Saturday night at Lawson Ice Arena.
Aidan Wallace led the way for the Varsity Blues with a hat trick, while Wade Allison, Lawton Courtnall and Matheson Iacopelli each scored goals for the Broncos. WMU outshot UT 50-17, with Toronto goalie Andrew Hunt making 47 saves.
The Varsity Blues struck early to take a 1-0 lead on a short-handed goal by Connor Cleverly. A Bronco pass was deflected up in the air and bounced to Cleverly in the WMU zone. After settling the puck he fired it past freshman goalie Ben Blacker just 6:02 into the first period.
The lead only lasted 52 seconds as Allison punched in a power play goal at 6:52. Griffen Molino found the big power forward in the right circle and he beat Hunt to tie it up at 1-1.
The wild first period continued with Wallace tallying his first of the night at 9:59. Western Michigan, once again, responded quickly, just 48 seconds later with Courtnall's goal. Corey Schueneman found Courtnall right in front of the net and he tipped it in to square the game at 2-2.
The Broncos took the lead on the fifth goal scored in the first period at 15:53. WMU earned a power play and Richard Zehnal won a faceoff back to Scott Moldenhauer. The junior defenseman passed it on to Iacopelli and the sophomore forward fired a rocket past Hunt and into the net to give Western Michigan a 3-2 lead.
WMU was held off the scoreboard in the second period, but Wallace netted his second of the game to tie it at 3-3 at 13:01. He then added the game-winner at 7:18 in the third period, sneaking the puck past Collin Olson.
The Broncos fired off 19 shots in the third period and pulled Olson for the extra attacker in the final 1:22 but the Varsity Blues hung on for the victory.
WMU's power play went 2-for-11 on the night and the penalty kill was a perfect 7-for-7.
Western Michigan opens the regular season on Thursday at Ferris State before hosting the rival Bulldogs on Friday at 7 p.m.
