OXFORD, Ohio – The 10th ranked Western Michigan hockey team had its three-game winning streak snapped as its comeback effort fell short at Miami in a 4-3 loss on Saturday at Steve Cady Arena.
The Broncos (14-7-3, 8-7-1-1 NCHC) controlled the game everywhere except the scoreboard, outshooting the RedHawks 47-19. The 47 shots matched a season-high previously attained in a 4-1 win against Air Force on Nov. 19. The Broncos finished 1-for-5 on the power play but Miami went 2-for-3 with the man advantage.
MU took an early 1-0 lead with a power play goal just 1:38 into the first period. Grant Hutton ripped a shot through traffic and into the net for his sixth goal of the season.
WMU wasted no time tying up the game after Colt Conrad scored on a wraparound just 21 seconds later. Corey Schueneman fired a pass off the wall behind the net and Conrad reversed his direction and slit it into the net for his sixth goal of the season. Schueneman tallied his 13th assist of the season and Wade Allison also earned his ninth helper on the goal.
Miami added its second power play goal of the night with 17 seconds left in the first period. Josh Melnick redirected a shot from Kiefer Sherwood into the net to give MU a 2-1 lead.
Melnick scored again at 1:19 in the second period on a penalty shot during a Bronco power play to push the score to 3-1.
Willie Knierim scored the eventual game-winner at 4:50 after punching in a rebound on a shot by Anthony Louis.
The Broncos kept the pressure on in the third period and Sheldon Dries cut the lead to 4-2 on a power play goal at 1:22. Schueneman fired a shot at the net and Dries redirected it over Ryan Larkin's shoulder and in for his eighth goal of the season.
Neal Goff scored his first goal of the season to bring the lead down to 4-3 at 6:29. Conrad found Goff on the left point and he fired it between Larkin's legs.
Western Michigan outshot Miami 17-5 in the final stanza but was unable to get the fourth and tying goal.
The Broncos wrap up its non-conference season next weekend at home against Arizona State. It will be the first ever meeting between WMU and the new upstart program in ASU. Both games are at 7 p.m. and can be seen live on NCHC.tv. Tickets are available by calling 1-888-4-WMUTIX and online at wmubroncos.com/tickets.
