KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Five different Broncos scored as the 20th ranked Western Michigan hockey team opened up the 2017-18 regular season with a convincing 6-1 win over Ferris State at Lawson Ice Arena on Friday night.
WMU picked up two goals from Wade Allison and also got tallies for Paul Washe, Colt Conrad, Josh Passolt and Aidan Muir. Conrad led all Broncos with four points, after tallying three assists. Allison also had an assist for a three-point night, while Dawson DiPietro and Hugh McGing both had two assists. Sophomore goalie Ben Blacker had 33 saves on the night to pick up his first win of the season.
Western Michigan outshot the Bulldogs 39-34 and had a 30-17 advantage after the first two periods. The Bronco power play went 4-for-6 on the night, with the penalty kill going a perfect 6-for-6.
WMU got on the scoreboard early on Washe's first collegiate goal, just 3:57 into the first period. The Broncos were on the power play when Jade McMullen ripped a shot on net from the slot and Washe punched in the rebound to take a 1-0 lead. DiPietro picked up his first assist of the night.
Very early in the second period DiPietro created Western Michigan's second goal on the night after creating a turnover in the FSU zone. The sophomore forward picked a Bulldog's pocket in the left circle and dished it off to Allison for the easy goal, giving the Broncos a 2-0 lead just 11 seconds into the period.
Conrad gave WMU a 3-0 lead at 6:50 in the second period on the team's second power play goal of the night. McGing found Allison and then the Philadelphia Flyers' draft pick dropped it back to Conrad in the slot and he buried it for his first goal of the season.
Late in the period the Broncos pushed the lead to 4-0 on a power play goal by Allison. Schueneman set up Allison at the top of the left circle and he fired a laser past Justin Kapelmaster for his second of the night. Conrad tallied his first assist on the night on the goal as well.
The lead jumped to 5-0 on Passolt's first collegiate goal. Conrad passed it off to the speedy freshman and he skated in towards the net and ripped one past Kapelmaster.
WMU's last goal came at 14:16 on the power play. Muir took a pass from Conrad into the right circle and put it in the net to take a 6-0 lead.
FSU's Tyler Dorantes scored off of a faceoff at 18:28 in the third period to end the shutout bid for the Broncos.
The two teams battle again on Saturday night at Ferris State. The 7:07 puck drop can be seen live on WCHA.tv and heard live on the Bronco Radio Network. The radio broadcast will be joined in progress after the conclusion of the WMU football game at Buffalo.
