Men's Ice Hockey | January 12, 2018
Box Score ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Western Michigan hockey team handed No. 2 St. Cloud State its first home loss of the season, beating the Huskies 7-5 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center on Friday night.
Hugh McGing and Lawton Courtnall led the way for WMU with two goals on the night, while Corey Schueneman, Jade McMullen and Neal Goff also lit the lamp. Wade Allison and Dawson DiPietro each had two assists, while Schueneman and McMullen also added assists for multi-point nights.
The Broncos (12-8-1, 7-4-0-0 NCHC) were down 3-1 heading into the second period but scored four unanswered goals in the second to take a 5-3 lead into the final 20 minutes. McGing kicked off the rally just 14 seconds into the second period. WMU started the second with a 4-on-3 power play and Colt Conrad won a draw and pushed it down the ice to Allison. Allison fired a shot that went wide but the rebound was corralled by McGing. McGing dished it back to Allison and the Philadelphia Flyers' draft pick waited for SCSU starting goalie Jeff Smith to slide to his side before sending it back to McGing for a shot into an open net. McGing netted his first of the night at 4:22 in the first period to give Western Michigan a 1-0 lead after a breakaway goal on a feed by Luke Bafia.
Schueneman tied it up at 3-3 on a power play goal at 5:30. The junior defenseman fired a shot from the right circle and Smith got a piece of it but it still trickled past him and into the net for his second goal of the season. DiPietro set up the goal and McMullen picked up the second assist.
McMullen then gave WMU its first and only lead of the night just 3:10 later after punching in his own rebound to make it 4-3. Schueneman centered the puck from just below the goal line to McMullen and his first shot was initially stopped but his second attempt sailed into the net for his fourth goal of the season.
Goff's first of the season gave the Broncos a 5-3 lead at 12:19 in the second. Allison won a draw in the SCSU zone and dished it to DiPetrio, who sent it back to Goff. Goff then fired a laser past backup goalie David Hrenak and in.
WMU contained St. Cloud in the third period, even killing off 1:57 of a 5-on-4 Husky power play. Courtnall added two empty-net goals in the closing minutes of the game, with Blake Winiecki and Robby Jackson also tallied late goals to keep things interesting.
SCSU outshot WMU 31-28 on the night, while Western Michigan went 2-for-6 on the power play.
The Broncos and the Huskies square off again on Saturday night at 8:07 p.m.
