KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan hockey team finished off a sweep of Niagara, beating the Purple Eagles 7-3 on Saturday night at Lawson Ice Arena.
 
The Broncos (8-6-0) have won four straight and recorded back-to-back series sweeps for the first time since 2012. Sophomore forward Josh Passolt recorded his first collegiate hat trick and tallied an assist for a career high four points. Hugh McGing had two goals on the night, while both Austin Rueschhoff and Colt Conrad each had two assists. Senior goalie Trevor Gorsuch made 28 saves to earn his sixth win of the season. Western Michigan outshot Niagara 41-31 on the night and finished 3-for-6 on the power play.
 
WMU jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Jade McMullen at 5:46 in the first period. Lawton Courtnall fired a shot on net and the save was made but
McMullen was in the perfect position to punch in the rebound for his second goal of the season. Luke Bafia also picked up an assist on the goal, his second of the weekend.
 
Just 54 seconds later Passolt made it 2-0 on his first of the night. Kale Bennett played him the puck into the NU zone and he ripped a shot from the right circle and past Niagara goalie Cole Weaver and into the net for his eighth of the season. Bennet picked up his third assist, while Cole Gallant also tallied his third of the season.
 
McGing netted a short-handed goal to push the lead to 3-0 at 11:04 in the first period. Corey Schueneman cleared the zone and it bounced to center ice. McGing raced to the puck for a breakaway and finished it for his seventh goal of the season.
 
Passolt lit the lamp again, this time at 13:31 in the first period to make it 4-0, this time on a power play. Cam Lee set him up for a wrist shot for his ninth of the season and Lee's sixth assist of the year. Rueschhoff also tallied his first helper of the night.
 
Purple Eagle defenseman Noah Delmas scored his second goal of the weekend to cut the lead to 4-1 at 17:02 in the first period. The shot came from center point and was initially waved off for goalie interference but was overturned upon review.
 
McGing pushed the lead to 5-1 with a power play goal at 2:36 in the second period. McGing fired a rocket from the deep slot off a feed by Conrad for his second of the night and eighth of the season. The assist was Conrad's 11th, while Wade Allison also picked up an assist on the goal.
 
Niagara answered on the power play at 8:37 in the second period on another shot from deep by Delmas to cut the lead to 5-2.
 
Rhett Kingston opened the third period with his second goal of his career to put the Broncos up 6-2 at 4:23. Rueschhoff found the freshman forward in the slot and he ripped a low wrist shot into the net. Passolt also picked up an assist on the goal, his seventh of the season.
 
Eric Cooley tallied the Purple Eagles' second power play goal of the night at 16:24 in the third period, reducing WMU's lead to 6-3.
 
Niagara pulled the goalie with just over three minutes to play and Passolt completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal with 51 seconds left.
 
Western Michigan hosts defending national champions Minnesota-Duluth next Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 1-888-4-WMUTIX and online at WMUBroncos.com/tickets.