TOLEDO, Ohio – The Western Michigan hockey team picked up its first win of the season, downing No. 17 Bowling Green, 5-2, to wrap up the 2019 Ice Breaker Tournament at the Huntington Center on Saturday night.
No. 14/12 WMU (1-0-1) picked up goals from Drew Worrad, Ethen Frank, Ronnie Attard, Austin Rueschhoff and Wade Allison, while freshman goalie Brandon Bussi made a career-high 31 saves to earn his first career win. The Broncos were outshot 33-27 on the night but the power play went 1-for-5 while the penalty kill held the Falcons scoreless on three chances.
Western Michigan jumped out to a very early lead on Worrad's goal just one minute into the game. Sophomore defenseman Jared Kucharek broke up play in the neutral zone on the left side of the boards, chipping the puck up to Dawson DiPietro. DiPietro fired a shot on net and Worrad put the rebound between BGSU goalie Eric Dop's legs for his first goal of the season. DiPietro picked up his first of two assists on the night and Kucharek tallied his first helper of the season.
The Broncos took the lead into the second period but Bowling Green tied it up just 38 seconds in on a goal by Tim Theochardis to tie it up at 1-1.
Frank retook the lead for WMU at 4:02 in the second period. Freshman defenseman Scooter Brickey flipped the puck down the ice and Frank took possession in the BGSU end, firing a no-look back-hander into the top-left corner of the net for his first goal of the season. The assist was the first career point for Brickey.
Attard pushed the lead to 3-1 with a power play goal at 9:17. Hugh McGing found Attard in the left circle and the freshman defenseman punched it into the net for his first collegiate goal. Sophomore defenseman Michael Joyaux picked up his second assist of the season on the goal, as well.
Rueschhoff netted his first goal of the season at 17:02 in the second period to put the Broncos up 4-1. DiPietro stole the puck from a BGSU defenseman in the right circle and left a no-look drop pass into the left circle for Rueschhoff to finish.
Bowling Green cut the lead to 4-2 when Taylor Schneider banged in a loose puck off a rebound with 2.3 seconds left in the period.
WMU clamped down in the third, holding BGSU to just eight shots on goal and Allison added an empty-net goal with 45 seconds remaining.
Western Michigan and Bowling Green meet again next Friday at 7:07 p.m. at BGSU before WMU's regular season home-opener on Saturday against the Falcons at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 1-888-4-WMUTIX and online at wmubroncos.com/tickets. Saturday's radio broadcast will be on 590AM WKZO and online at WKZO.com due to the WMU football game at Eastern Michigan.
