Men's Ice Hockey | October 02, 2019

It was a good hockey regular season for Western Michigan University last year, what with being nationally ranked for much of it, having a 20-13-1 record and earning a first-round home site for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference quarterfinals.

Then that good feeling came crashing down in a matter of three days when the Broncos were upset by Colorado College in three games in that first round, which meant seniors-to-be Dawson DiPietro, Wade Allison and Hugh McGing all had a huge decision to make.

Go pro or stay for one more season?

Philadelphia holds Allison's rights, St. Louis has McGing's rights and DiPietro is a free agent.

''After the season ended, we were all together and looking at each other and asking, 'Are you coming back…what are you doing?' '' DiPietro said. ''We have been together since Day One, we all were sensing there could be something special here next season and there is a bit of unfinished business.''

So all three, along with six other seniors, are back and looking to make the memory of the series loss to Colorado College fade into the sunset. The new memories start on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in a game at Lawson Ice Arena.

''It wasn't really a tough decision to make to come back,'' Allison said. ''To have this much talent and quality guys coming back, I thought it was a fairly easy decision to return.''

Added McGing, who was the top vote-getter in the NCHC's preseason all-league team: ''Ultimately I made the right decision and I'm happy with it. There was a lot to think about.''

Like getting a degree. McGing and DiPietro will graduate after the season and Allison is very close, too.

''First of all, we never ever sit down with our players who have been approached by pro teams and say you need to come back,'' WMU hockey head coach Andy Murray said. ''That is a decision for the player, the family and the advisor to talk about.

''I basically waited for their decision. When they ask my opinion, I tell them it would help them to return and statistics show that. It's one thing to get a pro contract and another to have a pro career and we want our guys to have pro careers.''

Murray makes a good point. In statistics he has seen, the number of former college players in the NHL has grown over the years and it's up to around 35 percent of an NHL roster is composed of college players.

''Major junior players who are on NHL rosters are down to about 49 percent, with the rest being Europeans,'' Murray said.

 ''I know from being in the NHL for 20 years, it's different having a player from juniors vs. college,'' the coach said. ''It's a totally different maturity level.

''In college, they have time to practice, time to train off the ice and to get more explosive. But they also have to have the discipline to learn to manage their time, studies and hockey. It's demanding being a student athlete.

''They have lots of time for the rest of their lives, and if you enjoy what you are doing and it helps you get better, why be in a hurry?''

Western's nine-man senior class is a bit unusual. Defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth, which was picked to win the NCHC this season in a preseason poll, has just four seniors. The poll's second place team, Denver also has just four. WMU was picked third, and fourth-place team, North Dakota, has six seniors.

Allison's return is tied to his desire to strengthen an injury which has curtailed his playing time as well as wanting this season to end vastly differently than last season.

''I'm feeling almost 100 percent,'' he said. ''It's more a mental block and I going out and doing things I haven't done in 20 months,'' he said. ''It's a learning process and will take some time.

''We have a great group of guys coming back and we were all disappointed in the way last season ended.''

In his 80-game WMU career, Allison has 35 goals and 39 assists. In last season's injury-shortened season, he had 15 points on eight goals and seven assists.

''The No. 1 reason we're coming back is to win a championship,'' he said. ''That's all there is to it. We have a good group, a lot of talent and I'm really excited.''

McGing, who is Western Michigan's captain this season, had a career-high 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists) last season and was named to the second-team All-NCHC team.

''This year, I'm looking to take that next step,'' he said. ''I find I'm not producing as much toward the end of the year and I want to stay consistent and show up in those big playoff games.

''There are a lot of memories and experiences I'll never forget being part of this team and that played into me returning. Also, I'm only one year from away from my biomedical science degree.''

After playing in just one game as a freshman, Dawson has come on with two good seasons. The forward scored 13 goals and had 22 assists as a sophomore and added nine goals and 14 assists as a junior.

''If we made the conference championship game last season, I don't think our decision to return is different,'' he said. ''But the loss to Colorado puts more fire in the belly, that's for sure.

''That series showed we have to learn how to win in certain situations, that we all can't be offensive threats and that we have to learn how to shut down those games.''

Added Murray: ''The most important thing is they all enjoy being at Western, they enjoy the hockey program, the lifestyle they have and they enjoy their teammates, which is huge. It's a tight group.

''They made an investment in their future, but coming back means they are responsible now. It's not their head coach or advisor or family which told them to come back. There is no motivational speeches by the coach to get you going. You came back to get better and work at it every day.''

Fans will have a chance to meet the 2019-20 team on Friday night at Lawson Ice Arena. The event begins at 6:15 p.m., with the first 100 fans arriving getting a free light snack. Students can register to join the Lawson Lunatics and fans can get the 2019-20 poster autographed by the Broncos. The event wraps up at 8 p.m.