COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After going down 3-1 in the second period the Western Michigan hockey team rattled off five straight goals to pick up its first National Collegiate Hockey Conference win of the season, downing Colorado College 6-3 on the road at World Arena on Friday night.
Drew Worrad had two goals to lead WMU (3-3-1, 1-0-0 NCHC), while Jason Polin, Dawson DiPietro, Paul Washe and Josh Passolt also lit the lamp. Washe and Passolt also had each assists to join Worrad, who picked up a helper, with three-point nights. Freshman goalie Brandon Bussi made 31 saves, including 13 in the first period to keep the Broncos in the game.
WMU outshot CC 35-34 on the night and finished 2-for-5 on the power play, marking the second straight game the team has tallied twice with the man advantage.
After a scoreless first period the Tigers scored twice in the opening minutes of the second period. Nick Halloran scored in transition to put CC up 1-0 at 1:29 and was followed after by a goal by Zach Berzolla from the lost at 2:03.
Western Michigan responded with a goal on the power play by Worrad. Michael Joyaux fed Passolt in the right circle and he winged it over to Worrad in the left circle for the one-timer into an open net. The goal was Worrad's third on the season, with Passolt picking up his third assist and Joyaux his team-bst fifth of the season.
Chris Wilke scored on a breakaway after an errant pass by the Broncos to push Colorado College's lead back to two at 8:49.
Polin's first career goal sparked the comeback late in the second period. Mattias Samuelsson found his brother Lukas across the ice and Lukas took it into the CC zone. The junior forward skated to the net and left a drop pass for Polin, who flipped it over Tiger goalie Ryan Ruck and under the cross bar to cut the lead to 3-2. The assist was Lukas Samuelsson's first career point, while Mattias picked up his first of two assists on the night.
DiPietro tied the game up at 3-3 at 5:33 in the third period. The senior forward had a shot go wide but the rebound bounced hard off the glass and to the right of the net. DiPietro quickly threw the puck on net and banked it in off of Ruck and across the goal line for his second goal of the season. Worrad and Mattias Samuelsson each picked up assists on the game-tying goal.
Washe gave the Broncos their first lead of the night just 1:28 later on his third goal of the season. Lawton Courtnall centered a pass into the slot and the puck pinballed around before landing in front of Washe, who quickly punched it in. Senior defender Kale Bennett also picked up an assist on the game-winning goal, his first of the season.
Worrad's second of the night pushed the lead to 5-3 at 13:20. Passolt passed the puck to Washe at the bottom of the left circle. Washe then fend it across the slot to Worrad for one-timer. Washe picked up his third assist of the season on the goal, while Passolt tallied his fourth.
Passolt put the game to bed at 17:38 after outmuscling a Tiger defenseman in the slot to put it past back up goalie Matt Vernon for his first of the season. Austin Rueschhoff and Washe each picked up assists on the goal.
The two teams play again on Saturday at 8:07 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed at NCHC.tv, with the Bronco Radio Network providing radio coverage on 96.5 FM and at jackfm965.com.
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