BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Western Michigan hockey team picked up its first sweep of the season after a 8-2 win, scoring six goals in the second period, at Ferris State on Saturday night.
Sophomore forward Rhett Kingston led the Broncos with four points, scoring his first career hat trick and adding an assist. Lawton Courtnall also scored twice on the night, with WMU (5-3-2) also picking up goals from Austin Rueschhoff, Kale Bennett and Dawson DiPietro. Fourteen total Broncos recorded points on the night, with Hugh McGing also adding two assists.
Western Michigan outshot Ferris State 41-16 overall, including a 22-6 advantage in the second period. The WMU power play got on the board again, going 1-for-3 on the night and the penalty kill held the Bulldogs scoreless on three chances. Freshman goalie Brandon Bussi made 14 saves to earn his fifth win of the season.
Courtnall's first of the night put the Broncos up 1-0 just 3:23 into the first period. Paul Washe won a draw in the FSU zone and Courtnall fired a shot into the top-left corner of the net from the right edge of the slot for his second goal of the season. Washe picked up his team-leading seventh assist and extended his point streak to five games.
Dominic Lutz scored at 13:52 to tie it up at 1-1, with the teams heading to the first intermission deadlocked.
Rueschhoff got the scoring barrage started early in the second period on the first of four goals in the first four minutes. Josh Passolt attempted a wraparound but got the puck punched behind the net. He retrieved it and fed it out to Rueschhoff in the slot and he banged it in for his second goal of the weekend, putting WMU up 2-1. Brett Van Os also picked up an assist on the goal in his first game action since suffering an injury in Western Michigan's 4-1 win over Michigan.
At 3:19 Kingston scored his first of the night, cleaning up a rebound on a shot by Scooter Brickey. McGing also picked up his first assist on the night on the eventual game-winning goal.
Bennett pushed the lead to 4-1 just 28 seconds later. Kingston had a shot saved and the puck bounced to Bennett in the slot. The senior defenseman slid a back-hander through the legs of starting goalie Roni Salmenkangas for his second collegiate goal. McGing picked up his second helper on the night and third point on the weekend.
DiPietro pushed the lead to 5-1, firing a wrist shot past the glove of backup goalie Austin Shaw at 12:01 in the second period. Cole Gallant picked up his third assist of the season on the goal. Just 64 seconds later Kingston got his second of the night, finishing off a pass from Jared Kucharek at 13:05. Michael Joyaux also picked up his seventh assist of the season on the goal, tying Washe for the team lead.
Courtnall got his second of the night, scoring in transition after taking a pass from Ethen Frank at 14:42.
Kingston capped off his hat trick on a power play goal at 9:04 in the third period, scoring from the right circle after a cross-slot pass by Drew Worrad.
Western Michigan returns to Lawson Ice Arena and National Collegiate Hockey Conference play, hosting Omaha next Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 1-888-4-WMUTIX and online at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets.
