KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan hockey team has announced its captains and leadership council for the upcoming 2020-21 season, with senior Paul Washe being named the 47th captain in program history.
Washe will be joined by assistant captains and fellow seniors Josh Passolt, Kale Bennett and Ethen Frank. Seniors Austin Cain, Lukas Samuelsson and Brett Van Os will also fill out the leadership council for the team.
"We had our team fill out a questionnaire with 10 different leadership qualities and asked them to rank their top three in each category," said head coach Andy Murray. "We took the results and reviewed them as a staff and felt these student-athletes warranted their leadership roles. Paul emerged as a key player or for us last season. He has all the characteristics we want in a captain, including as a great student. His has great focus and dedication and is a leader by example."
Washe is coming off a career-best season that saw him post 21 points on 12 goals and nine assists. The Clarkston, Mich., native was first in the nation in faceoff win percentage at 64.5. Washe was also named a NCHC Scholar Athlete for the third time in his career, in addition to being selected to the NCHC All-Academic Team for the third season in a row.
"It's a great honor," said Washe. "It's a privilege to be a part of this great program. I appreciate the opportunity and the support given from my teammates and coaches."
Passolt will be an assistant captain for the second time in his career after serving in the same capacity this season. The Hayward, Wis., native battled through injuries this season, playing in 32 games with 16 points on five goals and 11 assists. Passolt has played in 103 games through his three seasons win the Broncos, eclipsing 30 games in each season.
"Josh is a great student and a hard worker on and off the ice," said Murray. "He's obviously one of our leading players and we are expecting a big year from him. He does everything the right way in how he conducts himself."
Bennett returns for his fifth year with the Broncos after taking a redshirt year during his freshman season. The St. Louis, Mo., native has worked his way into WMU's defenseman pairings and has played 90 games in his career. Bennett played in 33 games this season with a career-best offensive output of eight points on three goals and five assists. He also finished with a +6 plus/minus and 53 blocked shots. He is also WMU's top student athlete with a 3.99 GPA in biomedical sciences.
"Kale is a guy that takes the toughest courses and gets the best grades," Murray added. "He's a leader by example and along with Josh and Paul was one of our top conditioned athletes on the team. He's a quiet guy that has got better every year. Kale is a model citizen on our campus and is respected by all the guys in the locker room."
Frank finished with 20 points on nine goals and 11 assists this past season. The Papillion, Neb., native has played in 96 career games as a Bronco with 58 points on 31 goals and 27 assists.
"Ethen's development as a person and a student from his freshman year has been tremendous," said Murray. "He's improved greatly both on the ice and in the classroom. Ethen is one of or top conditioned guys and has a leading voice in the locker room. He's highly respected by his teammates and is going to be depended on to be a top offensive guy for us."
Season ticket deposits are available starting at just $50 per seat for the 2020-21 season. For more information please visit www.wmubroncos.com/tickets.
