THIS WEEK
The Western Michigan hockey team is back in action against the Miami RedHawks, traveling to Oxford, Ohio for a pair of games on Friday at 7:07 p.m. and Saturday at 5:07 p.m. Both Games can be seen live on NCHC.tv and heard live on the Bronco Radio Network. 

LAST WEEK
WMU returned to action at Lawson Ice Arena for the first time since March, playing in its first series outside of the NCHC Pod this season. The Broncos were swept by the RedHawks, falling 3-1 and 5-1. 

Western Michigan scored the opening goal in both losses, with Ethen Frank tallying on the power play to give WMU a 1-0 lead in the first period of Friday's game. The power play goal was his seventh on the season, with Cole Gallant and Drew Worrad picking up the assists. Miami scored twice in the second period, the first coming on a power play goal by Derek Daschke at 3:11. Phil Knies netted the game-winner at 10:51 to give MU a 2-1 lead before Hampus Rydqvist added an empty-net goal with 35 second remaining. Reigning NCHC Goalie of the Month Ludvig Persson made 27 saves on the night.

Freshman forward Luke Grainger gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead to open Saturday's game, tallying at 11:13 in the first period. Grainger netted his third goal of the season, with Josh Passolt picking up his seventh assist and Ronnie Attard tallying his sixth. The lead lasted for just 1:48 before Ben Lown tied it up with his first goal of the season. The floodgates opened for Miami in the second period, scoring three goals in the opening 6:08. Joe Cassetti scored his first goal of the game at 2:33 on the power play and then tallied again with the man advantage at 4:44. John Sladic pushed the lead to 4-1 at 6:08. Robby Drazner added a goal at 6:14 in the third period to finish the game off.  Persson, once again, made a big difference with 31 saves in net. 

BACK ON PACE
Senior forward Josh Passolt tallied an assist in the series against the RedHawks last weekend, moving his season point total to 10 on three goals and seven assists in 12 games. After producing a career-high 34 points on 16 goals and 18 assists during the 2018-19 season, Passolt had just 16 last season on five goals and 11 assists in 32 games. During his breakout season he had 13 points on seven goals and six assists in his first 12 games of the season, just slightly ahead of his current scoring pace. 

ALMOST HALFWAY THERE
Just 12 games into the season senior forward Ethen Frank sits with a team-high seven goals. Frank, who has played in 11 of them due to injury, most recently tallied in last Friday's game against the RedHawks. Frank posted a career-best 15 goals in the 2018-19 season. The Papillion, Neb., native has done most of his damage on the power play with a team-best four tallies this season. 

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Freshman forward Tim Washe, younger brother of WMU senior captain Paul Washe, joined the program during the semester break and made his college debut in the series against the RedHawks last weekend. Tim played center each night and, like his brother, has a knack for winning faceoffs. The younger Washe finished 10-4 on the weekend with a faceoff win percentage of 71.4 percent. The elder Washe led the nation in faceoff win percentage last season and has been WMU's top man on the draws this year so far at 54.7 percent and leads the nation in total faceoff wins at 164. 

MIAMI, AGAIN
• THE SERIES: With Miami's sweep over the Broncos last weekend, the series is back to a deadlock at 70-70-12. WMU is 3-0-1 in its last two trips to the Goggin Ice Center, going 1-0-1 last season and a sweep in 2018-19. 

• SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS, AGAIN: Miami's eight goals scored against Western Michigan were the most in a two-game span it had scored all season long. The outburst pushed the team's goals scored average to 1.92 per game. 

Junior defenseman Derek Daschke leads the team with three goals on the season, with one coming on the power play. Seven other RedHawks have two goals on the season, with Matt Barry leading the team with eight points on two goals and six assists. 

Freshman Ludvig Persson started both games in net for Miami and lived up to his billing of reigning NCHC Goalie of the Month. Persson allowed just two goals on the weekend, dropping his goals against average to 1.13, fourth-best in the nation. Persson also boasts a .963 save percentage and a 4-2-1 record. 

The MU power play scored three times against the Broncos to raise its percentage to 13.2 (5-for-38) on the season. Joe Cassetti leads the team with two power play goals, both coming against WMU.  The penalty kill sits at 86.5 percent (32-for-37).