KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The fourth-ranked Western Michigan hockey team extended its winning streak to seven games after a 4-2 win over No. 14 Omaha in front of 3,275 fans at Lawson Ice Arena on Friday night.
The Broncos (13-4-0, 6-3-0 NCHC) picked up two goals from Ethen Frank and tallies from Tim Washe and Luke Grainger in the victory, while Brandon Bussi made 28 saves. WMU finished 1- for-3 on the power play, with the Mavericks going 1-for-5. UNO outshot WMU 30-28 on the night.
Western Michigan took a very early 1-0 lead with Washe's second of the season at 2:21 in the first period. An Omaha player had the puck behind their net and Washe batted the attempted pass out of the air and fired a shot past Isaiah Saville to extend his goal scoring streak to two games.
Grainger scored on a penalty shot at 7:15 to push the lead to 2-0. Max Sasson threaded the needle on a two-line pass to Grainger for a breakaway and he was taken out by Davis Pennington while going to the net. Grainger was awarded the penalty shot and skated in on Saville before slamming on the breaks and sliding the puck past him on the right side for his second goal of the season. The goal was the first successful penalty shot since Cam Watson converted one at Alabama-Huntsville on Oct. 23, 2009.
The nation's leading goal-scorer put the Broncos up 3-0 with a power play goal just 28 seconds into the second period. Michael Joyaux had the puck at the center point and passed it to Frank in the left circle and he rifled it into the top-right corner of the net for his 16th goal of the season. Joyaux picked up his 14th assist of the season on the goal and Drew Worrad tallied his team-leading 22nd.
Taylor Ward cut the lead to 3-1 with a power play goal of his own at 13:17, scoring on a wrist shot from the left circle.
Jack Randl got the Mavericks within one with a goal at 11:11 in the third period. Kevin Conley found Randl skating to the slot and he beat Bussi over his right shoulder to make it 3-2.
WMU's defense stood strong and Frank intercepted a pass in the neutral zone with just four seconds left to score an empty-netter to make it 4-2.
Western Michigan's seven-game winning streak is its first since the 2000-01 season when the Broncos won seven in a row between Oct. 21-Nov. 11, 2000.
With no return trip to Omaha, the two teams meet for the final time of the regular season on Saturday night with a 7:05 p.m. puck drop at Lawson Ice Arena. Tickets are available at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets and by calling 1-888-4-WMUTIX. The game will also be streamed live on NCHC.tv and can be heard live on the Bronco Media Network.
