THIS WEEK
It's Rivalry Week for the fifth-ranked Western Michigan hockey team as the Broncos travel down to Miami to take on the Redhawks on Friday and Saturday. Friday's puck drop is schedule for 7:05 p.m. and Saturday's at 5:05 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on NCHC.tv and can be heard live on the Bronco Media Network.
 
LAST WEEK
Western Michigan went on the road to take on St. Lawrence, sweeping the Saints after wins of 8-2 and 5-1.
 
In Friday's win both Paul Washe and Cole Gallant scored a pair of goals while Drew Worrad had a goal and three assists for a four-point game. Jason Polin had two assists and a goal, while the Broncos also picked up tallies from Ethen Frank and Cam Knuble. Brandon Bussi made 21 saves and held the Saints to just one power play goal on seven chances.
 
Washe and Gallant got the Broncos on the board early for a 2-0 lead in Saturday's game before SLU cut the lead in half with 8.9 seconds to play in the first period. Frank and Aidan Fulp tallied in the second period to push the lead to 4-1 before Frank netted his second of the night early in the third period. Bussi made 20 saves and held SLU scoreless on four power plays.
 
61
In Saturday's win at St. Lawrence fifth-year senior forward Ethen Frank became the 61st Bronco hockey player to reach 100 career points. The 100th came on a power play goal from the left circle in the second period of the victory. He joins Hugh McGing and Colt Conrad as Broncos to reach 100 in the past few seasons, with McGing getting there in 2020 and Conrad in 2019.
 
5
Ethen Frank's accolades continued into the week when he became the fifth Bronco to earn NCHC Player of the Month. Frank had 13 points on nine goals and four assists to help WMU go 5-3-0 in the month of November, with three of the five wins coming against top-five teams. He's the first Bronco to earn the honors since Sheldon Dries in February of 2017.
 
WMU Hockey NCHC Players of the Month
Ethen Frank | November 2021
Sheldon Dries | February 2017
Matheson Iacopelli | November 2016
Justin Kovacs | December 2013
Shane Berschbach | November 2013
 
3-FOR-3
In both games last weekend the Broncos started off a perfect 3-for-3 on the power play. On Friday they scored three power play goals for the first time since Jan. 25, 2020. WMU finished the weekend 6-for-12, moving the team up to 11th in the nation in power play percentage at 25.4 percent.
 
THE MIAMI REDHAWKS (3-10-1, 1-5-0 NCHC)
- THE SERIES: WMU maintains a slim 73-70-13 advantage in the all-time series after overtaking the RedHawks the past few seasons, going 11-2-2 in the last 15 meetings. Ethen Frank has 13 career points on eight goals and five assists in 17 games against Miami, while junior defenseman Ronnie Attard has 12 on four goals and eight assists in just 10 games. Junior goalie Brandon Bussi is 5-0-1 against MU with a 2.17 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.
 
- SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS: Miami snapped a six-game losing streak last Saturday with a 4-1 win at home over Long Island University, splitting the series with the Sharks after falling to them on Friday, 7-4. This weekend is MU's second conference home series, having previously been swept by North Dakota on Nov. 12-13. Miami's one NCHC win was its conference opener at Omaha, 4-3.
 
The RedHawks rank 35th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 2.71 goals per game so far this season. Senior defenseman Derek Daschke is the team's leading scoer with 10 points on two goals and a team-best eight assists. Junior forward Ryan Savage and sophomore forward Matthew Barbolini are tied for the team lead in goals scored with five, while Matt Berry has three goals and five assists for eight points, second-most on the team.
 
Miami is fourth from the bottom, tied for 55th in the nation, in scoring defense and allow 4.0 goals per game. Ludvig Persson has started 11 of the 14 games this season with a 3.70 goals against average, an .882 save percentage and a 2-8-1 record. Persson suffered and injury in last weekend's series, resulting in Logan Neaton making his third start of the season, making 35 saves in the win over LIU. He has played in five games, posting a 1-2-0 record with a .900 save percentage and a 3.79 goals against average.
 
MU's power play ranks 22nd in the nation at 22.6 percent (12-for-53). Barbolini has a team-best three goals, while Michael Regush and Dylan Moulton each have two. The penalty kill ranks 40th in the nation at 76.4 percent (42-for-55).
 
ON THE HORIZON
Western Michigan returns home next weekend to host No. 10 Omaha on Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. The Broncos then close out 2021 with the Great Lakes Invitational Showcase, playing at Michigan State on Wednesday, Dec. 29 and at Michigan on Thursday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. The puck drop for the MSU game is still to be announced.