The veteran players on Western Michigan University's hockey team know what a raucous atmosphere is created by the Lawson Lunatics and all the home fans.

The new guys on the team can't wait to experience it.

No. 18 WMU (2-1 overall) will host Bowling Green (2-2) on Thursday night for the season's first home game. The opening faceoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The two will travel to Bowling Green on Friday night for a 7 p.m. start.

''I've been hearing about the crowds since I came to campus and it's definitely exciting and I'm pumped for Thursday,'' University of Connecticut transfer senior Carter Berger said.

Ethan Wolthers arrived this fall as a freshman, having originally committed to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst before switching to WMU. He, too, has heard the stories.

''It will be my first home game and I know I'll have a few butterflies and nervous excitement,'' he said. ''I want the fans to be out there, to win at home and have a great game all around.''

The two new players, along with freshman Ryan McAllister and transfers Zak Galambos, Oliver MacDonald and Jack Perbix have already made their presence felt, having either a goal or an assist in Western Michigan's first three games. In fact, Berger leads the Broncos in points with four (one goal, three assists) and McAllister has three points (one goal, two assists). All told, 15 players have at least one point in the first three games.

''It's been pretty good for the new players as well as the veterans,'' WMU head coach Pat Ferschweiler said. ''The new kids are listening, willing to change, willing to be coached and so far it's been pretty smooth.

''It's difficult to say what the biggest transition for the new players has been because it's different for each player. Is it style of play, is it execution in practice? Other teams have standards which are good in their own right, but we have standards we believe in here and they are getting to the point where they understand them.''

After the highly successful season WMU had last season – 26-12-1 overall, finalist in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) tournament, making the NCAA tournament and winning its first game, 2-1, over Northeastern – the veterans are ready to show the way.

''I hope our returners recognize why we were successful last year, that it's not the success of the team, but how we did it,'' Ferschweiler said. ''I believe they did because our returners all had great summers.

''They came back stronger, they look faster, they look like better players than they were last year and that is part of the reason that we succeed here. However, we don't look back, we don't look forward, we don't look to the sides, we just look to today.''

With players like captain Jason Polin that will happen. The senior already has three of Western Michigan's 11 goals, leading the team in that category. Two of the goals have come on the power play.

''If you are close off the ice, it will correlate to on the ice,'' Polin said. ''Everyone has come together, we are a family now and it will help us as we go further into the year.''

Ferschweiler felt the play of his captain was instrumental in WMU's comeback 6-4 victory over Ferris State this past Saturday. WMU trailed, 3-0, midway through the second period before turning things around by scoring six straight goals.

''That was led by Jason,'' Ferschweiler said. ''If you watch him right after their third goal went in, he changed the game with his effort.

''We had a penalty (down 3-0) and he wanted to kill that penalty. He would not be denied. You could feel it on the bench. A couple of shifts later we score on a power play, then Jason scores. That's what leadership looks like.''

Being the captain, Polin doesn't feel like he will be changing all that much.

''I've always been the kind of guy to always lead by example and I'm not the most vocal guy, but I'm working on it,'' he said. ''I still have the same expectations for myself, to go out and do anything I can to help win every night.

''Hopefully guys can feed off my energy at times.''

That energy, excitement and a few nerves all showed when WMU opened the season at the University of Alaska-Anchorage on Oct. 1 and 2. In the first game, the Broncos trailed, 1-0, in the first period before tying it up later in the same period. Anchorage then scored single goals in the second and third periods to win the game, 3-1. WMU came back to win the second game, 4-1.

''I've been playing with the same team (UConn) for the past three years, so playing under a new coaching staff and system and with new guys was different, but with each game I'm getting more comfortable,'' Berger said. ''It was definitely interesting in that first game, though.''

Added Wolthers: ''My first college game was awesome. To get my feet on the ice and play with the college guys was great.''

It was even better against Ferris State. With WMU ahead, 4-3, entering the third period, Wolthers picked up the puck off the wall with less than a minute being played.

''I had a lot of speed going, I beat the defenseman and when I got in front of the net, I just put it in the five-hole,'' he said. ''I had a lot of moves I wanted to do, but I was excited and I just wanted to put it in and the easiest way was to just throw it in (between the goaltender's legs). It was a great feeling.''

Berger may be new, but he knows what a comeback like this can do going forward.

''Being down 3-0 wasn't ideal, but I think it spoke volumes to what kind of team and character we have, to not just throw in the towel and blame it on someone,'' he said. ''We put our heads down, got to work and were rewarded.''

Play like that will lead to a lot of cheering come Thursday night.