THIS WEEK
The 16th-ranked Western Michigan hockey team takes on No. 4 Michigan in a home-and-home series. The Broncos travel to Ann Arbor on Friday for a 7 p.m. puck drop before returning to Lawson Ice Arena for a 6 p.m. tilt on Saturday. Friday's game will be streamed live on BTN+, with Saturday's on NCHC.tv. The Bronco Media Network will have coverage of both.
 
LAST WEEK
WMU and No. 12 Notre Dame split a home-and-home series, with the home team shutting out the other each night.
 
The Fighting Irish took the opener, 2-0. Junior goalie Cameron Rowe made a season-high 30 saves for the Broncos, but WMU wasn't able to get one past Ryan Bischel.
 
WMU solved the Bischel puzzle early in Saturday's 4-0 victory, scoring just 10:06 into the game. Junior defenseman Cedric Fiedler scored his first collegiate goal to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead. He then added to his total 2:42 later for his second, scoring on a one-timer from the right circle. After a scoreless third period Zak Galambos scored on the power play at 8:13 to push the lead to 3-0 before he added an empty-net goal with 59.4 seconds left. Rowe made 22 saves for his first shutout with WMU as the Broncos clamped down on the Fighting Irish's opportunities.
 
PERFECT PK
For the first time this season the Broncos went a weekend series without giving up a power play goal. In the split with Notre Dame, WMU went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill in the series-opening loss and finished with a 2-for-2 performance in Saturday's win. The success on the man disadvantage helped bump WMU's penalty kill to 83.3 percent (25-for-30).
 
IT'S ABOUT DANG TIME
Western Michigan junior defenseman finally lit the lamp for the first time in his career. In his 61st game of college hockey he netted his first collegiate goal, giving WMU an early 1-0 lead in Saturday's win over No. 12 Notre Dame. He followed it up with his second goal just minutes later. Sophomore forward Wyatt Schingoethe also had his collegiate first, assisting on Fiedler's first goal of the game for his first collegiate point. In his first action of the season he finished with an assist and a +2 plus/minus rating.
 
THAT DIDN'T TAKE LONG
Western Michigan senior defenseman Zak Galambos needed just seven games to match his career high with five goals so far this season. Galambos set the career mark last season with AIC, but with his two-goal game in Saturday's win, is poised to snap that mark in record time. Galambos' tally mark is tops on the team and he also leads the squad in plus/minus at +10.
 
SOUTH OF 30
Western Michigan has held opponents to fewer than 30 shots on goal in six of the seven games this season. Notre Dame put up 32 on Friday, which was a season high allowed by the Broncos. WMU responded the next night by holding the Fighting Irish to just 22.
 
THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (5-1-0)
- THE SERIES: After a split last season, the Broncos trail the all-time series 36-74-10, but hold a 9-7-0 edge in the last 16 games.
 
- SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: No. 4 Michigan boasts the top-ranked offense in the country, averaging 5.17 goals per game. The high-powered offense is led by freshman sensation Adam Fantili, who leads the country in scoring with 15 points on 10 assists and five goals in just six games. Sophomore forward Mackie Samoskevich is second on the team with 10 points on five goals and five assists.  The top six scorers on the team are either freshmen or sophomores. Junior Jacob Truscott is the top-scoring defenseman on the team with six points on one goal and five assists.
 
It hasn't been all offense for the Wolverines. Michigan also ranks eighth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 2.17 goals per game. Junior Erik Protillo has played in and started all six games for the Wolverines with 2.18 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.
 
UM's power play ranks 15th in the nation at 25.7 percent (9-for-35), while the penalty kill ranks 27^th at 80.6 percent (25-for-31).
 
ON THE HORIZON
Western Michigan opens National Collegiate Hockey Conference play next weekend hosting rival Miami on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets.