THIS WEEK
For the first time since the weekend of Jan. 21-22, the fifth-ranked Western Michigan returns to Lawson Ice Arena to host National Collegiate Hockey Conference leaders Denver on Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Both games are down to standing room only tickets, which can be purchased for $15 at www.wmubroncos.com/tickets. The games will also be streamed live on NCHC.tv and can be heard live on the Bronco Radio Network.

OUTSKATE HUNGER IN KALAMAZOO
The Bronco Hockey team and the Western Michigan Food Marketing Association are teaming up on Saturday night to help "Outskate Hunger in Kalamazoo." Fans can bring in non-perishable food items and cash donations with all proceeds going to Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes. For more information please click here. 
 
LAST WEEK
For just the second time this season the Broncos did not earn a win in regulation during a weekend series, battling No. 10 St. Cloud to a 5-5 tie and shootout win on Friday and a 4-1 loss on Saturday.
 
After giving up an early goal on Friday, the Broncos rebounded with three straight goals by Ethen Frank, Luke Grainger and Michael Joyaux to take a 3-1 lead early in the second period. SCSU responded with three straight goals of its own to take a 4-3 lead before Jason Polin tied it up at 4-4 just 54 seconds into the third period. A short-handed goal by Jami Krannila gave the lead back to the Huskies, but Poling struck again at 14:39 to tie it up at 5-5. Neither team scored in the 3-on-3 overtime, with the game progressing to the best-of-three shootout. SCSU scored on its first chance but Brandon Bussi stopped the next three, with Max Sasson scoring the winner for the Broncos in the fourth round to earn the extra point.
 
After a scoreless first period on Saturday, St. Cloud scored back-to-back goals at 10:38 and 15:49 in the second period. Frank cut the lead in half with his 21st goal of the season at 17:40. The Huskies added a power play goal at 13:15 in the third period to push the lead to 3-1 before scoring an empty-netter in the final minutes.
 
97 PERCENT
Lawson Ice Arena has been operating at an average of 97 percent seated capacity this season at 3,571 fans per game. It is the highest average attendance Western Michigan in its time in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and highest since the 2012-13 season, when the team averaged 3,633 fans per game.
 
STILL ON TOP
Fifth-year senior forward Ethen Frank still sits at the top of the national goal scoring rankings. Frank tallied a goal in each game last weekend against St. Cloud State, pushing his career-best total to 21. Frank is the only player in the nation to reach 20 goals so far this season, with four tied at 19. He's played in at least two or more fewer games than the four nipping at his heels. Frank is in the midst of a four-game point streak with three goals and two assists for five points. It's the second-longest streak he's had this season after opening the year a seven-game scoring streak.
 
RETURNING TO OLD FORM
Fifth-year senior Josh Passolt posted a career-best 34 points during his sophomore season but saw his production dip during his junior with 16 and senior seasons with 19. Passolt has seen a return to his old form in the past several weeks. The Hayward, Wis., native has 22 points on six goals and 16 assists in 26 games this season and lately has been on fire with 12 points on four goals and eight assists over his past eight games.
 
#3 DENVER PIONEERS (21-6-1, 14-4-0 NCHC, 1st)
- THE SERIES: After a sweep in Denver back in November, the Pioneers lead the all-time series at 21-10-2. WMU has had DU's number at Lawson Ice Arena in recent history, though. The Broncos are 5-1-0 in the past three series against the Pioneers in Kalamazoo. During the 2018-19 season, third-ranked Denver came to Western Michigan and lost 3-1 and 4-1. The 2017-18 season saw No. 1 Denver make a trip to Lawson Ice Arena and get swept 6-5 and 7-4. The last win by DU at WMU came later in the 2016-17 season. The top-ranked Pioneers beat the Broncos 7-2 the night after getting shutout 3-0.
 
Ethen Frank leads all Broncos in scoring against the Pioneers with 11 points in 11 career games on four goals and seven assists. Josh Passolt and Drew Worrad each have six points, with Worrad posting four of them after two goals and two assists in the series back in November.
 
- SCOUTING THE PIONEERS: Denver enters the weekend as one of the best and hottest teams in the nation. DU had an 11-game unbeaten streak snapped last Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Minnesota-Duluth after opening the weekend with a 5-3 victory over the Bulldogs. The loss was the first that the Pioneers had suffered at home this season. Five of DU's six losses have come on the road.
 
The Pioneers are the nation's top scoring team, averaging 4.57 goals per game. Junior forward Bobby Brink is the nation's leading scorer with 44 points on 10 goals and a national-best 34 assists. Brink, a second round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers, also leads the team in plus/minus at +25. Senior forward Brett Stapely is second on the team with 34 points on 12 goals and 22 assists, while sophomore Carter Savoie has 16 goals to go with 17 assists for 33 points, while fifth-year senior and Bowling Green transfer Cameron Wright has a team-best 17 goals. Forward and Detroit Red Wings' draft pick Carter Mazure is one of the top scoring freshman in the country with 29 points on 11 goals and 18 assists. Freshman Sean Behrens is the team's top scoring blue-liner with 25 points on three goals and 22 assists.
 
Denver ranks 12th in goals allowed per game at 2.36. Junior Magnus Chrona has started 26 of the team's 28 games with a record of 20-5-1, a 2.21 goals against average, a .906 save percentage and five shutouts.
 
DU's power play ranks seventh in the country at 26.1 percent (36-for-138). Savoie leads the team with eight power play tallies, while Cameron has seven of his 17 on the season come with the man advantage. The penalty kill has struggled at just 76.6 percent (82-for-107).
 
ON THE HORIZON
The Broncos head back on the road for the final time of the 2021-22 regular season, traveling to North Dakota. Friday's game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET, with Saturday's at 7:07 p.m. on NCHC.tv.