KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan will open the regular season with a pair of games against Ferris State beginning on Thursday evening. Thursday's game is set for 7 p.m. at Lawson Arena. 

GAMEDAY UPDATE
In response to positive feedback from our fans related to alcohol sales at our football games, Western Michigan Athletics is seeking licenses through the State's new permitting process to permit the sale of beer, wine and seltzer at both Lawson Arena and Read Fieldhouse.  As we continue to work through this new process with our partners in the State, we will keep our fans posted on progress.  It remains our goal to serve at both venues at some point this season.

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos dominated in an exhibition against the U.S. Under-18 National Team, earning a 9-4 victory last Saturday. Eight Broncos had multi-point games, including Tim Washe who led the way with four points on two goals and two assists. 

50 YEARS OF BRONCO HOCKEY
WMU will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of varsity hockey this season, which will be commemorated in a variety of ways. Along with a 50th anniversary logo at center ice, there will be special in-game tributes to former players and teams and an alumni weekend for the Colorado College series on January 26 and 27. 

Western Michigan has merchandise for sale at Rally House throughout the 50-year anniversary season. Celebrate five decades of hockey memories and achievements with new gear! Shop the first drop of official 50 Years shirts now! Additional limited edition designs and apparel will be made available throughout the season.

Also, stay tuned for an exciting reveal of even more exclusive, limited-edition 50th Anniversary gear. We're celebrating the iconic styles and logos that have defined an extraordinary half-century of exceptional hockey. WMU is set to unveil retro hockey jerseys, jackets, and tees, paying homage to the legacy of Western Michigan Hockey from five decades later this season. 

PRESEASON POLL
The NCHC released its preseason poll on Sept. 12, with WMU picked to finish fourth in the conference. 

The Broncos have never finished below third under head coach Pat Ferschweiler. Denver led the poll with 199 points, while North Dakota (175) and St. Cloud State (155) rounded out the top three. 

Minnesota Duluth (123), Omaha (113), Colorado College (89) and Miami (28) were picked as the bottom four teams in the conference. 

VETERAN PRESENCE
When Western Michigan opens its regular season on Oct. 12 against Ferris State, it will do so with a wealth of experienced players. The Broncos have 15 players on the roster in their senior or graduate year of eligibility. 

With that, 13 of the 15 have played in the NCAA Tournament and three of them are former NHL Draft picks (Berger, Phillips and Colangelo). Outside of the veteran transfers WMU brought in, four of WMU's top five returners are seniors and each scored more than 15 points last season. 

A CHANCE AT HISTORY
The 2023-24 Broncos will have a chance to make history, as the program has never reached the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons. WMU has made back-to-back appearances on two separate occasions (2011 & 2012, 2022 & 2023). 

In 2022, the Brown and Gold earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament and picked up the first NCAA Tournament win in program history. The Broncos upended Northeastern, 2-1, in overtime. 

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Senior forward Luke Grainger was named the program's captain, while fellow seniors Cedric Fiedler, Chad Hillebrand and Tim Washe will serve as assistants. 

Grainger is the team's leading returning scorer, as he posted 32 points on 12 goals and 20 assists last season. 

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Western Michigan leads the all-time series 85-53-14, with 49 of those wins coming in Kalamazoo. WMU has won the last eight meetings, including two victories last season by a combined margin of 14-6. 

The Bulldogs split with Miami last weekend, with Jason Brancheau and Travis Shoudy each earning three points in the series. Shoudy earned the CCHA Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the two games. Outside of those two, senior Antonio Venuto is tied for the team lead in goals with two so far this season. 

In net, Noah Giesbrecht has started both games, earning a 1-1-0 record, 4.41 goals against average and .850 save percentage. In two games last season, the Broncos scored seven goals on Giesbrecht. 

NEW TO KALAMAZOO
After finding success in the transfer portal a season ago, the Broncos once again hit the portal to fill some gaps. Western Michigan added Northeastern's Sam Colangelo, Miami's Joe Cassetti, Boston University's Ethan Phillips and North Dakota's Matteo Costantini. 

Colangelo had an excellent three-year career with the Huskies, playing in 72 games and scoring 54 points on 21 goals and 33 assists. He was the team's most improved player in 2021-22. He was selected by Anaheim in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. 

Cassetti tied for the team lead in goals last season and scored 31 points (18 goals, 13 assists) in 70 games for Miami over three years. He is also a three-time NCHC Academic All-Conference selection. 

Costantini comes to WMU after two seasons at North Dakota, where he totaled 24 points on 10 goals and 14 assists in 60 games. He was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team in 2021-22. He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Finally, Phillips had a great career at Boston University before heading to Kalamazoo. He finished his career with the Terriers having played in 89 games while scoring 38 points on 12 goals and 26 assists. In 2022-23, he was named to the Manchester All-Region Team after leading all skaters with four points. He was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. 

FRESHMEN PHENOMS
To supplement their additions in the portal, WMU added a star-studded seven man freshmen class, consisting of Cole Crusberg-Roseen, Jacob Napier, Alex Bump, Garrett Szydlowski, Ean Somoza, Dawson Smith and Owen Michaels. 

Crusberg-Roseen and Napier are both defenseman who played in the USHL last season. Crusberg-Roseen notched 21 points (7 goals and 14 assists) with the Lincoln Stars, while Napier had 22 points (7 goals and 15 assists) with the Fargo Force. 

Offensively, WMU added a bunch of players who know how to put the puck in the net. Bump is a 2022 fifth round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, and he had 39 points in 48 games with the Omaha Lancers and Tri-City Storm last season. 

Szydlowski and Somoza each played for the Wenatchee Wild last season. Somoza had 74 points on 22 goals and 52 assists with the Wild last season, while Szydlowski totaled 26 points on 10 goals and 16 assists in 34 games. 

Michaels played for the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints last season, finishing with 26 points on 15 goals and 11 assists. He also had eight points in five playoff games. 

In net, the Broncos added Dawson Smith, who had a great career with the La Ronge Ice Wolves. During his final year with the team, he posted a 19-11-4 record, .933 save percentage and 2.47 goals against average. He also added two playoff wins.