KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan hockey team will host St. Cloud State for a pair of games at Lawson Arena on Nov. 10 and 11. WMU split with the Huskies last season. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos dropped their first game of the season at Omaha last Saturday. After WMU scored in the final 15 seconds of regulation to tie the game, the Mavericks netted the game-winning goal in overtime to pick up their first NCHC win of the season. 

Dylan Wendt scored the Broncos' first goal of the game, while Matteo Costantini lit the lamp with 11 seconds to go in regulation to send the game to overtime. 

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. 

Throughout the season, WMU will welcome back former captains and key players from the last 50 years to participate in a One Last Lap promotion. Former captain Brian Tulik joined the festivities during the team's home opener and more players are scheduled to join for upcoming games. 

SETTLING IN
Matteo Costantini didn't have a point in the opening three games of his tenure with the Broncos, but he has since gone on to have at least a point in three straight games. 

Over the last three contests, Costantini has tallied three goals and three assists. His latest goal helped the Brown and Gold reach overtime against Omaha last Saturday night. 

He tipped an Ethan Phillips shot into the back of the net with 11 seconds on the clock to knot the game at 2-2. Prior to that game, he had back-to-back contests with multi-point efforts. 

WENDT'S WORLD
After a strong sophomore campaign which saw Dylan Wendt produce 22 points on eight goals and 14 assists, the veteran forward is now part of the team's first line and thriving in his new role. 

Wendt is tied for the team lead in goals with six and has scored in five of the team's first six games. To add to that, Wendt has also dished out four assists so far this year. 

He's also been lethal on the power play, as he's lit the lamp twice on the man advantage this season. WMU has five power-play goals through six games. 

KILLING IT
Despite being one of the least penalized teams in the nation, Western Michigan found itself in the box 13 times against Omaha last weekend. 

Despite that, the Broncos were excellent on the penalty kill, allowing just one goal in those 13 chances. On the season, WMU is up to 83.3 percent on the penalty kill. WMU has let up just four goals in 24 chances. 

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
After a rough start in non-conference play, St. Cloud State was able to bounce back and earn a sweep in its opening NCHC series against Miami. 

On the season, the Huskies are averaging 2.9 goals per game and allowing 2.6. They've been one of the better teams in the league in faceoffs, winning more than 55 percent of draws. 

Individually, Veeti Miettinen and Dylan Anhorn have led the way, combining for 17 points this season. Miettinen has five goals and four assists, while Anhorn has one goal and seven assists. 

In net, Dominic Basse has started all eight games, producing a 4-4-0 record, 2.44 goals against average and .900 save percentage. 

CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Since early in the 2021-22 season Western Michigan has been consistently among the top teams in the nation, and the polls reflect that. WMU has made back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and cracked the top-five of the USCHO poll each of the last two seasons. 

The Broncos have been ranked in the top-20 since Oct. 11, 2021 and currently sit at No. 11 in nation. 

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. 

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. 

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.