KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan will begin NCHC play with a series at Omaha. The first game of the series is set for Nov. 8 at Baxter Arena. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos dropped their first game of the season to No. 2 Boston College on Oct. 26. Owen Michaels and Robby Drazner tallied goals for the Brown and Gold in the setback. Goaltender Hampton Slukynsky made 32 saves in the game.

MAGNIFICENT MICHAELS
After putting together a strong rookie campaign in 2023-24, Owen Michaels hasn't had a sophomore slump in 2024-25. 

The Northville, Mich. native leads the team in goals with four and is tied for the team lead in points with five. Michaels has tallied at least one goal in three straight games, including a two-goal night in a win over Ferris State on Oct. 12. 

Michaels has already surpassed his goal total from last season and is just two points shy of matching his 2023-24 point total.  

NEHRING'S NOTABLE MONTH
Despite being a first-year player, Zach Nehring has had no trouble getting adjusted to the college game. The Minot, N.D. native was named the NCHC Rookie of the Month for October. 

He tallied points in three of his first four games, finishing the month with five points on three goals and two assists. Nehring led all NCHC rookies with 1.25 points per game. 

The Winnipeg Jets draft pick earned his first career multi-point and multi-goal game in a 6-2 win over Bowling Green on Oct. 17.

FAST AND FURIOUS
Western Michigan is off to a fast start this season, scoring 17 goals while allowing just eight. A lot of that damage has come in the first period of games, as eight of those 17 tallies have come in the first 20 minutes. 

WMU has scored at least two goals in every first period this season. On the flip side, opponents have lit the lamp just twice in the first frame. Furthermore, Western Michigan has scored three times in the opening five minutes of a game. 

GETTING IT DONE IN THE DOT
Early in the season, Western Michigan has been outstanding at winning faceoffs. Through four games, the Broncos are sitting at a 60 percent win rate, which is the top mark in the nation. 

Tim Washe has been the top player in the dot for the Broncos, as he enters Friday's game winning 73.8 percent of his draws. The Clarkston, Mich. native has been the NCHC's leader in faceoff percentage each of the last two seasons. 

Matteo Costantini and Grant Slukynsky have also been solid, sitting at 57.0 percent and 56.3 percent, respectively. 

The trio of Washe, Costantini and Slukynsky has combined for 131 of the team's 147 faceoff wins this season. 

DYNAMIC DUO
After leaning on one goalie for the last few seasons, the Broncos have a talented duo this season. Cameron Rowe and Hampton Slukynsky have each started two games for the Brown and Gold this season. 

Rowe is the veteran, coming back for his final year of eligibility. He is the NCAA's active career wins leader (56) and is third in the NCHC with a 1.50 goals against average this season. Rowe is 2-0-0 this year with just three goals allowed.  

Slukynsky is the talented newcomer, entering the league as one of the most highly touted prospects in the nation. Slukynsky is 1-1-0 this year with his lone loss coming at No. 2 Boston College. He leads the NCHC in saves per game (30.00) and is third in the league in save percentage with a .938 mark. 

The two have combined to make 100 saves and have the Broncos allowing under two goals per game. 

BLOCK PARTY
Through four games, the Broncos have shown a willingness to get in front of shots. WMU is averaging 12.00 blocked shots per game, which is the third best mark in the NCHC. 

It's been a collective effort, as Cole Crusberg-Roseen, Robby Drazner and Brian Kramer each have a team-leading six blocked shots. Among forwards,  Iiro Hakkarainen, Cam Knuble and Zach Nehring lead the way with three blocks each. 

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Omaha enters the weekend series on a four-game losing streak, having dropped back-to-back series against Augustana and Minnesota State. 

The two teams have been dead even over their last 10 meetings, with each winning five games. They split four games last season, with WMU outscoring the Mavericks, 15-9. 

Zach Urdahl has been the go-to-option on offense, tallying four of Omaha's nine goals this season. Sam Stange is the other leading scorer with two tallies in six games. 

In net, Simon Latkoczy has started every game this season, putting up strong numbers. Despite a 2-4-0 record, he boasts a 2.33 goals against average and .923 save percentage. He was Honorable Mention All-NCHC last season. 

CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Since the start of the 2021-22 season Western Michigan has been consistently among the top teams in the nation, and the polls reflect that. WMU has made three straight NCAA Tournaments and currently sits at No. 13 in the nation. 

The Broncos have been ranked in the top-20 since Oct. 11, 2021.