KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan has a home-and-home series against No. 3 Michigan, beginning play at Yost Ice Arena on Thursday. The two teams will then head to Lawson Arena on Friday for the series finale. Both games are at 7 PM.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos swept a weekend series at UMass Lowell, earning 2-1 and 6-0 victories.
William Whitelaw scored three times in the series, while
Ty Henricks lit the lamp twice. Joona Väisänen and
Grant Slukynsky each chipped in three assists. In net,
Hampton Slukynsky was lights out, boasting a 0.50 goals against average and .973 save percentage in the series.
BALANCED BRONCOS
WMU is one of the top scoring teams in the nation, thanks in large part to its depth of scoring. Through four games in 2025-26, 16 players have recorded at least one point and 12 have more than one point.
Joona Väisänen has been outstanding, leading the team with six points. He has recorded a least one point in three of the team's four games this season. Additionally,
William Whitelaw and
Grant Slukynsky have each chipped in five points through four games.
The depth was evident last weekend at UMass Lowell, as 12 players recorded a point.
Tyler MacKenzie and
Jamison Sluys each secured their first career point in the series sweep.
HAMMER TIME
Sophomore goaltender
Hampton Slukynsky has proven to be one of the best goaltenders in the nation, and his talent was on full display this past weekend against UMass Lowell.
The Warroad, Minn. native earned NCHC Goaltender of the Week honors after producing a 2-0-0 record to go along with a 0.50 goals against average and .973 save percentage on the weekend. He collected a 19-save shutout in Saturday's victory.
On the season, the Los Angeles King draft pick has a 3-1-0 record, 2.02 GAA and .890 save percentage. He has started all four games in 2025-26.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
William Whitelaw will be in familiar territory when he hits the ice on Thursday at Yost Ice Arena, as he left the Wolverines to join the Broncos prior to this season.
The Rosemount Minn. native has played alongside
Owen Michaels and
Zaccharya Wisdom on WMU's top line, making his presence known early and often this season. Entering the highly-anticipated series, Whitelaw has five points on four goals and one assist.
The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick is known for his offensive ability. He has 40 points on 25 goals and 15 assists in 76 career games. The talented winger loves to put the puck on net, as he's registered 247 total shots in his career.
KILLIN' IT
WMU has had one of the best penalty killing units in the nation over the last couple of years, and the 2025-26 squad is off to a hot start.
The Broncos have allowed just one power-play goal so far this season, entering Thursday's matchup with a 92.3 percent mark on the PK. Ferris State was 0-for-5 on the power play against the Brown and Gold, while UMass Lowell was 1-for-8 on the man advantage.
The Broncos have been stingy when down a man, holding opponents to just 14 shots across 13 power-play opportunities. In those 13 power-play chances, WMU has blocked seven shots.
BLOCK PARTY
Western Michigan is one of the top defensive teams in the nation, which can be traced back to the team's ability to limit shots on goal. A big reason for that is WMU's willingness to get in front of the puck. The Broncos average 10 blocked shots per game.
Cole Crusberg-Roseen leads the way with six blocks, while
Zach Bookman,
Samuel Sjolund and
Theo Wallberg are all at a block per game or better. Even the forwards get involved, as
Tyler MacKenzie has stepped in front of three shots this season.
WMU has limited its opponents to just over 18 shots per game. The Broncos haven't allowed an opponent to reach 20 shots in a game so far this season.
DOMINATING THE DOT
The Broncos pride themselves on being able to win draws, and that has shown early in the 2025-26 campaign as they sit second in the nation and first in the NCHC with a win rate of 56.6 percent.
Owen Michaels has been the best option, winning 68.6 percent of his faceoffs. The Northville, Mich. native has 59 of WMU's 150 faceoff wins this year.
Iiro Hakkarainen and
Grant Slukynsky have also been strong, winning more than 54 percent of their draws.
The Broncos have had the NCHC's individual leader in faceoff percentage each of the last three seasons.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Michigan is off to a fast start this season, entering the series with a 6-0-0 record. UM has wins over Mercyhurst, Providence and Robert Morris.
The Wolverines lead the all-time series 77-38-9. WMU has won 15 games in Ann Arbor. The two teams split last season, with each program winning on home ice.
Michigan has been the most prolific offense in the NCAA to start the season, featuring two of the best scorers in the country. Michael Hage leads UM with 11 points on five goals and six assists. Will Horcoff is the team's leader in goals, lighting the lamp six times in six games.
In net, Jack Ivankovic has started all six games, boasting a 1.17 goals against average and .942 save percentage. He has one shutout and has made 113 total saves.
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. The Broncos have now made four straight NCAA Tournaments and sit at No. 2 in the national polls. The Broncos have been ranked in the top 20 since Oct. 11, 2021.
