KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan begins its Penrose Cup title defense with a series at St. Cloud State. The two teams will meet on Friday at 8 PM ET and Saturday at 7 PM ET. The Broncos won all four meetings last season. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos defeated Michigan 5-2, earning a top-three win at Lawson Arena on Oct. 23. 

Grant Slukynsky scored twice, while Liam Valente, Zack Sharp and Bobby Cowan each lit the lamp once. Hampton Slukynsky had a season-high 28 saves in net to earn the win. 

BLOCK PARTY
WMU has been one of the top defensive teams in the nation throughout Pat Ferschweiler's tenure, and the 2025-26 squad is no different. 

A big reason for the Brown and Gold's defensive success over the last few years has been a willingness to get in front of pucks. WMU is averaging 12 blocks per game, which ranks third in the NCHC. 

Cole Crusberg-Roseen, Zack Sharp and Theo Wallberg all have nine blocks this season on defense. Iiro Hakkarainen leads the forwards with six blocked shots. 

With all of those blocks, Western Michigan is second in the NCHC and fifth in the nation in shots against. WMU has limited opponents to just 22 shots per game, and opposing teams have surpassed 20 shots just twice this season. 

SUPER SLUKYNSKY
After averaging nearly a point per game last season, junior forward Grant Slukynsky has taken his game to another level in 2025-26. 

Now an assistant captain for the Brown and Gold, Slukynsky has opened the season with eight points on two goals and six assists. The Warroad, Minn. native has three multi-point efforts through six games. 

Additionally, Slukynsky has won more than 50 percent of his draws, and he has produced a team-leading +6 rating. He is second on the team with 52 faceoff wins this season. 

Slukynsky's talent was on full display this past weekend, as he scored twice and dished out an assist against No. 3 Michigan. His third period goal in Friday's game was the game winner.  

FAST AND FURIOUS
A big key to Western Michigan's 4-2-0 start has been its ability to jump out in front early in games. WMU has opened the scoring in five of its six games this season. 

The Broncos are outscoring opponents 6-2 in the first period of games, with Liam Valente accounting for two of those goals. Western Michigan is 4-1-0 when scoring first and 3-1-0 when leading after the first 20 minutes. 

In terms of getting to the net, WMU is outshooting opponents 68-38 in the opening period of play. William Whitelaw has 13 of those shots, while Liam Valente has eight. 

BROTHERLY BATTLE
When WMU and SCSU hit the ice on Friday night, the Henricks brothers will meet for the first time as college foes. Ty is a sophomore at Western Michigan, while Tanner is in his first year at St. Cloud State. 

The brothers are both top-notch players, as Ty is a New York Rangers draft pick and Tanner is a Columbus Blue Jackets selection. The eldest brother, Ty, is off to a hot start in 2025-26, entering the series with six points on two goals and four assists. 

Tanner has found success early in his career as well, totaling four points on one goal and three assists in five games. He missed the Huskies' last series against Alaska Anchorage due to an upper body injury. 

LETTING IT FLY
As one of the top offenses in the nation, Western Michigan has had no issues getting pucks on net early in the 2025-26 season. The Broncos are averaging more than 37 shots per game, which ranks sixth in the nation. 

William Whitelaw, Grant Slukynsky and Liam Valente have looked for their shot the most this season. Whitelaw enters Friday's contest with 35 shots, while Slukynsky and Valente each have 22. 

Not surprisingly, Whitelaw leads the team with four goals, while Valente is second with three. Slukynsky is just behind them with two tallies in six games. 

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Freshman forward Bobby Cowan has had no issue adjusting to the college game, entering the weekend series with four points on two goals and two assists. 

Despite being the youngest player on the team, the Edina, Minn. native has scored at least one point in every series, including a goal against No. 3 Michigan last weekend. The young winger has started to look for his shot more, as he's put nine shots on net over his last four outings. 

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
St. Cloud State is off to a hot start, opening the 2025-26 season with a 5-2-0 record. SCSU is fresh off of a sweep against Alaska Anchorage and is 4-1-0 in its last five games. 

The Huskies are 25-19-5 all-time against WMU, including a 15-7-1 record in St. Cloud. Western Michigan has had the upper hand lately, winning four straight and five of the last six in the series. 

Austin Burnevik has been red hot, entering Friday's action with 10 points on eight goals and two assists. He has the game-winning goal in three of SCSU's five victories. Barrett Hall (3-6-9) and Tyson Gross (1-8-9) have been strong as well, with each having nine points in seven games. 

In net, Yan Shostak has started five games, while Patriks Berzins has started twice. Berzins holds a 2-0-0 record to go along with a 1.51 goals against average and .952 save percentage. Shostak has a 3-2-0 record, 2.00 GAA and .916 save percentage. 

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. 3 in the national polls. The Broncos have been ranked in the top 20 since Oct. 11, 2021.