KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan will play at Lawson for the final time in 2025, hosting Minnesota Duluth for a weekend series. The opener is set for Friday at 7 PM. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos picked up a weekend sweep at Omaha, downing the Mavericks 7-2 and 4-2. Saturday's win was WMU's fourth in a row. 

Zaccharya Wisdom had four points in the series, notching three goals and one assist. Samuel Sjolund chipped in three points, handing out three assists. 

Hampton Slukynsky was strong in net, boasting a 2.00 goals against average and .923 save percentage. He stopped 48 of 52 shots on the weekend. 

DON'T I KNOW YOU? 
Junior forward Cole Spicer was given eligibility by the NCAA prior to WMU's last series at Omaha, helping him play in his first NCAA game since Dec. 9, 2023 at Miami (OH).

Spicer didn't disappoint in his Western Michigan debut, as the Grand Forks, N.D. native concluded the weekend with a goal and an assist. His tally on Saturday night wast the game winner and marked his first since Dec. 8, 2023. 

The Boston Bruins draft pick will now square off with his former team, as Spicer spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with Minnesota Duluth. In his time with the Bulldogs, he collected 15 points on eight goals and seven assists. 

WISDOM'S WONDERFUL WEEKEND
Zaccharya Wisdom had his best series as a Bronco, tallying three goals and one assist in a series sweep over Omaha back on Nov. 21-22. 

For his dominance, the Seattle Kraken draft pick was named the NCHC Forward of the Week on Nov. 25. It was the second NCHC weekly honor of his career. 

The Canadian winger led the NCHC in goals (3) and plus/minus (+4) for the week. He produced two points in each game against the Mavericks at Baxter Arena. 

Wisdom is now up to 10 points on six goals and four assists, including five goals and one assist against conference foes.  

TY'S TAKEOVER
Coming to the program as a highly-touted recruit, forward Ty Henricks had flashes of brilliance during WMU's championship run in 2024-25. Of those moments, the biggest was scoring the game-winning goal in the National Championship win over Boston University. He finished his rookie season with 13 points on eight goals and five assists in 41 games. 

Now in a new year with a new role, Henricks has taken his game to another level and has the Broncos looking like contenders yet again. Despite playing in just 14 games so far this season, the New York Rangers draft pick has been able to produce 12 points on seven goals and five assists. He is second on the team in goals and third in points. 

The bruising forward stepped up to WMU's top line with Owen Michaels and William Whitelaw a few weeks ago, averaging a point per game with his new linemates. Over that six-game stretch, Henricks has produced five goals and one assist. The Broncos are 4-2-0 since moving him to the top line. 

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
After a slow start to the month of November on offense, Western Michigan has found its footing over the last four games. The Broncos are 4-0-0 in that stretch, averaging 5.5 goals per game.

Eight of the team's nine wins this season have come with four goals or more. The Broncos are averaging 5.22 goals per game in wins and just 1.40 in losses.  

Overall, the Brown and Gold rank sixth in the nation in scoring offense so far this season, notching 3.86 goals per game. WMU has four players with six or more goals, with Liam Valente leading the way at eight in 14 games.

Western Michigan has been top 10 in scoring offense every season under Pat Ferschweiler. The Broncos were the top scoring team in the nation during last year's National Championship run. 

DOMINATING THE DOT
WMU has been sensational in the faceoff dot this season, winning draws at a 53.7 percent clip. That is good for third in the NCHC and eighth in the nation. 

Owen Michaels has led the way for the Brown and Gold, boasting a 60.2 percent win rate. He is 10th in the nation in total faceoffs won and sits in third in the NCHC in win percentage. 

Ryan Kusler and Grant Slukynsky have helped in the dot as well. Kusler has a 57.1 percent win rate, while Slukynsky is winning draws at a 53.0 percent clip. Making his WMU debut against Omaha back on Nov. 21-22, Cole Spicer won 13 of his 21 draws, which was good for 61.9 percent. 

The Broncos have had the NCHC's leader in faceoff winning percentage each of the last three seasons. 

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Minnesota Duluth is off to a fantastic start to the 2025-26 season, holding a 12-4-0 overall record and 5-3-0 NCHC mark. The Bulldogs have gone 3-2-0 over their last five outings. 

WMU is 20-28-3 all time against UMD, including a 9-12-1 record in Kalamazoo. However, the Broncos have had the upper hand lately, winning six of the last seven meetings. Western Michigan won both matchups last season by three goals. 

Max Plante, Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay make up one of the best lines in college hockey, combining for 69 points on 25 goals and 44 assists. The Plante brothers are both top five in the nation in points this season. 

Goaltending has also been a strength, with Adam Gajan starting all 16 games for UMD so far this season. He enters the weekend series with a 12-4-0 record, 1.78 goals against average and .925 save percentage. Gajan has two shutouts and 345 total saves this 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. The Broncos have now made four straight NCAA Tournaments and sit at No. 7 in the national polls. The Broncos have been ranked in the top 20 since Oct. 11, 2021.