KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan continues its home stand with a series against Omaha this weekend. The Broncos swept the Mavericks earlier this season. Puck drop for Friday's series opener is set for 7 PM EST. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos swept St. Cloud State this past weekend, outscoring the Huskies by a total of 10-1. WMU earned a 4-0 shutout on Friday and followed that up with a 6-1 victory on Saturday night. Grant Slukynsky had five points in the series, while Cameron Rowe tallied his eighth career shutout. 

DYNAMIC DUO
WMU has a pair of goalies among the national leaders in multiple statistics, with Cameron Rowe and Hampton Slukynsky spearheading a historic season for the Broncos. 

Rowe is the veteran, playing his fifth season of college hockey and third with the Brown and Gold. He holds a 14-1-0 record on the season. To go along with that, he boats a 1.73 goals against average and .934 save percentage. 

He leads the NCAA in win percentage and ranks in the top seven in both GAA and save percentage. His 68 career wins are the most among active NCAA goaltenders. 

Slukynsky is the youngster, playing his first season of college hockey. He has a 6-4-1 record to go along with a 1.62 GAA and .942 save percentage. He leads the NCHC and is third in the NCAA in both GAA and save percentage this season. 

The Warroad, Minn. native won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championship earlier this year and is the reigning NCHC Rookie of the Week. 

Both goaltenders have been named to the Richter Award watch list. The award is given annually to the nation's best goaltender.  

HAVING A RECORD YEAR
Under head coach Pat Ferschweiler, Western Michigan has been known for player development, and the 2024-25 Broncos have continued that trend. 

So far this season, 12 skaters have matched or exceeded career highs in points, goals or assists. In net, Cameron Rowe has produced career bests in goals against average and save percentage. 

Cole Crusberg-Roseen, Robby Drazner, Cam Knuble, Tristan Lemyre, Owen Michaels, Wyatt Schingoethe, Samuel Sjolund, Grant Slukynsky, Garrett Szydlowski, Liam Valente, Tim Washe and Ethan Wolthers have all tallied career highs. 

Crusberg-Roseen, Knuble, Lemyre, Michaels, Szydlowski and Valente have collected career highs in goals, assists and points. Slukynsky is one goal away and Washe is one assist away from entering that group. 

KINGS OF THE KILL
The Broncos have produced one of the best penalty kill units in NCAA history, leading the nation with a kill rate of 93.3 percent. WMU has allowed just four power-play goals all season with the last coming back on Nov. 22 at Minnesota Duluth. 

Since allowing the Bulldogs to score on the man advantage, Western Michigan has gone 17 straight games with out allowing an opponent to score on the man advantage. That run includes 40 straight penalties being killed off. 

The NCAA record for penalty kill percentage in a season is 94.4 percent. Yale posted that mark in 2016, allowing just five goals on 90 power play chances. 

SUPER SOPHOMORES
Western Michigan's sophomore class has carried much of the load this season, leading to a 20-5-1 overall record. Alex Bump, Owen Michaels, Grant Slukynsky, Cole Crusberg-Roseen and Garrett Szydlowski have all contributed to the success of this year's team. 

Bump is the teams leader in points, entering the weekend with 30 on 12 goals and 18 assists. Michaels had done a lot of the goal scoring, leading the Brown and Gold with 14 tallies. He has a career high 21 points so far this season. 

Slukynsky (5-16-21), Crusberg-Roseen (1-7-8) and Szydlowski (1-4-5) are all having career years, combining for 34 points on seven goals and 27 assists. The trio has also blocked a total of 66 shots. 

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Omaha is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games, making them one of the hottest teams in the nation. The Mavericks swept Minnesota Duluth this past weekend and sit in a tie for second place in the NCHC. 

WMU is 30-35-6 all-time against Omaha, including an 18-15-4 record in Kalamazoo. The Broncos swept the Mavericks in Omaha earlier this season. 

Sam Stange and Brady Risk have been the top options on offense this season. Stange leads th team with 25 points on 11 goals and 14 assists. Risk has tallied 20 points on 11 goals and nine assists. 

In net, Simon Latkoczy has started nearly every game. In 24 starts, he has a 13-10-1 record, 2.42 goals against average and .932 save percentage. Kevin Reidler has made six appearances for Omaha, boasting a 3-1-1 record, 2.79 GAA and .913 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. WMU has made three straight NCAA Tournaments and currently sits at No. 3 in the nation. 

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