KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan begins NCHC Quarterfinal play with a best-of-three series against St. Cloud State. Puck drop for Friday's series opener is set for 7 PM at Lawson Arena.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos handled business at Miami, sweeping the RedHawks last weekend. WMU outscored MU by a total of 13-5, getting three goals from
Zach Nehring and two from
Grant Slukynsky. Saturday's win pushed the Brown and Gold to 19 in conference play, tying the NCHC record.
AND THE WINNER IS...
Western Michigan was well represented on the All-NCHC teams and secured a league high 10 finalists for specialty awards.
Alex Bump was a unanimous First Team All-NCHC selection and is up for Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and Three Stars Award. He led the league with 15 goals this season.
In net,
Cameron Rowe and
Hampton Slukynsky were both finalists for the Goaltender of the Year award. Slukynsky was named to the All-Rookie team and was a Second Team All-NCHC honoree, while Rowe was named to the Third Team.
Joona Väisänen joined Slukynsky on the All-Rookie Team and was a Third Team All-NCHC selection. He is up for the league's Rookie of the Year award after producing 17 points in conference play.
The Broncos also saw
Tim Washe (Defensive Forward of the Year),
Samuel Sjolund (Offensive Defenseman of the Year) and
Brian Kramer (Defensive Defenseman of the Year) named finalists. That trio combined to produce 46 points in NCHC play.
Finally,
Pat Ferschweiler is a finalist for the Herb Brooks Coach of the Year award. He led the Brown and Gold to a 19-4-1 conference record, losing just once in regulation all season. Those 19 wins tied the NCHC record for most in a single season. WMU secured the program's first regular season title, winning the Penrose Cup by 10 points.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Broncos have been outstanding at home this season, boasting a 14-2-1 record in Kalamazoo. No one has beaten the Brown and Gold in regulation at Lawson Arena, and WMU is one win shy of matching the program record for home wins.
On the season, Western Michigan is outscoring its opponents 72-32 at home. Against NCHC foes, WMU has a 49-25 scoring advantage. In a matchup with St. Cloud State earlier this season, the Broncos outscored the Huskies 10-1.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
WMU has been explosive on offense throughout the 2024-25 campaign, leading the NCAA in scoring offense and scoring margin heading into the weekend series.
The Broncos average 3.94 goals per game and that number has only gone up since the start of 2025. Since the calendar turned, Western Michigan has scored 83 goals for an average of 4.61 per game.
In that 18-game stretch, the Brown and Gold have scored four goals or more 13 times. WMU is outscoring opponents 83-40.
A lot of WMU's damage throughout the season has come in the second period of games, as the Broncos have scored 51 goals in the middle frame. That is over 38 percent of the team's goals on the season. In NCHC play, Western Michigan has tallied 42 goals in the second period. That is good for 43 percent of the team's goals in conference play.
FEARSOME FORWARDS
In the final NCHC weekly awards, the Broncos had a pair of honorees in
Grant Slukynsky and
Zach Nehring.
Slukynsky was marvelous in the series at Miami, generating five points on two goals and three assists. He led the NCHC in points this past weekend en route to being named the Forward of the Week.
He is up to 31 points on eight goals and 23 assists this season. He leads the team in assists and is second in points.
Nehring was the league's top freshman, as he was honored as the Rookie of the Week. He produced four points on three goals and one assist.
He has been WMU's top freshman, entering the weekend series with 26 points on 13 goals and 13 assists. He is third on the team in goals and fifth in points.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
St. Cloud State finished eighth in the NCHC, but the Huskies closed out the regular season winning three of their last five games.
Western Michigan is 9-9-4 all-time against the Huskies in Kalamazoo, including a pair of wins earlier this season. The Broncos outscored SCSU 10-1 back on Feb. 7-8.
Austin Burnevik and Tyson Gross have led the way offensively, combining for 50 points. Burnevik has 13 goals and 13 assists, while Gross has produced eight goals and 16 assists. Burnevik scored the Huskies' lone goal when the two teams met back in February.
In net, Isak Posch is back after a lengthy absence. He enters the series with a 12-8-0 record, 2.14 goals against average and .929 save percentage. Gavin Enright has seen action in 12 games, holding a 2-8-0 record, 3.25 GAA and .894 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.
