KALAMAZOO, Mich. – #6/5 Western Michigan hockey (6-1-0, 0-0-0 NCHC) rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to defeat LIU (2-7-0) 7-4 on Friday night at Lawson Ice Arena, completing the two-game series sweep.
Captain
Zaccharya Wisdom scored twice in the third period for the Broncos, and freshman Adam Benák finished with a goal and two assists.
Iiro Hakkarainen recorded two assists, with the second one on Wisdom's late goal, marking the 50th point of his career.
Quentin Miller made 14 saves to improve to 6-1-0 on the season.
LIU struck first with goals from Jaden Dyke at 14:03 and August Classon at 15:13 of the first period.
Sam Huck answered for WMU at 17:12, scoring his first goal of the season off assists from
Tyler MacKenzie and
Garrett Szydlowski to cut the deficit to 2-1 heading into the first intermission.
Colby Woogk tied it at 2:38 of the second period, his first goal of the season, with assists from Benák and
William Whitelaw.
Cole Crusberg-Roseen gave the Broncos the lead for good at 17:05 with his first goal of the season, set up by
Zack Sharp and
Cole Spicer.
WMU broke the game open with three goals in the first 3:57 of the third period. Benák scored at 1:26, Wisdom followed at 3:24, and
Bobby Cowan tipped in a shot at 3:57 to make it 6-2. LIU closed within two on goals by Samuel Rousseau and an Isaac Lambert power-play goal, but Wisdom sealed it at 18:17 off assists from Joona Väisänen and Hakkarainen.
Benák's 3 points (1G-2A) bring his season totals to 13 points (3G-10A). His 10 assists are the most by a freshman in the nation, and this was his fourth multi-point game of the season, also the most by a freshman nationally. Whitelaw's two assists give him a point in all seven games this season, the longest streak in the NCHC.
The Broncos outshot the Sharks 42-18 and went 0-for-4 on the power play, while LIU finished 1-for-4. Lukas Renaud took the loss for LIU, making 30 saves before being replaced by Dane Callaway in the third period. The win moved WMU to 4-0-0 at home this season, in the program's final season at Lawson Ice Arena.
Western Michigan opens NCHC play next weekend with a two-game series at North Dakota on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7.
FINAL SEASON AT LAWSON
The 2026-27 campaign marks the Final Season at historic Lawson Arena for Western Michigan hockey. Named after the founding father of the program, Harry W. Lawson, the arena has been home to Bronco hockey since the 1974-75 season. All throughout the 2026-27 season, WMU hockey will be celebrating its five-plus decades at Lawson Arena with special events, promotions and 'Fan Friday' giveaways.
