KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan returns home for a pair of games against Arizona State this weekend. The two teams will open the series on Friday at 7 PM at Lawson Arena. This is the only meeting between the two teams this season. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos picked up four points at Miami, falling in overtime on Friday before earning a regulation win on Saturday night. 

Liam Valente, Bobby Cowan, Alex Calbeck and Zach Nehring all had two points in the series. Hampton Slukynsky made 41 saves and had a 1.97 goals against average on the weekend. 

PK PROWESS
Western Michigan's penalty killing unit has hit a new gear over the last couple of weeks, killing off its last 15 penalties and 19 of its last 20. 

A big reason for that success has been WMU's ability to limit shots on net. Opponents have been held to less than two shots per power play over the last 20 chances. The Broncos have also blocked 11 shots in that stretch. 

Thanks to its recent hot stretch, the Broncos have risen to second in the NCHC and 13th in the nation with a kill rate of 84.1 percent. The Brown and Gold have allowed just 17 power-play tallies all year. 

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Over the course of his three-year career, WMU captain Owen Michaels has consistently worked on winning faceoffs. His hard work has paid off in a big way this season, as the first-line center is second in the NCHC and fourth in the nation in total faceoffs won (355). 

Percentage wise, he enters the weekend series at 61.4 percent, which is second in the NCHC (.04 behind the league leader). The Northville, Mich. native went 38-of-54 (70.4%) in the dot at Miami this past weekend to push the team up to 54.2 percent on the season. 

Outside of faceoffs, Michaels' scoring ability has been on full display. The veteran center has 19 points on eight goals and 11 assists in 28 games. He is top five on the team in goals and points. 

MILESTONE MOMENTS
WMU had several players hit career milestones last weekend at Miami. The Brown and Gold had William Whitelaw reach 100 career games, while Alex Calbeck and Zach Bade each recorded their first career point. 

Whitelaw has had a tremendous career, scoring 37 goals and dishing out 24 assists in 100 games. He has 16 goals and 10 assists in his time with the Brown and Gold. 

Despite joining the team in January, Calbeck has already started to make some noise. He collected  a pair of assists in Western Michigan's 3-1 win on Feb. 7. His first assist gave WMU the lead in the first period, while his second helper came on the game-winning goal. 

Bade joined the lineup for both games against Miami and didn't waste the opportunity. He had the primary assist on the Brown and Gold's first goal of the weekend, which helped the Broncos pick up a point in the NCHC standings. 

AMONG THE NCHC'S BEST
With the regular season winding down, the Broncos have multiple players in the mix to lead the league in various statistical categories. 

In terms of goal scoring, Liam Valente and William Whitelaw are both tied for fourth in the NCHC with 16 goals. The Broncos are 17-2-0 when getting a goal from either player. Of Valente's 16 goals, eight of them have come on the power play, which is the top mark in the league so far this season. 

When it comes to assists, Grant Slukynsky is tied for fourth in the league with 24 helpers this season. The Warroad, Minn. native is two assists shy of matching his career high. Slukynsky is also eighth in the conference in total points (30). 

Plus/minus wise, the Brown and Gold have four of the top six players in the conference. Zack Sharp is second at +17, while Zaccharya Wisdom (+15) and Theo Wallberg (+15) are tied for fourth. Slukynsky checks in at sixth with a +14 rating. 

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT 
Since Pat Ferschweiler took over in 2021-22, Western Michigan has consistently been one of the best offenses in the nation. The Brown and Gold have finished top 10 in scoring offense every season under Ferschweiler and currently sit at sixth (3.71 GPG) in 2025-26. 

A big reason for WMU's offensive success has been its ability to get shots on net. The Broncos are averaging just under 34 shots per game, which is the seventh highest average in the NCAA. 

Western Michigan has done its damage with depth, as 19 different players have scored at least one goal. Three players have hit double digit tallies, while 16 players have lit the lamp more than once this year. 

SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS
Arizona State has lost its last three games and six of its last eight. ASU enters the weekend in eighth place in the conference with 19 points. 

The Broncos are 2-1-1 all-time against the Sun Devils, including a 1-0-1 record at Lawson Arena. The two teams split in Tempe last season. 

Despite a sub-.500 record, ASU has two of the top scorers in the nation in Bennett Schimek (11-27-38) and Cruz Lucius (12-26-38). They are tied for fourth in the nation in scoring this season. 

In net, Connor Hasley has played in 19 games, while Samuel Urban has taken the net in 14 games. Hasley boasts a 9-8-0 record to go along with a 2.92 goals against average and .911 save percentage. Urban is 4-8-1 with a 3.19 GAA and .914 save percentage. Urban started both games of ASU's series against St. Cloud State last weekend. 

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

WMU has taken things a step further over the last year and a half, ranking among the nation's top 10 since Nov. 18, 2024. Since that point, Western Michigan has gone 48-14-0 and won the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship. The Broncos haven't been ranked lower than No. 9 since mid November of 2024.