KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan will play for the Penrose Cup, as it hosts No. 3 North Dakota this weekend. The two teams will open the series on Friday at 7 PM. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos claimed five points at Colorado College last weekend, winning a shootout on Friday before earning a shutout victory on Saturday night. 

Zaccharya Wisdom and Grant Slukynsky each had a goal and an assist in the series.  Hampton Slukynsky made 56 total saves and picked up his fourth shutout of the season. 

KILLIN' IT
Despite a slow start to the 2025-26 campaign, WMU's penalty kill has been red hot down the stretch of the season. The Broncos enter the weekend at 86.3 percent, which ranks second in the NCHC and seventh in the nation. 

The Brown and Gold have killed off 33 consecutive penalties, limiting opponents to less than 1.5 shots per power play in that stretch. Western Michigan hasn't given up a power-play goal over its last six games. 

The Broncos were dominant against Colorado College last weekend, going 10-for-10 on the PK. The Tigers totaled just eight shots on net, while the Brown and Gold generated four shorthanded opportunities. 

HAMMER TIME
Hampton Slukynsky has taken his game to another level down the stretch of the season, which includes a dominant series against Colorado College this past weekend. 

The Warroad, Minn. native was selected as the NCHC Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday afternoon. The award was his fifth of the season, the most of any goaltender in the league this year. In an unbeaten weekend at CC, Slukynsky produced a 0.48 goals against average and .984 save percentage. He made 56 saves between the two nights and collected his NCHC leading fourth shutout of the season. 

The Los Angeles Kings draft pick has seen his numbers improve over the course of the last few months. He enters the pivotal weekend series against North Dakota with an NCAA leading 23 wins to go along with a 2.25 GAA and .916 save percentage. Slukynsky has started all 32 games in net for the Brown and Gold this season.  

HEATING UP
The Broncos have been heating up down the stretch, thanks in large part to the play of some valuable veterans. Grant Slukynsky, Liam Valente and Zaccharya Wisdom have combined to score 32 points on 14 goals and 18 assists over the last 10 games. 

Due to injury, the trio has played together each of the last four games, helping WMU to a 3-0-1 record in that stretch. In those four games, the newly formed line has produced 15 points on six goals and nine assists. 

With that success, they are all top four on the team in scoring this season. Slukynsky has paced the team throughout the year, entering the weekend with 35 points on eight goals and 27 assists. Valente is the team's leader in goals with 17. He also has 13 assists. Wisdom comes into Friday's tilt with 26 points and 15 goals. 

SECOND PERIOD SUCCESS
Though Western Michigan has found success throughout most games this season, the second period has been where the Broncos have done the most damage. Entering the weekend series against the Fighting Hawks, WMU is outscoring its opponents by nearly 30 goals in the second 20 minutes of play. 

It's not surprising that the Brown and Gold have generated nearly 100 more shots than its opponents in the second period. The Broncos average over 12 shots in that frame, while limiting opponents to nine. That has been a true recipe for success, as WMU is 21-1 this season when leading after the second period. 

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING HAWKS
North Dakota is one of the hottest teams in the nation, dropping just one of its last eight games. UND enters the weekend with a conference leading 51 points. 

The Fighting Hawks hold an all-time record of 30-16-1 against the Broncos. However, WMU has won four of the last five meetings and won the Penrose Cup against UND last season. 

Ellis Rickwood and Ben Strinden have paced the team, combining for 61 points on 22 goals and 39 assists. Defensively, Abram Wiebe leads the way with 25 points on five goals and 20 assists. He was named NCHC Defenseman of the Week on Tuesday afternoon. 

In net, the Fighting Hawks have split time between Jan Spunar and Gibson Homer. Spunar has a 1.87 goals against average and .919 save percentage, while Homer boasts a 2.62 GAA and .890 save percentage. Spunar has posted 15 wins and four shutouts, while Homer has notched nine wins. 

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 51-14-1 and won the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship. The Broncos haven't been ranked lower than No. 9 since mid November of 2024.