KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan heads to Oxford, looking to complete a season sweep of Miami this weekend. The two teams will open play on Friday at 7 PM at Goggin Ice Center. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos split with Omaha this past weekend, winning on Friday night before dropping Saturday's series finale. 

Liam Valente was the top offensive threat, scoring a pair of goals and firing 13 shots on net. Zack Sharp added a goal and an assist from the blue line, while Grant Slukynsky and Sam Sjolund each recorded two assists on the weekend. 

HAMMER TIME
Sophomore Hampton Slukynsky was named the NCHC Goaltender of the Month on Wednesday afternoon, after leading WMU to a 7-1-0 record in January. 

The Warroad, Minn. native was lights out in January, boasting a 1.75 goals against average and .945 save percentage. He made 241 total saves and collected a pair of shutouts. 

Slukynsky made 28 or more saves in all but one game last month. He made a career-high 35 saves on back-to-back nights to help WMU secure a series sweep at Denver in mid January. He was the only NCHC goaltender to stop more than 200 shots for the month, leading the next highest player by 76 saves. 

The Los Angeles Kings draft pick is up to 19-7-0 with a 2.43 GAA and .910 save percentage this season. 

ROAD WARRIORS
Despite having one of the best home atmospheres in the nation, WMU has found a lot of success on the road this season. Of the Broncos' 19 wins, 13 have come away from Lawson Arena. 

The Brown and Gold are 11-2-0 in true road games, while holding a 2-0-0 record in neutral site action. Western Michigan is currently riding an NCAA-leading seven-game road winning streak. The Broncos haven't lost on the road since Nov. 1, 2025 at St. Cloud State. 

On the season, WMU is outscoring its opponents 54-32 in true road games. Adding in two neutral site wins, that goal differential balloons to 63-36. 

The Broncos are on the brink of making history, as the program record for road wins in a season is 14. Western Michigan has four road games left in the regular season. 

VALUABLE VETERANS
Even with a strong core of young talent, WMU has been spearheaded by upperclassmen throughout the 2025-26 campaign. 

Six of Western Michigan's top seven scorers this season are juniors and seniors, with junior assistant captain Grant Slukynsky leading the way at 29 points in 26 games. William Whitelaw (26), Liam Valente (24), and Zaccharya Wisdom (20) are also at 20 points or higher entering the weekend series. 

Upperclassmen have accounted for 66.7 percent of the goals and 61.6 percent of the points this season. Every junior and senior on the roster has produced three points or more in 2025-26. 

A HELPING HAND
The Broncos have one of the best offenses in the nation, thanks in large part to its willingness to pass the puck. WMU ranks first in the NCHC and fourth in the nation with 180 total assists this season. 

Grant Slukynsky leads the team with 23 assists, while eight others are also in double figures. Samuel Sjolund leads all blue liners with 14 helpers so far this season. The Brown and Gold have 24 players with at least one assist and 22 with multiple. 

FRESHMAN PHENOM
Western Michigan has relied heavily upon its veterans this year, but freshman forward Bobby Cowan has proven to be a key young piece for the Brown and Gold.

The Edina, Minn. native enters the weekend with 16 points on four goals and 12 assists. The Broncos have six other freshmen that have combined for 14 points across five goals and nine assists. 

Cowan has sparked the offense over the last three series. In that six-game stretch, the young forward has one goal and four assists. That includes a three-assist weekend in a series sweep at Denver in mid January. 

Among NCHC freshmen, Cowan ranks fourth in assists and eighth in points. He is just one point away from reaching the top five in that category. 

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Miami is one of the hottest teams in the nation, taking a four-game winning streak in to Friday's series opener. The RedHawks are 16-8-2 overall and 7-7-2 in NCHC play. 

 WMU is 90-71-13 all-time against Miami. However, the RedHawks do own a 42-37-6 advantage at home. Over the last 22 meetings, the Broncos are 20-1-1. 

Matteo Giampa and Kocha Delic have paced the team in scoring, entering Friday's action with a combined 39 points on 17 goals and 22 assists. The duo has six game-winning goals. 

Matteo Drobac has started 25 of the team's 26 games this season, boasting a 15-8-2 record, 2.63 goals against average and .913 save percentage. He has three shutouts and 689 total saves. Mathis Langevin has made on start, making 30 saves in a win over Ferris State on Dec. 29, 2025. 

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 47-13-0 and won the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship. The Broncos haven't been ranked lower than No. 9 since mid November of 2024.