KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Western Michigan will head west to square off with Denver in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinals. The two teams will hit the ice at 8 PM ET at Magness Arena. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos dominated Colorado College, earning a pair of wins to advance in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. 

Grant Slukynsky, Liam Valente, Samuel Sjolund and Ty Henricks all had three points on the weekend. Slukynsky tallied two goals and one assist, while Valente added a goal (Saturday GWG) and two helpers. Hampton Slukynsky was fantastic in net, stopping 56 shots in just over 123 minutes of action. 

AMONG THE NCHC'S BEST
The NCHC began handing out its annual awards, and WMU has several players among the best in the league. Hampton Slukynsky was named the Three Stars Award winner and earned a spot on the All-NCHC Second Team. Along with him, Grant Slukynsky and Samuel Sjolund were All-NCHC Third Team honorees. 

The youngest Slukynsky has been fantastic between the pipes this season, leading the NCAA with 26 victories. He's also top 10 in the nation in total saves (885) and shutouts (4). 

The Los Angeles Kings draft pick enters the weekend with a 2.27 goals against average and .915 save percentage. He is top three in the league in both categories. 

The older Slukynsky has been WMU's best forward, leading the team with 40 points on 10 goals and 30 assists. He is top 10 in the nation in both points and assists. 

The Warroad, Minn. native has been red hot over the last several games, scoring five points over his last three outings. He's got two goals and three assists in that stretch. 

Sjolund leads all defensemen on the team in points, entering Saturday's contest with 26 points on six goals and 20 assists. Among blue liners, he is top five in the league in both points and assists. 

The Stockholm, Sweden native is riding a four-game point streak going into this weekend's action. He's tallied five assists in that stretch, including three in last week's sweep of Colorado College. 

KINGS OF THE KILL
Western Michigan has continued to produce one of the nation's best penalty killing units, riding a streak of 40 consecutive penalties killed. That stretch has elevated the Brown and Gold to 86.9 percent on the season. That ranks second in the NCHC and sixth in the nation. 

The Broncos have done well to limit chances for opponents, holding teams to under two shots per power play over the last 40 opportunities. They haven't allowed a power-play tally since Jan. 31 against Omaha. 

WMU has held some of the best power play units in the nation without a goal this season. North Dakota, Wisconsin, Boston College and Notre Dame all went scoreless on the man advantage against WMU this season, despite having top-10 attacks. 

WILL THE THRILL
William Whitelaw was a strong player in the Big Ten, but his career has taken off since transferring to Western Michigan this offseason. The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick has produced career-best marks in every major category, posting 34 points on 19 goals and 15 assists so far this season. 

Whitelaw has more than doubled his career assist total and he is one point away from matching his total point output from the first two years of his career. The Rosemount, Minn. native has also produced five game-winning goals this season, surpassing the four he had over the last two seasons. 

He has taken him game to another level down the stretch, totaling eight points in his last seven games. WMU is 15-0 when Whitelaw lights the lamp, and he has two goals and one assist against the Pioneers this season. 

SECOND LINE SUCCESS
Liam Valente, Grant Slukynsky and Zach Nehring make up one of the best lines in college hockey, accounting for 92 points this season. That trio has accounted for just under 25 percent of WMU's scoring this year. 

Slukynsky leads the team in points (40) and assists (30), while Valente paces the Brown and Gold in goals (20) and power play tallies (10). Nehring is a do-it-all forward, chipping in five goals and 12 assists. 

WMU is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games, thanks in large part to the production of Valente, Slukynsky and Nehring. The trio has totaled 24 points on nine goals and 15 assists in that stretch. They've done it on defense too, combining to win 87 faceoffs while blocking nine shots. 

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Denver is the hottest team in the nation, riding an 11-game unbeaten streak going into Saturday's action. DU swept Miami in the NCHC Quarterfinals last weekend. 

The Broncos and Pioneers have played four times this season, with each team sweeping on the road. The Brown and Gold picked up a pair of wins over the Pios back on Jan. 9-10. 

Eric Pohlkamp is arguably the best defenseman in college hockey, leading the Pioneers with 36 points on 17 goals and 19 assists. Sam Harris has been the best forward for the Pios, entering Saturday's tilt with 31 points and 13 goals. 

In net, Johnny Hicks has been unbeatable since taking over for the injured Quentin Miller. He is 10-0-1 with a 1.04 goals against average and .960 save percentage this season. He has not allowed more than two goals in a game this year. 

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 54-15-1 and won the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championship. The Broncos haven't been ranked lower than No. 9 since mid November of 2024.