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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Western Michigan looks to capture its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff title on Saturday night. WMU and Denver will hit the ice at 8:30 PM ET at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos took down North Dakota 4-2 last night, giving them four wins over the Fighting Hawks this season. Alex Bump, Grant Slukynsky, Iiro Hakkarainen and Sam Sjolund all had goals in the win. Hampton Slukynsky made 23 saves and earned his 14th victory.
CAPTAIN CLUTCH
Captain Tim Washe has produced career-best numbers in his final year with the Broncos, coming up in big-time moments throughout the season.
Washe broke the program's single season record for game-winning goals on March 15 in a 6-2 victory over St. Cloud State. The GWG was his seventh of the season and 10th of his career. He is two away from tying the career mark set by Ethen Frank.
He's had some strong outings against Denver in the past, tallying a goal against the Pioneers back on Dec. 6 at Lawson Arena. The Clarkston, Mich. native has 33 points on 14 goals and 19 assists this season.
OFFENSE LEADS THE WAY
Since Pat Ferschweiler took over in 2021-22, WMU's offense has produced at an elite rate. The Broncos have finished top-nine in the country in scoring offense each of the last three seasons and lead the NCAA in goals per game this year.
Western Michigan is one of two teams in the country to average more than four goals per game, and the Broncos have an NCAA best 1.97 scoring margin.
Since the start of the new year, the Brown and Gold have been on another level offensively. WMU has lit the lamp 99 times in 21 games for an average of 4.71 goals per game. The Broncos have scored four goals or more in 16 games during that stretch.
It's been offense by committee, as each of WMU's four forward lines have produced at various points this season. All four of Western Michigan's lines have 35 points or more, with the trio Alex Bump, Matteo Costantini and Owen Michaels leading the way with 95.
MILESTONE MOMENTS
The Broncos have a couple of upcoming milestones, with Pat Ferschweiler and Tim Washe just a few games away from history.
Ferschweiler is just one win away from 100 in his career, and one win down the stretch would make him the fastest coach to reach that mark in program history.
The fourth-year head coach has transformed the Broncos into a consistent winner, as the team is on track for a program record fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Along with that, Ferschweiler guided the Brown and Gold to its first regular season title in program history earlier this season. WMU won the Penrose Cup by 10 points and earned the No. 1 seed in the NCHC Tournament.
Washe is two games away from matching the program record for career games played at Western Michigan. He will play in his 167th game on Saturday, pushing him into second place in Bronco history.
Washe is chasing Brian Tulik, who played for the Brown and Gold from 1987-92. The Broncos have a chance to play five more games down the stretch of the season. Over the course of his career, Washe has produced 69 points on 26 goals and 43 assists.
BUMP IT UP
Sophomore forward Alex Bump has been WMU's best player throughout the 2024-25 season, as he enters the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship game with 44 points on 21 goals and 23 assists.
He's been sensational since the calendar turned to 2025. In 21 games, the Prior Lake, Minn. native has tallied 32 points on 16 goals and 16 assists. He has at least one point in 18 of those 21 games, including 10 multi-point efforts.
The Philadelphia Flyers draft pick scored against the Pioneers earlier this season and has four career points against DU. He is currently riding a three game goal streak.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Denver has won eight of its last 10 games and three in a row coming into Saturday's contest. The Pioneers are the defending NCHC Frozen Faceoff champions.
The Broncos won a series against Denver earlier this season, earning four of six points. The December series was the only meeting between the two teams this season.
Jack Devine and Aidan Thompson lead the way for the Pios, as both are over 50 points this season. Devine is the NCAA's leader in points with 56 this season. Thompson is one of the team's best goal scorers, entering Saturday's game with 19 tallies.
In net, Matt Davis has seen the bulk of the work, starting 36 games. He holds a 27-8-1 record, 2.09 goals against average and .920 save percentage. Freddie Halyk has played in 9 games, and he has a 2-2-0 record.
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. WMU has made three straight NCAA Tournaments and currently sits at No. 3 in the nation.
The Broncos have been ranked in the top 20 since Oct. 11, 2021.
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