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How could it end any differently in this season of firsts for Western Michigan hockey?
After winning the school’s first conference championship last month (in double overtime over Denver), then advancing to its first Frozen Four, the Broncos now are headed to their first national title game after squeaking by Denver, 3-2, in double overtime Thursday night at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Owen Michaels scored his second goal of the game 26 seconds into the second overtime, launching a wrist shot past DU goalie Matt Davis' stick side — WMU's 47th shot of the game.
HOW THEY GOT THERE: Western Michigan hockey makes history with first Frozen Four berth
WMU was the more energetic squad for the first two periods, peppering DU goalie Matt Davis and the defending national champs with nearly 40 shots. Freshman goalie Hampton Slukynsky made several key stops, though the Pioneers, the nation’s top scoring team this season, were held below 20 shots in regulation for the first time this season.
The Broncos will face the winner of Thursday’s late game between Penn State and Boston U. in Saturday’s championship game (7:30 p.m., ESPN2).
After getting on the board a third of the way through the third period, the Pioneers found their footing and carried play for most of the frame. That included scoring a tying goal with 2:39 remaining as Jared Wright poked a rebound, off a Eric Pohlkamp blast from high in the right faceoff circle, through the pads of Slukynsky. WMU coach Pat Ferschweiler challenged the goal for goalie interference, but a review upheld the call on the ice.
“I didn’t really know what was happening, just, uh, causing chaos and we were luckily to get a bounce there and uh, luckily to get a goal,” Wright said before overtime on the ESPN2 broadcast.
After being outshot by DU, 9-5, in the third, WMU regained the edge in shots, 10-5, in the first overtime to send the game to double OT — just the sixth double-overtime game in Frozen Four history.
WMU (33-7-1) took the lead just over six minutes into the second period, 44 seconds into a power play following a holding penalty. After a stoppage of play, Tim Washe won the faceoff and sent the puck 25 feet back and to his right into the slot and onto the waiting stick of Brian Kramer, who fired the puck over goalie Matt Davis’ glove for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Just 2½ minutes later, WMU nearly made it 2-0, as Wyatt Schingoethe came into the crease to slide a rebound off a shot from Matteo Costantini under Davis. The would-be goal was immediately waved off for goalie interference, though, which was then upheld by a review.
The Broncos’ dominance of the second period continued with just under six minutes to go as Michaels picked up the puck from Aidan Thompson, who’d slipped on the ice, and skated a couple steps into the right faceoff circle. From there, he blasted another shot — WMU’s 27th of the game, to just seven for DU — past Davis for a 2-0 lead.
After killing off a penalty, DU took the attack to the WMU zone just under seven minutes into the third period. After getting the puck from Cale Ashcroft, Thompson fired a quick wrister from the right faceoff circle, only for it to be blocked … right back to his stick. His second shot was far from blocked, zipping past the glove of WMU’s Slukynsky, who’d drifted a bit too far out of his crease, to make it a one-goal game with 13:11 remaining.
Western Michigan, the second-highest scoring team this season, threatened early. Dumping in the puck to the right of the net, WMU saw it bounce off the boards behind Davis, right to the stick of Liam Valente who fired at a gaping net. Davis leapt to the far side in time to block the shot, but the rebound went right to Zach Nehring, who fired at another open net from the other side, only to hit the crossbar 1:04 in.
The Broncos came away without a goal, but the exchange foresaged a first period in which most of the action was in WMU’s offensive zone; the Broncos outshot the Pioneers, 12-2.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Frozen Four 2025: WMU hockey heads to title game with 2 OT win vs Denver
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After winning the school’s first conference championship last month (in double overtime over Denver), then advancing to its first Frozen Four, the Broncos now are headed to their first national title game after squeaking by Denver, 3-2, in double overtime Thursday night at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Owen Michaels scored his second goal of the game 26 seconds into the second overtime, launching a wrist shot past DU goalie Matt Davis' stick side — WMU's 47th shot of the game.
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HOW THEY GOT THERE: Western Michigan hockey makes history with first Frozen Four berth
WMU was the more energetic squad for the first two periods, peppering DU goalie Matt Davis and the defending national champs with nearly 40 shots. Freshman goalie Hampton Slukynsky made several key stops, though the Pioneers, the nation’s top scoring team this season, were held below 20 shots in regulation for the first time this season.
The Broncos will face the winner of Thursday’s late game between Penn State and Boston U. in Saturday’s championship game (7:30 p.m., ESPN2).
A late tie
After getting on the board a third of the way through the third period, the Pioneers found their footing and carried play for most of the frame. That included scoring a tying goal with 2:39 remaining as Jared Wright poked a rebound, off a Eric Pohlkamp blast from high in the right faceoff circle, through the pads of Slukynsky. WMU coach Pat Ferschweiler challenged the goal for goalie interference, but a review upheld the call on the ice.
“I didn’t really know what was happening, just, uh, causing chaos and we were luckily to get a bounce there and uh, luckily to get a goal,” Wright said before overtime on the ESPN2 broadcast.
After being outshot by DU, 9-5, in the third, WMU regained the edge in shots, 10-5, in the first overtime to send the game to double OT — just the sixth double-overtime game in Frozen Four history.
Second wind for WMU
WMU (33-7-1) took the lead just over six minutes into the second period, 44 seconds into a power play following a holding penalty. After a stoppage of play, Tim Washe won the faceoff and sent the puck 25 feet back and to his right into the slot and onto the waiting stick of Brian Kramer, who fired the puck over goalie Matt Davis’ glove for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Just 2½ minutes later, WMU nearly made it 2-0, as Wyatt Schingoethe came into the crease to slide a rebound off a shot from Matteo Costantini under Davis. The would-be goal was immediately waved off for goalie interference, though, which was then upheld by a review.
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The Broncos’ dominance of the second period continued with just under six minutes to go as Michaels picked up the puck from Aidan Thompson, who’d slipped on the ice, and skated a couple steps into the right faceoff circle. From there, he blasted another shot — WMU’s 27th of the game, to just seven for DU — past Davis for a 2-0 lead.
A closer third
After killing off a penalty, DU took the attack to the WMU zone just under seven minutes into the third period. After getting the puck from Cale Ashcroft, Thompson fired a quick wrister from the right faceoff circle, only for it to be blocked … right back to his stick. His second shot was far from blocked, zipping past the glove of WMU’s Slukynsky, who’d drifted a bit too far out of his crease, to make it a one-goal game with 13:11 remaining.
Broncos just miss early
Western Michigan, the second-highest scoring team this season, threatened early. Dumping in the puck to the right of the net, WMU saw it bounce off the boards behind Davis, right to the stick of Liam Valente who fired at a gaping net. Davis leapt to the far side in time to block the shot, but the rebound went right to Zach Nehring, who fired at another open net from the other side, only to hit the crossbar 1:04 in.
The Broncos came away without a goal, but the exchange foresaged a first period in which most of the action was in WMU’s offensive zone; the Broncos outshot the Pioneers, 12-2.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Frozen Four 2025: WMU hockey heads to title game with 2 OT win vs Denver
Continue reading...
