The 2023–24 Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey season was the 50th season of play for the program and 11th in the NCHC. The Broncos represented Western Michigan University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games at the Lawson Arena and were coached by Pat Ferschweiler in his 3rd season.
| 2023–24 Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
_logo.svg){kind=logo} | |
| NCAA tournament, Regional Semifinal | |
| Conference | 6th NCHC |
| Home ice | Lawson Arena |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #14 |
| USA Hockey | #14 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 21–16–1 |
| Conference | 11–13–0 |
| Home | 11–7–0 |
| Road | 10–8–1 |
| Neutral | 0–1–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Pat Ferschweiler |
| Assistant coaches | Jason Herter J. J. Crew Jared Brown Will Massey |
| Captain(s) | Luke Grainger |
| Alternate captain(s) | Cédric Fiedler Chad Hillebrand Tim Washe |
| Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey seasons « 2022–23 2024–25 » | |
Season
editEntering the season, Western was facing some upheaval on offense as the team's top three scorers from '23 had departed. Several transfers and freshmen were brought in to plug the holes but if that did not work, the team still had its starting goaltender, Cameron Rowe, to lean on. Fortunately, the new addition fit in well and Western Michigan got off to a good start. The team was able to hold to their mantra of recent years; 'We score four' and averaged nearly 5 goals per game in their opening weeks. The Broncos began the season by going undefeated in their first five games and saw transfers Alex Bump, Sam Colangelo and Matteo Costantini (all NHL-drafted players) begin to mesh with the offense. The team had a bit of a hiccup in early November but then proceeded to reel off seven consecutive victories and put up tremendous scoring figures. Though the Broncos ended the first half with a loss, it was the backend of a split with #4 Denver and did not harm their ranking.
By Christmas, the team was already 7 games above .500 but their position in the polls was not reflective of their stellar record. This was primarily due to their non-conference opposition, which was particularly weak. Of the four non-NCHC teams that the Broncos had faced, all were in the bottom third of the PairWise rankings and two (Ferris State and Lindenwood) were among the three worst teams in the country. Because of this, Western's non-conference wins were downgraded and did not provide them with as much of a boost as they otherwise would have, however, since the Broncos were undefeated outside of league play, it did help stabilize their ranking.[1]
Western needed their non-conference mark as the team ran into trouble once in the second half of the season. Rowe had a few poor outings but the biggest problem was their suddenly inconsistent offense. While Western Michigan never completely lost their scoring touch, they did run through a few stretches where they found it difficult to score. The Broncos were also hindered by the difficulty of their schedule and faced ranked opponents for 10 consecutive games beginning in late January. Western was only able to win 3 of those matches and the team fell to 6th in the conference standings. The team managed a slight recovery by sweeping Miami to close out the regular season but the RedHawks were the worst team in the NCHC.
As the playoffs began, Western sat just inside the cut line for the NCAA tournament. With St. Cloud State as their opponent, the Broncos had three basic scenarios in front of them for the quarterfinal round: 1. Winning the series would all but guarantee the team a spot in the NCAA tournament; 2. Winning one game but losing the series would leave them on the bubble but likely to receive an at-large bid; 3. Being swept would effectively eliminate Western Michigan from the NCAA tournament.
The Broncos did not start their postseason well, surrendering the first three goals of the game to the Huskies. Western did not show any real fight until the third and a pair of goals from Bump in the middle of the period got the team back in the game. However, Chad Hillebrand got a bit over exuberant with the comeback attempt and received a match penalty for hitting from behind. St. Cloud scored twice in the final five minutes to salt away the game and pushed the Broncos season to the brink.[2] Western Michigan played better at the start of game two but still had problems scoring. The Huskies got the opening goal in the second and it was not until the waning moments of the frame that Colangelo was able to tie the score. At the start of the third, WMU had gone 0–3 on the power play but in the final period they were finally able to get their man-advantage working and took the lead. After Luke Grainger scored the second power play marker in the middle of the frame, the team was finally able to relax and play their game. In the final three minutes, Western scored three more goals as St. Cloud desperately tried to tie the score and led to a resounding 6–1 win that, at least temporarily, saves their season.[3]
While a further win would have guaranteed them a place, St. Cloud took the embarrassing loss to heart and repaid the Broncos in kind. WMU was stymied in the rubber match and lost 1–5 thanks to the stellar play from the Huskies goaltender.[4] Despite the setback, loss from other contenders during the week had left Western at 13th in the Pairwise. The only thing that would knock the team out now were upsets in each of the ECAC Hockey, Hockey East and NCHC tournaments. While the ECAC title did get taken by lower team, the others did not and Western was able to earn a bid back to the tournament.
Seeking to prove they belonged in the game, despite their poor performance against good teams throughout the season, Western faced Michigan State in the Midwest Regional semifinal. Despite a poor start, Costantini got his team on the board first and the Broncos began to pick up speed. While the team was unable to build on their lead, they looked far better in the second half than they had at the start. MSU responded with a pair of goals in the second to take the lead but Western's offense replied with three markers in less than four minutes. With a 2-goal lead entering the third, all the Broncos had to do was play a solid defensive game and they'd earn the program its second tournament win. However, Michigan State managed to chip away at the lead and get back to within one when they pulled their goaltender. With less than a minute remaining, the Spartans got the tying goal and forced the match into overtime. Both teams looked a bit hesitant in the extra session but Western was not even able to get a shot on goal through the first 8 minutes. In the end, a rather harmless shot was accidentally deflected by Daniel Hilsendager past Rowe and Western Michigan's season came to a sudden end.[5]
Departures
edit| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrett Brooks | Forward |  United States |
Transferred to Mercyhurst |
| Aidan Fulp | Defenseman | United States |
Signed professional contract (New York Islanders) |
| Cole Gallant | Forward |  Canada |
Graduation (signed with Trois-Rivières Lions) |
| William Hambley | Goaltender | Canada |
Transferred to Alaska |
| Lucas Matta | Defenseman | Canada |
Transferred to Rensselaer |
| Ryan McAllister | Forward | Canada |
Signed professional contract (Florida Panthers) |
| Jack Perbix | Forward/Defenseman | United States |
Graduate transfer to Northern Michigan |
| Jason Polin | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Colorado Avalanche) |
| Jamie Rome | Forward | Canada |
Graduation (signed with Orlando Solar Bears) |
| Max Sasson | Forward | United States |
Signed professional contract (Vancouver Canucks) |
| Theo Thrun | Forward | United States |
Left program (retired) |
Recruiting
edit| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Bump | Forward | United States |
19 | Burnsville, MN; transfer from Vermont; selected 133rd overall in 2022 |
| Joe Cassetti | Forward | United States |
24 | Pleasanton, CA; graduate transfer from Miami |
| Sam Colangelo | Forward | United States |
21 | Stoneham, MA; transfer from Northeastern; selected 36th overall in 2020 |
| Matteo Costantini | Forward | Canada |
21 | St. Catharines, ON; transfer from North Dakota; selected 131st overall in 2020 |
| Cole Crusberg-Roseen | Defenseman | United States |
21 | Stratham, NH |
| Owen Michaels | Forward | United States |
21 | Detroit, MI |
| Jacob Napier | Defenseman | United States |
20 | Lancaster, NY |
| Ethan Phillips | Forward | Canada |
22 | Dartmouth, NS; graduate transfer from Boston University; selected 97th overall in 2019 |
| Dawson Smith | Goaltender | Canada |
20 | Whitehorse, YT |
| Ean Somoza | Forward | United States |
20 | Thousand Oaks, CA |
| Garrett Szydlowski | Forward | United States |
21 | Detroit, MI |
Roster
editAs of September 1, 2023[6]
| No. | S/P/C | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Kirk Laursen | Sophomore (RS) | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-01-02 | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | Miami (NCHC) | — |
| 2 |
|
Jacob Bauer | Senior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 202 lb (92 kg) | 2002-02-25 | Milford, Michigan | Lincoln (USHL) | — |
| 3 | 
|
Cole Crusberg-Roseen | Freshman | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | 2002-04-14 | Stratham, New Hampshire | Lincoln (USHL) | — |
| 4 | 
|
Zak Galambos | Graduate | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 1997-05-27 | Walnut Creek, California | American International (AHA) | — |
| 6 | 
|
Jacob Napier | Freshman | D | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2003-03-31 | Lancaster, New York | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 8 |
|
Joe Cassetti | Graduate | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1999-02-28 | Pleasanton, California | Miami (NCHC) | — |
| 9 | 
|
Luke Grainger (C) | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 1999-09-03 | Montreal, Quebec | Hawkesbury (CCHL) | — |
| 10 | 
|
Chad Hillebrand (A) | Senior | F | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 1999-01-22 | Park Ridge, Illinois | Green Bay (USHL) | — |
| 11 |
|
Ethan Wolthers | Sophomore | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 155 lb (70 kg) | 2001-07-19 | Valencia, California | Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) | — |
| 12 | 
|
Sam Colangelo | Senior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2001-12-26 | Stoneham, Massachusetts | Northeastern (HEA) | ANA, 36th overall 2020 |
| 13 |
|
Oliver MacDonald | Senior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2000-11-07 | Grosse Pointe, Michigan | UMass (HEA) | — |
| 15 | 
|
Daniel Hilsendager | Senior | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2000-03-30 | Lloydminster, Saskatchewan | Omaha (USHL) | — |
| 16 |
|
Tim Washe (A) | Senior | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2001-08-25 | Detroit, Michigan | Nanaimo (BCHL) | — |
| 17 | 
|
Cédric Fiedler (A) | Senior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 204 lb (93 kg) | 2001-04-20 | Zug, Switzerland | Fargo (USHL) | — |
| 18 |
|
Wyatt Schingoethe | Junior | F | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-08-03 | Algonquin, Illinois | Waterloo (USHL) | TOR, 195th overall 2020 |
| 19 |
|
Cam Knuble | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 2000-07-23 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Muskegon (USHL) | — |
| 20 | 
|
Alex Bump | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2003-11-20 | Burnsville, Minnesota | Tri-City (USHL) | PHI, 133rd overall 2022 |
| 22 |
|
Trevor Bishop | Senior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-01-23 | Rochester Hills, Michigan | Victoria (BCHL) | — |
| 23 | 
|
Carter Berger | Graduate | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 1999-09-17 | North Vancouver, British Columbia | UConn (HEA) | FLA, 106th overall 2019 |
| 24 |
|
Garrett Szydlowski | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-06-12 | Detroit, Michigan | Wenatchee (BCHL) | — |
| 25 | 
|
Matteo Costantini | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | 2002-08-16 | St. Catharines, Ontario | North Dakota (NCHC) | BUF, 131st overall 2020 |
| 26 |
|
Ean Somoza | Freshman | F | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | 2003-02-08 | Thousand Oaks, California | Wenatchee (BCHL) | — |
| 27 |
|
Cole Burtch | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2001-01-11 | Markham, Ontario | Cedar Rapids (USHL) | — |
| 28 |
|
Hugh Larkin | Senior | F | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 1999-03-27 | Livonia, Michigan | Austin (NAHL) | — |
| 29 | 
|
Ethan Phillips | Graduate | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2001-05-07 | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia | Boston University (HEA) | DET, 97th overall 2019 |
| 30 | 
|
Dawson Smith | Freshman | G | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2003-02-17 | Whitehorse, Yukon | La Ronge (SJHL) | — |
| 31 |
|
Cameron Rowe | Senior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 2001-06-01 | Wilmette, Illinois | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | — |
| 33 | 
|
Samuel Sjölund | Sophomore | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 2001-05-19 | Stockholm, Sweden | Dubuque (USHL) | DAL, 111th overall 2019 |
| 34 |
|
Owen Michaels | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-05-01 | Detroit, Michigan | Dubuque (USHL) | — |
| 37 |
|
Dylan Wendt | Junior | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2001-01-09 | Grand Haven, Michigan | Muskegon (USHL) | — |
Standings
edit| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #8 North Dakota † | 24 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 87 | 67 | 40 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 151 | 105 | ||
| #1 Denver * | 24 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 110 | 80 | 42 | 30 | 9 | 3 | 198 | 119 | ||
| #18 St. Cloud State | 24 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 41 | 77 | 74 | 38 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 121 | 114 | ||
| #15 Colorado College | 24 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 66 | 56 | 37 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 111 | 93 | ||
| #12 Omaha | 24 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 68 | 74 | 40 | 23 | 13 | 4 | 117 | 112 | ||
| #14 Western Michigan | 24 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 35 | 78 | 64 | 38 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 136 | 97 | ||
| Minnesota Duluth | 24 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 65 | 80 | 37 | 12 | 20 | 5 | 103 | 125 | ||
| Miami | 24 | 1 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 44 | 100 | 36 | 7 | 26 | 3 | 78 | 135 | ||
| Championship: March 23, 2024 † indicates conference regular season champion (Penrose Cup) * indicates conference tournament champion (Frozen Faceoff Championship Trophy) Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll Updated: April 1, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
edit| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 7 | 7:00 p.m. | at USNTDP* | #12 | USA Hockey Arena • Plymouth, Michigan (Exhibition) | W 9–4 | ||||||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| October 12 | 7:00 p.m. | Ferris State* | #12 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 6–4 | 3,640 | 1–0–0 | |||
| October 13 | 7:07 p.m. | at Ferris State* | #12 | Ewigleben Arena • Big Rapids, Michigan | FloHockey | Rowe | T 3–3 OT | 1,675 | 1–0–1 | ||
| October 20 | 7:07 p.m. | at Bowling Green* | #9 | Slater Family Ice Arena • Bowling Green, Ohio | FloHockey | Rowe | W 5–2 | 4,862 | 2–0–1 | ||
| October 21 | 6:00 p.m. | Bowling Green* | #9 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 5–2 | 2,760 | 3–0–1 | |||
| November 3 | 8:07 p.m. | at Omaha | #11 | Baxter Arena • Omaha, Nebraska | Rowe | W 5–2 | 5,393 | 4–0–1 (1–0–0) | |||
| November 4 | 8:07 p.m. | at Omaha | #11 | Baxter Arena • Omaha, Nebraska | Rowe | L 2–3 OT | 6,225 | 4–1–1 (1–1–0) | |||
| November 10 | 7:00 p.m. | St. Cloud State | #12 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | L 2–3 | 3,943 | 4–2–1 (1–2–0) | |||
| November 11 | 6:00 p.m. | St. Cloud State | #12 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | L 0–3 | 3,767 | 4–3–1 (1–3–0) | |||
| November 17 | 9:00 p.m. | at Colorado College | #16 | Ed Robson Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | SOCO CW | Rowe | W 3–1 | 3,407 | 5–3–1 (2–3–0) | ||
| November 18 | 8:00 p.m. | at Colorado College | #16 | Ed Robson Arena • Colorado Springs, Colorado | Rowe | W 4–0 | 3,410 | 6–3–1 (3–3–0) | |||
| November 24 | 7:00 p.m. | St. Lawrence* | #15 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 5–1 | 2,340 | 7–3–1 | |||
| November 25 | 6:00 p.m. | St. Lawrence* | #15 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 4–0 | 2,245 | 8–3–1 | |||
| December 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Lindenwood* | #14 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 3–1 | 2,733 | 9–3–1 | |||
| December 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Lindenwood* | #14 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 5–1 | 2,982 | 10–3–1 | |||
| December 8 | 7:00 p.m. | #4 Denver | #13 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 7–3 | 3,558 | 11–3–1 (4–3–0) | |||
| December 9 | 6:00 p.m. | #4 Denver | #13 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | L 5–6 OT | 3,791 | 11–4–1 (4–4–0) | |||
| December 30 | 6:00 p.m. | Western Ontario* | #12 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan (Exhibition) | Laursen | W 6–2 | |||||
| January 5 | 8:10 p.m. | at Lindenwood* | #11 | Centene Community Ice Center • St. Charles, Missouri | Rowe | W 3–2 | 1,261 | 12–4–1 | |||
| January 6 | 3:10 p.m. | at Lindenwood* | #11 | Centene Community Ice Center • St. Charles, Missouri | Rowe | W 6–1 | 907 | 13–4–1 | |||
| January 12 | 7:00 p.m. | at Miami | #10 | Steve Cady Arena • Oxford, Ohio | Rowe | W 4–1 | 2,403 | 14–4–1 (5–4–0) | |||
| January 13 | 7:00 p.m. | at Miami | #10 | Steve Cady Arena • Oxford, Ohio | Rowe | L 3–4 | 2,387 | 14–5–1 (5–5–0) | |||
| January 19 | 7:00 p.m. | Minnesota Duluth | #11 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | L 3–6 | 3,566 | 14–6–1 (5–6–0) | |||
| January 20 | 6:00 p.m. | Minnesota Duluth | #11 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 5–2 | 3,648 | 15–6–1 (6–6–0) | |||
| January 26 | 7:00 p.m. | #16 Colorado College | #12 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | L 1–2 OT | 3,611 | 15–7–1 (6–7–0) | |||
| January 27 | 6:00 p.m. | #16 Colorado College | #12 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | L 1–2 OT | 3,710 | 15–8–1 (6–8–0) | |||
| February 2 | 9:00 p.m. | at #5 Denver | #15 | Magness Arena • Denver, Colorado | Rowe | L 2–3 | 6,467 | 15–9–1 (6–9–0) | |||
| February 3 | 8:00 p.m. | at #5 Denver | #15 | Magness Arena • Denver, Colorado | Rowe | W 7–2 | 6,202 | 16–9–1 (7–9–0) | |||
| February 9 | 7:00 p.m. | #19 Omaha | #14 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 6–1 | 3,311 | 17–9–1 (8–9–0) | |||
| February 10 | 6:00 p.m. | #19 Omaha | #14 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | L 2–3 OT | 3,614 | 17–10–1 (8–10–0) | |||
| February 23 | 8:30 p.m. | at #15 St. Cloud State | #13 | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota | Fox 9+ | Rowe | W 4–3 | 3,502 | 18–10–1 (9–10–0) | ||
| February 24 | 7:00 p.m. | at #15 St. Cloud State | #13 | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota | Fox 9+ | Rowe | L 0–3 | 4,116 | 18–11–1 (9–11–0) | ||
| March 1 | 8:07 p.m. | at #3 North Dakota | #12 | Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, North Dakota | Midco, CBSSN | Rowe | L 3–5 | 11,833 | 18–12–1 (9–12–0) | ||
| March 2 | 7:07 p.m. | at #3 North Dakota | #12 | Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, North Dakota | Midco 2 | Rowe | L 0–3 | 11,776 | 18–13–1 (9–13–0) | ||
| March 8 | 7:00 p.m. | Miami | #15 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 3–2 | 2,748 | 19–13–1 (10–13–0) | |||
| March 9 | 6:00 p.m. | Miami | #15 | Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rowe | W 6–1 | 3,556 | 20–13–1 (11–13–0) | |||
| NCHC tournament | |||||||||||
| March 15 | 8:37 p.m. | at #18 St. Cloud State* | #14 | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota (Quarterfinal Game 1) | Fox 9+ | Rowe | L 2–5 | 3,026 | 20–14–1 | ||
| March 16 | 7:07 p.m. | at #18 St. Cloud State* | #14 | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota (Quarterfinal Game 2) | Fox 9+ | Rowe | W 6–1 | 2,495 | 21–14–1 | ||
| March 17 | 7:07 p.m. | at #18 St. Cloud State* | #14 | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota (Quarterfinal Game 3) | Fox 9+ | Rowe | L 1–5 | — | 21–15–1 | ||
| NCAA tournament | |||||||||||
| March 29 | 5:00 p.m. | vs. #4 Michigan State* | #14 | Centene Community Ice Center • Maryland Heights, Missouri (Midwest Regional Semifinal) | ESPNU | Rowe | L 4–5 OT | 3,148 | 21–16–1 | ||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source:[7] | |||||||||||
NCAA tournament
editRegional semifinal
edit| March 29, 2024 4:00 p.m. | (1) Michigan State | 5–4 (OT) (0–1, 2–3, 2–0, 1–0) | (4) Western Michigan | Centene Community Ice Center Attendance: 3,148 |
| Game reference | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Augustine | Goalies | Cameron Rowe | Referees: Joseph Carusone C. J. Hanafin Linesmen: Ryann Knapp Patrick Dapuzzo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 min | Penalties | 2 min | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 32 | Shots | 38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Game summary |
| Michigan State got on its horses straight away and put pressure on the WMU cage. Cameron Rowe had to stop the first six shots of the game and the Broncos did not get the puck on Trey Augustine until the 5-minute mark. MSU dominated play through the first seven minutes but when Western finally got set up in the offensive zone, Matteo Costantini was able to use a screen by several players to beat Augustine from the top of the right circle for the first goal. The Broncos started getting the puck down low, behind the Michigan State goal line, and tried to win the puck with a combination of speed and board battles. The Spartans counterattacked with a solid backcheck and generated several chances off of the rush. The play between the two teams was fairly even for several minutes with both squads getting scoring chances though neither was able to sustain a continual attack. Both teams played physically throughout the period but Western seemed to get the better of the exchange.
Western Michigan got off to a quick start in the second and attacked the MSU net. Augustine and the defense were able to turn them away and allow the Spartan offense to take their turn in the offensive zone. At about the 3-minute mark, Wyatt Schingoethe got the puck at the top of the blue paint from a cross-crease pass but Augustine managed to slide over and make the save on the one-timer. Two minutes later, a stretch pass from Matt Basgall found Daniel Russell at center ice and gave the Spartan forward a 100-foot break-away. Just as he got to the slot, Russell fired the puck through Rowe's six-hole to tie the game. The pace picked up afterwards and both gets got back to their speed game. After a few minutes, a shot from Daniel Hilsendager was stopped by Augustine but the puck squeaked through his arms and fell to the ice in the crease. Fortunately for Michigan State, a Spartan defender was first on the scene and he helped his goaltender freeze the puck for a faceoff. Coming out of the mid-period TV timeout, MSU won the offensive zone faceoff and David Gucciardi blasted the puck past Rowe from the blue line. Western went on the attack following the goal but MSU was able to clear the puck after a couple of chances. As the Broncos continued to press, Gavin O'Connell was called for a hooking penalty and give Western the first power play of the night. WMU won the faceoff and moved the puck around the Michigan State zone until it came to Alex Bump to the left of the goal He tried to pass the puck across the net but it deflected off of a defender's skate into the net. After tying the game, Western continued to pressure the Spartans and after a bouncing puck eluded an MSU player at center ice, Bump found a streaking Sam Colangelo who wired the puck into the goal past Augustine's Blocker. Michigan State tried to match the Broncos' effort but instead they could only watch as Zak Galambos scored a marker that was a mirror-image of the earlier Gucciardi goal, again, to Augustine's blocker-side. With the game starting to get away from them, MSU attacked the Western end vigorously and forced Galambos into a hooking penalty. Western challenged the play for a dive by Russell but the officials did not see enough evidence for a matching minor. Western was able to kill off the rest of the period but still left them with a minute more on the PK to start the third. MSU was unable to get much going once play resumed and squandered their man-advantage. Western continued to carry the play and Luke Grainger nearly scored when his chip-shot from the low slot clanked off of the post and stayed out. Michigan State tried to get something going to cut into the Broncos' lead but every time they touched the puck a Western player was there to force the issue. Tim Washe was very conspicuous with several hard hits in the third but the Spartans refused to quit. Near the middle of the period, a turnover by Western at the own blue line allowed Michigan State to finally establish some zone time and eventually Nash Nienhuis was able to fire the puck past a screened Cameron Rowe to cut the lead to 1. WMU got right back to its high-pressure game after the goal and tried to regain their 2-goal lead but the Spartans had regained their footing and the two teams started exchanging scoring chances. With about six minutes to play, Bump got on a partial break from center ice but Augustine stood tall and made the save. After the play, an earlier hit by Washe was reviewed for a major penalty (contact to the head) but the officials decided against leveling an infraction. Once play resumed, the two goaltender both committed turnovers after handling the puck that led to scoring opportunities but neither surrendered a goal. With under three minutes to play, a second goal got behind Augustine after a save but MSU managed to clear the puck away. Moments later, after Augustine was pulled for an extra attacker, Rowe made a save but could not freeze the puck. The loose biscuit dribbled just to the side before being cleared by Western. Michigan State managed to prevent an attempt on their open goal and then raced up the ice. With less than a minute left, Artyom Levshunov skated the puck up the right side of the ice and, as he was approaching the goal line, he found Karsen Dorwart alone in front of the goal for the tying marker. The final 55 seconds passed to no effect and overtime was needed to settle the game. The play settled down once overtime began with both teams playing a bit more hesitantly on their forechecking. The result was that though each team could now get into the offensive zone, much of the play was restricted to the perimeter. However, as play wore on, Michigan State began to turn zone time into scoring opportunities and Rowe was forced to stop several good chances. Western, conversely, was unable to get anything going offensively and did not get a single shot on goal through eight minutes of play. Near the middle of the period, a Jeremy Davidson took a seemingly harmless shot on goal from the half wall but it deflected off of Hilsendager's stick past Rowe for the winning goal. |
Scoring statistics
edit| Name | Position | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Grainger | F | 38 | 14 | 34 | 48 | 21 |
| Dylan Wendt | RW | 38 | 23 | 21 | 44 | 10 |
| Sam Colangelo | C/RW | 38 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 23 |
| Alex Bump | LW | 38 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 27 |
| Matteo Costantini | C | 38 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 18 |
| Chad Hillebrand | C/LW | 38 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 44 |
| Ethan Phillips | C/RW | 29 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 12 |
| Zak Galambos | D | 38 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 39 |
| Carter Berger | D | 36 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 14 |
| Samuel Sjolund | D | 38 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 10 |
| Joe Cassetti | LW | 38 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 8 |
| Tim Washe | C | 38 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 27 |
| Hugh Larkin | RW | 37 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 34 |
| Daniel Hilsendager | D | 33 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 19 |
| Cédric Fiedler | D | 38 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
| Owen Michaels | F | 38 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| Wyatt Schingoethe | C | 24 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Jacob Bauer | D | 27 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Cole Crusberg-Roseen | D | 22 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| Cole Burtch | LW | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Jacob Napier | D | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Cam Knuble | F | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Trevor Bishop | F | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ean Somoza | F | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Cameron Rowe | G | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 136 | 249 | 385 | 393 |
Source:[8]
Goaltending statistics
edit| Name | Games | Minutes | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals against | Saves | Shut-outs | SV % | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Rowe | 38 | 2286:10 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 94 | 872 | 3 | .903 | 2.47 |
| Empty Net | - | 20:41 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 38 | 2306:51 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 97 | 872 | 2 | .900 | 2.52 |
Rankings
edit| Poll | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 (Final) | ||
| USCHO.com | 12 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | – | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | – | 14 | |
| USA Hockey | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | – | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | |
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in weeks 11 or 25.[9]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.
Awards and honors
edit| Player | Award | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Luke Grainger | NCHC Scholar-Athlete of the Year | [10] |
| Luke Grainger | NCHC Second Team | [11] |
| Alex Bump | NCHC Rookie Team | [12] |
2024 NHL Entry Draft
edit| Round | Pick | Player | NHL team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 175 | Joona Vaisanen † | Pittsburgh Penguins |
† incoming freshman[13]
References
edit- ^ "Men's Division I PairWise Rankings". Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "3-15-24 Western Michigan at St. Cloud State Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "3-16-24 Western Michigan at St. Cloud State Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "3-17-24 Western Michigan at St. Cloud State Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "Michigan State vs Western Michigan - What a Game - NCAA College Hockey - Highlights - March 29, 2024". YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "2023-24 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Western Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ "2023-24 Men's Ice Hockey Schedule". wmubroncos.com. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Western Michigan Univ. 2023-2024 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ Weisman, Michael (March 21, 2024). "NCHC Unveils 2023-2024 Individual Award Winners". nchchockey.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Weisman, Michael (March 13, 2024). "NCHC Unveils 2023-2024 All-Conference Teams". nchchockey.com. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Weisman, Michael (March 12, 2024). "NCHC Reveals 2023-24 All-Rookie Team". nchchockey. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ "NCAA player rankings, selections in 2024 NHL Draft". USCHO.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.