by Nevan Costello/Special to USCHO
LOVELAND – For the second straight year, Western Michigan and Minnesota State met in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Just like last season’s double-overtime thriller, this one had the feel of a tight-checking, low-scoring postseason game. And once again, it was Western Michigan that came out on top.
Zaccharya Wisdom and Zach Bookman scored in the second period, Hampton Slukynsky made 23 saves, and Owen Michaels added an empty-net goal in the closing seconds as the Broncos defeated the Mavericks 3-1.
From the opening faceoff, both teams played with pace and physicality. Western Michigan generated a few early stretches of offensive-zone possession, forcing Minnesota State senior goaltender Alex Tracy to make several key saves through traffic.
The Broncos got the game’s first power play at 14:48 of the opening period after a tripping call on Jordan Ronn, but the Mavericks killed it off to keep the game scoreless. Slukynsky answered with a big stop of his own in the final minute, stretching out to preserve the 0-0 tie through one period.
Coach Pat Ferschweiler later pointed to that save as a key early moment.
“He never surprises us because he’s that good. I honestly thought it hit the post, I never thought he could get across and make that save.”
Western Michigan broke through quickly in the second.
Just 2:12 into the period, Wisdom redirected a point shot from Sam Sjolund past Tracy to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead. The goal rewarded a strong push by Western Michigan, which continued to pressure the Mavericks and pile up shots from all angles.
The Broncos doubled the lead at 8:22 when Bookman, a Merrimack transfer, scored off another setup from Sjolund. By that point, Western Michigan had seized control territorially, and it finished the period with a 16-8 edge in shots.
Minnesota State had chances to respond with a pair of second-period power plays, first after a hooking call at 10:31 and later on a goaltender interference penalty in the final two minutes. But Western Michigan’s penalty kill held firm. Iiro Hakkarainen came up with two key blocked shots late in the period, helping the Broncos carry a 2-0 lead into the second intermission.
Minnesota State got the push it needed early in the third.
Just 47 seconds into the period, Ean Somoza found Alex Zetterberg in the slot, and Zetterberg buried the Mavericks’ first goal of the tournament to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Mavericks continued to press and earned another power play five minutes into the period on an interference call against Western Michigan. But Slukynsky settled in after the early goal and turned aside every chance that followed.
The third period unfolded the way a tournament game often does, with momentum swinging back and forth and both teams fighting for every inch of ice. Minnesota State tilted the ice for stretches, but Western Michigan kept the Mavericks from finding the equalizer. Neither team converted on the power play, with Minnesota State finishing 0 for 3 and Western Michigan going 0 for 2.
With Tracy pulled for an extra attacker in the final seconds, Michaels sealed it with an empty-net goal with six seconds remaining.
Minnesota State’s late push made things tense, but Western Michigan closed it out to advance.
Minnesota State coach Luke Strand credited Western Michigan’s structure after the game.
“Hats off to Western; they did there part, they have a good identity and they keep to it.”