Michigan to Face Western Michigan in Home-and-Home Series

THIS WEEK
Friday, Oct. 19 – vs. #19 Western Michigan (Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena), 7:30 p.m.
Live Stats | Listen
Saturday, Oct. 20 – vs. #19 Western Michigan (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 7:05 p.m.
Live Stats | Listen | Watch

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team is set for a home-and-home weekend series against No 19-ranked Western Michigan University this weekend. The Wolverines will host their in-state foe on Friday (Oct. 19) at Red Berenson Rink at Yost Ice Arena, while travelling to Kalamazoo on Saturday (Oct. 20) for the finale.

The Western Michigan Series

Michigan and Western Michigan will meet for the 124th time in program history. The Wolverines hold a 71-33-10 lead in the all-time with their former CCHA foe, including a 42-13-2 record at Yost. From 1979-2013, the two programs met at least two times per season until the CCHA was disbanded. The two teams last met at the Great Lakes Invitational, which was played at Comerica Park, on Dec. 27, 2013, when the Mustangs came away with a 3-2 overtime win.

Scouting the Broncos

Finishing at 15-19-2 (10-13-1 NCHC) last season, the Broncos won 10 league games last year, finishing sixth in the NCHC. Western Michigan faced a ranked team 20 times last season and posted a 5-13-2 record in those matchups, which included a weekend sweep over No. 1-ranked Denver. Western Michigan was picked to finish fourth in NCHC this season in the league's annual preseason coaches poll, while coming in at No. 19 in the USCHO.com Preseason Poll -- marking the fifth time under head coach Andy Murray that they began the season ranked.

Broncos This Year

Western Michigan heads to Ann Arbor with a 2-1-0 record after opening its season with a 6-2 loss against Bowling Green before sweeping Ferris State last weekend (Oct. 12-13), 4-3 and 5-0, respectively. Sophomore forward Josh Passolt leads the Broncos with two goals and three assists on the year, while junior defensemen Cam Lee has contributed with two goals and two assists. Senior netminder Trevor Gorsuch recorded a shutout in the Mustangs' 5-0 win over Ferris State, but sophomore Austin Cain started two of the three games in net with a 1-1 record, 4.14 goals-against average and a .805 save percentage.

Week 1 Recap

The Wolverines opened their season with a 5-2 loss against Vermont on Friday, Oct. 7. Junior Will Lockwood and classmate Nick Pastujov were responsible for scoring the first two goals of the season. Junior Hayden Lavigne started in net, recording 19 saves for the Wolverines and recording a .826 save percentage in the loss.

In the Polls

The Wolverines check in at No. 11 in the latest USCHO.com Poll, while coming in at No. 10 in the USA Today/USA Hockey weekly poll.

Up Ahead

The Maize and Blue will stay at home next weekend to play two games against St. Lawrence on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26-27. Michigan will be hosting its annual ALS Awareness Game as the program shows its support for former Michigan hockey player Scott Matzka (1997-2001) in his fight against ALS. Michigan defeated St. Lawrence last season to kick off the Mel Pearson era with a 3-1 triumph in Canton, New York.