Western Michigan Triumphs Over Minnesota State in NCAA Hockey Tournament
Western Michigan defeated Minnesota State 3-1 in a regional semifinal of the NCAA hockey tournament. The game took place Friday afternoon in Loveland, Colorado. The win sends the Broncos into Sunday’s regional final.
Second period decided the game
Zaccharya Wisdom opened the scoring early in the second period. He redirected a long shot to put Western Michigan ahead.
About six minutes later, Zach Bookman added a tally from the right corner at the blue line. Those two second-period goals proved to be the difference.
Late insurance and season milestones
Owen Michaels sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with six seconds left. That strike was his 13th goal of the season.
Wisdom’s goal was his 17th on the year. Bookman’s marker was his fourth this season.
Goaltending and momentum swings
Goalie Hampton Slukynsky made a string of key saves. He finished with 23 saves, including a highlight stop late in the first period.
Minnesota State cut the lead to 2-1 less than a minute into the third. Alex Zetterberg scored for the Mavericks. Minnesota State then generated several quality chances on a power play.
Late push and empty-net finish
The Mavericks pulled netminder Alex Tracy late in the game. Western Michigan’s forecheck and a turnover after a defensive faceoff set up the empty-net opportunity.
What’s next
The Broncos will meet the winner of No. 2 seed Denver and No. 3 seed Cornell in the regional final on Sunday. Western Michigan is one victory away from a return trip to the Frozen Four after last season’s title.
- Location: Loveland, Colorado
- Final score: Western Michigan 3, Minnesota State 1
- Saves: Hampton Slukynsky — 23
- Scorers: Zaccharya Wisdom (17th), Zach Bookman (4th), Owen Michaels (13th)
For more coverage from Filmogaz.com, follow the regional final buildup and previews. The Broncos’ performance in this NCAA hockey tournament matchup highlighted strong goaltending and timely scoring.
