Western Michigan University hockey made history by becoming the first program in its history to qualify for the NCAA Frozen Four tournament. The top-seeded Broncos defeated UMass 2-1 in the Fargo region final on Saturday night, advancing to their third-ever NCAA tourney victory.
The comeback win came after UMass took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. However, Western Michigan capitalized on a 5-minute major penalty by Ayday Suniev, who also received a game misconduct for hitting from behind. This penalty led to a series of key scoring opportunities for the Broncos, with freshman goalie Hampton Slukynsky making crucial saves.
The win set up a matchup between Western Michigan and either Boston College or Denver in the national semifinals on April 10 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The Broncos will look to continue their successful season under coach John Ramees.
Source: https://eu.freep.com/story/sports/college/2025/03/29/western-michigan-hockey-makes-history-with-first-frozen-four-berth/82723128007