Western Michigan hockey made history on Saturday night by defeating UMass 2-1 in the Fargo, N.D. regional final, advancing to the Frozen Four for the first time in program history. The Broncos will face either Boston College or Denver in the national semifinals in St. Louis.
The game was a battle of major penalties, with Western Michigan scoring twice on a 5-minute power play and holding strong on its penalty kill when freshman Iiro Hakkarainen was called for a penalty. Hampton Slukynsky made 28 saves, including several close-range shots in the final 8 minutes.
Western Michigan’s top seed in its regional, got off to a slow start but caught a break with Aydar Suniev’s ejection after a hit from behind was overturned into a 5-minute major penalty. The Broncos took advantage of the power play, scoring twice before UMass tied the game late in the second period.
Western Michigan methodically set up a play and eventually got the puck to Brian Kramer on the left wing, who fired toward Tim Washe, giving credit for the goal. The win extends the Broncos’ winning streak to eight and makes them the seventh Michigan school to make the Frozen Four.
Source: https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/more-colleges/2025/03/29/frozen-four-bound-western-michigan-hockey-makes-history-with-win-over-umass/82722818007