Western Michigan: 2025 Myrtle Beach Bowl Champions

 

In the only postseason matchup which pitted two champions from “non-Power” conferences against one another, Western Michigan (10-4, 9-1 MAC) made sure to leave no doubt.

Western Michigan: 2024-25 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey National Champions

 

ST. LOUIS, MO. –– Finally, the long-awaited dream is reality.

After a magical, historic and unforgettable season, one that saw a slew of program firsts and plenty more top-shelf accolades, Western Michigan hockey ensured its final act was even more extraordinary.

On Saturday night, in a scene some 52 years in the making, the No. 1-ranked Broncos (34-7-1) showed they belonged on the national stage –– soaring to their first-ever national championship by dominating Boston University, 6-2, and capping the program’s best season ever with the sport’s ultimate prize.

The Broncos are the champions of college hockey.

“I’m feeling a little bit of everything, so many emotions,” WMU graduate forward Tim Washe said postgame in an ESPN interview. “Winning the last game of the year is everything you dream of.”

Sophomore forward Owen Michaels, WMU’s star of the Frozen Four, laced the decisive fourth and sixth goals of game –– capping an incredible four-goal Frozen Four.

Leading 3-2 entering the third period, WMU hit the jets with a three-goal flurry –– all kickstarted and finished off by Michaels, with a Iiro Hakkarainen goal sandwiched in between.

Michaels’ second tally was an empty-netter with just over two minutes left in regulation.

“That was just a ton of emotions but that goal was not about me one bit,” said Michaels, who leaped into the Bronco bench upon scoring his second goal of the game. “It was about this team and this group doing something this program’s never done before. I just wanted to be with the guys.”

WMU’s six goals are the most goals scored by a team in the NCAA championship game since 2014. The Broncos were ready for Saturday –– they believed the moment was theirs.

And they left no doubt.

“It means everything, it means the program is on the map and that the program is moving forward to the future,” Western Michigan fourth-year head coach Pat Ferschweiler told ESPN in a postgame interview.

With the win, WMU wins its first national title since 1965, when the men’s cross country team won back-to-back titles (1964 and 1965). The Broncos also become the sixth Michigan college hockey program to win it all.

With everything on the line, both teams played like it. The pace, the intensity and the electricity was full-bore.

Western Michigan took little time asserting itself on the grand stage. In fact, the Broncos’ very first shot found netting.

Iiro Hakkarainen flipped a shot toward BU’s goal near the blueline, and Wyatt Schingoethe was there to deflect the shot on frame –– the puck fluttered into the net for an early 1-0 advantage just over a minute and a half into the game.

That setup a frantic first period.

Boston got its equalizer later in the period, as a loose puck in front of Hampton Slukynsky’s net was never froze, allowing Cole Eiserman to poke it free and into the back of the net.

Western Michigan would continue to play fast and jumped back in front thanks to a well-executed transition opportunity. On a 3-on-2, Alex Bump’s initial shot created chaos in front of the net and Cole Crusberg-Roseen was there to blast the rebound home from inside the left circle for a 2-1 advantage.

It was Crusberg-Roseen’s third goal of the season –– a testament to the Broncos’ depth, which has come in handy during their tournament run.

“It’s a huge advantage and we’ve had depth all year in scoring,” Ferschweiler said. “I think we’ve been No. 1 or 2 in scoring in the country and that’s for a reason. We’re not carried by just one guy. Alex Bump is our superstar but we have a lot of good supporting players and they came up in some of the most important moments of the game. We believe in them and they believe in themselves.”

Things only picked up from there, and with momentum on their side, the Broncos capitalized minutes into the second period –– all on another man advantage.

A 2-on-1 allowed Cam Knuble space to operate, putting a puck in front of BU goalie Mikhail Yegorov –– which was rebounded and slotted home by Ty Henricks for a commanding 3-1 Bronco lead.

It was the freshman’s sixth goal of the year.

BU would continue to fight, however, and after a Bronco penalty on WMU’s Brian Kramer, the Terriers would be rewarded. A clean BU face off win paved the way for Shane Lachance to clean up a loose puck in Slukynsky’s crease, poking in a goal that pulled the Terriers within 3-2.

Play would continue to amplified in the closing minutes of the second period, as both teams earned power play opportunities but neither found a goal out of it. Hakkarainen took a nasty hit from BU’s Aiden Celebrini near the end of the period and was helped off by his teammates.

Then, Owen Michaels sealed the glory.

On yet another man advantage, the sophomore ripped a wicked wrister from the circle that zipped by Yegorov for a two-goal lead –– the starter to a three-goal period and the exclamation point to a fairytale night.

“I just love the guys that I play with,” Michaels said. “Nothing better than going to the rink each and every day and seeing these guys. This game and this week wasn’t about Owen Michaels, it was about the Western Michigan Broncos doing something this program has never done.”

Boston University (24-14-2) nearly tied the game on a scramble for a loose puck moments prior to Michaels’ first goal, but Slukynsky stopped the initial shot –– while his teammate, Joona Vaisanen laid out in front of the crease to stop the puck from going in.

BU coach Jay Pandolfo challenge the call –– but the officials confirmed the call on the ice.

That turned out to be the game-swinging moment of Saturday.

With the goals pouring in during the final back end of the third period, WMU’s fans at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis could sense the moment –– and so could its fans back home, too.

For the first time in 60 years, the Broncos have a national title to bring back to Kalamazoo.

“To be the first Western Michigan Broncos to win it all, it’s special,” Michaels said.

Western Michigan: 2021 Quick Lane Bowl Champions

DETROIT (AP) — Kaleb Eleby threw two touchdowns and ran for another and Western Michigan recorded its second bowl victory in program history, rolling past Nevada 52-24 in the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday.

Sean Tyler rushed for 146 yards on 14 carries and returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown for Western Michigan (8-5). Jaxson Kincaide, a Nevada transfer, rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns.

The Broncos’ only other bowl victory came in the 2015 Bahamas Bowl against Middle Tennessee. Compared with that one, the Quick Lane Bowl was practically a home game for them.

“Doing it in Detroit is really special,” coach Tim Lester said. “To have fans here, so many alumni here. … tons of people from Kalamazoo made the trip. It was awesome to see the hotel alive last night. And to play the way we did, in front of them with their support, it all came together. It’s a big deal.”

Nate Cox passed for 121 yards and a touchdown and Devonte Lee rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown for Nevada (8-5).

Cox got the start after Carson Strong, who threw a school-record 36 touchdown passes, chose not to play in order to prepare for the NFL draft. The Wolf Pack was coached by assistant Vai Taua after Jay Norvell accepted the Colorado State coaching job.

Western Michigan, which had 352 rushing yards, led 31-10 at halftime.

“That’s a really good football team,” Taua said. “They ran the ball well all season and they continued to do that.”

Tyler’s 100-yard return followed Brandon Talton’s 32-yard field goal. Western Michigan’s staff noticed the Wolf Pack coverage tended to slant toward the ball, leaving the sideline open.

“Once (Braden) Fiske made the block I needed, I took it all the way to the house,” said Tyler, who was named the game’s MVP. “I was actually quite surprised once I broke through and ‘Oh, there’s nobody left.’”

Taua said: “You never want your first kickoff to go like that. I wouldn’t call it a backbreaker. It was definitely another challenge the team would have to overcome right out of the gate.”

Midway through the first quarter, Eleby connected with Corey Crooms on a 74-yard scoring pass.

The Broncos’ other first-half touchdowns came on Eleby’s 20-yard pass to Brett Borske and Kincaide’s 7-yard run.

PERFECT SENDOFF

Kincaide, a Western Michigan sixth-year senior running back, had his biggest game of the season against his former team.

“It felt surreal,” he said. “It was a great feeling to leave with some of the guys I came in with in 2016 and to see a lot of familiar faces. It was great to go out this way.”

Kincaide played four seasons with the Wolf Pack before transferring before last season. He was the Broncos’ third-string running back most of the season, but his role expanded when La’Darius Jefferson tested positive for COVID over the weekend.

THE TAKEAWAY

A majority of Nevada’s offensive starters during the regular season opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft or transfer. The retooled unit had no chance to keep pace with the Broncos, who scored on two big plays in the opening quarter and then established a steady rushing attack.

UP NEXT

Western Michigan: The Broncos will open the 2022 season on the road against Big Ten powerhouse Michigan State on Sept. 3. They will face the Spartans’ bowl opponent, Atlantic Coast Conference champion Pitt, on Sept. 17.

Nevada: Under new head coach Ken Wilson, Oregon’s former co-defensive coordinator, the Wolf Pack will travel to New Mexico State for their 2022 opener on Aug. 27.

Western Michigan Broncos: 2015 Bahamas Bowl Champions

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Jamauri Bogan rushed for 215 yards and four touchdowns Thursday, powering Western Michigan past Middle Tennessee 45-31 in the Bahamas Bowl for its first bowl victory.
Western Michigan (8-5) had lost its previous six bowl games. The Broncos ended a four-game winning streak by Middle Tennessee (7-6).
Bogan broke a tie game with a 1-yard touchdown with 6:12 left, setting up the score with a 61-yard burst. He added another 1-yard score with five minutes remaining after Rontavious Atkins’ 29-yard interception return to the Middle Tennessee 4. Bogan also had a 62-yard touchdown and a 46-yard score. He averaged 11.3 yards per carry.
Western Michigan’s Corey Davis finished with eight catches for 183 yards and a touchdown. Daniel Braverman had five receptions for 101 yards and a score.
Richie James had two touchdown catches and one touchdown run for Middle Tennessee. Brent Stockstill threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns to go with his interception.
Stockstill was 26 of 39 and finished his redshirt freshman season with 327 completions to break the NCAA freshman record held by Jared Lorenzen, who completed 321 passes for Kentucky in 2001. Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell was 18 of 26 for 297 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
One year after Western Kentucky and Central Michigan combined for 12 touchdown passes in the inaugural Bahamas Bowl — a 49-48 Western Kentucky victory — Western Michigan and Middle Tennessee produced a similar shootout.
Thursday’s matchup featured six touchdowns of 40-plus yards. The game already was tied 17-all by the end of the first quarter.
James capped Middle Tennessee’s first two possessions with a 46-yard touchdown run and a 44-yard touchdown catch.
Bogan had a 62-yard touchdown run to end Western Michigan’s first series. In the closing seconds of the first quarter, Davis caught a pass about 5 yards downfield, made a move past one defender and stiff-armed another before racing down the right sideline for an 80-yard touchdown.
After a scoreless second quarter, the big plays resumed.
Bogan gave Western Michigan its first lead with a 46-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. Middle Tennessee tied it when Christian Collis turned a short completion into a 17-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the third period.
Western Michigan went back in front when Braverman caught a pass about 15 yards downfield and raced along the right sideline for a 68-yard touchdown with 12:47 left. Middle Tennessee tied it again with 9:41 left on Stockstill’s 29-yard touchdown pass to James, who ended up with eight catches for 126 yards.
But when Bogan scored a couple of more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Middle Tennessee couldn’t respond.
The Blue Raiders failed to capitalize on early opportunities. With the score 17-17 in the second quarter, Middle Tennessee’s Shane Tucker was stuffed by Grant DePalma and Austin Lewis on fourth-and-goal from the 1. On Middle Tennessee’s next series, a holding penalty nullified an 85-yard touchdown completion from Stockstill to Collis.

Western Michigan: 2013-14 Mid-American Men's Basketball Champions

CLEVELAND -- David Brown scored 32 points, Tucker Haymond added 21 and Western Michigan earned its first trip to the NCAA tournament in 10 years by beating Toledo 98-77 on Saturday night in the Mid-American Conference championship.

The top-seeded Broncos (23-9) won their first title since 2004, and along with it, the league's automatic spot inside the NCAA brackets.

Shayne Whittington added 20 and 13 rebounds for WMU, which had to overcome an 18-point deficit in the semifinals to sneak past Akron.

The title game was much easier for the Broncos, who pulled away in the second half, outrebounded the Rockets 46-27 and set the tournament record for points.

Julius Brown and Rian Pearson scored 22 apiece to pace Toledo (27-6). The Rockets set a school record for wins this season, but their hopes of making the NCAA field for the first time since 1980 hinged on them winning this tourney.

Brown, who made five 3-pointers, nine free throws and delivered a big bucket whenever the Broncos needed one, was the tournament's MVP.

The senior guard had plenty of help as Western Michigan shot 68 percent (19 of 28) in the second half and showcased its offensive firepower, something that any team it faces in the NCAA tournament had best be prepared to handle.

With his team comfortably ahead in the final minute, Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins pulled out his starters, who embraced in front of the bench as the Broncos fans danced in the aisles behind them.

The bald-headed Hawkins then put his sport coat back on. His work was done.

It wasn't an easy trip to Cleveland from Kalamazoo.

The Broncos had got caught behind a major accident on the Ohio Turnpike in a severe snowstorm, turning their four-hour bus trip into an 11-hour marathon. But once they got to Quicken Loans Arena, the Broncos made the most of every second and are now back on top in the MAC after a decade-long drought.

Leading by just two at halftime, Western Michigan pushed its advantage to 14 with less than five minutes left and then Whittington put a pair of exclamation points on the title with two alley-oop dunks.

Toledo was simply outplayed in every facet.

The Rockets, making their first appearance in the final since 2006, couldn't cut deep enough into WMU's lead. And even when it appeared Toledo was ready to make a run, the Broncos answered back.

Connar Tava added 13 points -- 11 in the second half -- for Western.

J.D. Weatherspoon's dunk in traffic just before the horn, brought a high-intensity first half to a close and pulled the Rockets within 42-40.

Pearson, who finished the half with 16 points, scored Toledo's first eight and the senior had several other clean looks at the basket that didn't drop in the opening 10 minutes.

WMU had three offensive weapons as Brown, Haymond and Whittington had the Rockets scrambling on defense as they tried to figure out whom to stop. The trio combined for 36 of Western Michigan's points in the opening half.

Brown made consecutive 3-pointers -- both from well behind the arc -- and then scored on a traditional three-point play as the Broncos opened a 24-14 lead.

Brown, who banked in a long 3-pointer in overtime to help seal Western's semifinal win over Akron, knocked down another 3 to put WMU up 33-25.

The Rockets were reeling, but snapped out of it with three 3-pointers, and Julius Brown made two free throws as Toledo overcame a 10-point deficit.