wmu hockey is set for a high-stakes Sunday showdown in Loveland, Colorado, where Western Michigan will face conference rival Denver in an NCAA Tournament regional final at Blue Arena. The winner earns a trip to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas on April 9, with the opponent coming from the Albany, New York regional final later Sunday. Western Michigan arrives as the No. 4 national seed, while Denver is seeded second in the regional.
Regional final at Blue Arena: what is at stake
The matchup puts the Western Michigan Broncos (27-10-1) against the Denver Pioneers (26-11-3) for a direct path into the Frozen Four. The game is scheduled for Sunday at Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado, with the NCAA Tournament bracket funneling the winner to Las Vegas on April 9. That Frozen Four semifinal will be against the winner of the Albany regional final between Minnesota Duluth and top overall seed Michigan.
How both teams got here
Western Michigan advanced by defeating Minnesota State 3-1 in a regional semifinal on Friday. The Broncos built their advantage with two second-period goals: Zaccharya Wisdom scored 2: 12 into the second, and Zach Bookman added another at the 8: 22 mark to make it 2-0. Minnesota State cut into the margin 47 seconds into the third period, but Owen Michaels finished the result with an empty-net goal with 6. 7 seconds remaining. Samuel Sjolund collected two assists, while Wisdom and Bookman each ended with a goal and an assist.
Denver moved through its regional semifinal on Friday with a 5-0 win over Cornell. Goaltender Johnny Hicks made 24 saves for the shutout. Sam Harris and Clarke Caswell each contributed a goal and an assist, while Cale Ashcroft registered two assists. Jake Fisher, Kieran Cebrian, and Rieger Lorenz also scored in the win.
Wmu Hockey and Denver: season series sets the tension
wmu hockey and Denver will play for the sixth time this season, adding another layer of familiarity to a win-or-go-home setting. Denver swept two games at Western Michigan in November, and the Broncos took a pair in Denver in January. The most recent meeting ended with Denver eliminating Western Michigan in a 2-1 overtime decision in the NCHC tournament semifinal on March 14.
Key performers entering Sunday
Western Michigan’s attack has been led by Liam Valente with 20 goals, with William Whitelaw close behind at 19. Grant Slykynsky leads the Broncos in points with 40. In net, Hampton Slukynsky is listed at 27-10-4 with four shutouts, a. 917 save percentage, and a 2. 22 goals-against average.
For Denver, Eric Pohlkamp leads the team with 17 goals and 37 points, while Lorenz has 16 goals on the season. Hicks stepped into the No. 1 role after Quentin Miller was injured in late January, and he is listed at 13-0-1 with three shutouts, a. 960 save percentage, and a 1. 07 goals-against average.
What happens next
The regional final winner advances to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas on April 9, with the bracket pointing to the Albany regional final winner as the opponent. With both teams already trading results across six meetings, Sunday’s game at Blue Arena will decide whose season extends into college hockey’s final weekend—and whose ends one step short.
