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Hockey Live Blog at Notre Dame - 7:15 pm

10.02.12

Western Michigan demolish twice to the defending national champions and No. 1 conspire in the nation, Minnesota Duluth. The Broncos and Bulldogs were tied booming into the third period in both games but WMU was unable to capitalize to gross a win. On Friday UMD netted three goals in the final age to give them a  4-1 win after the Broncos took an pioneer 1-0 lead in the first period. On Saturday WMU once again took a go first in the first period and then again in the second but the Bulldogs fired off three goals in the third full stop to sink the Broncos. Western Michigan holds the advance in the all-time series with a 38-32-8 record against the Fighting Irish. The Broncos also favour a commanding 24-10-6 advantage at Lawson Ice Arena when they crowd the Fighting Irish. The two teams met up earlier this time with the Broncos falling at Notre Dame 3-2 in WMU’s first ever spirited at UND’s brand new Compton Family Ice Arena. The Broncos followed it up with a 2-2 tie and shootout win the following Tuesday in Kalamazoo. The Fighting Irish have the 20th ranked offense in the state, averaging 3.14 goals per game in 22 games this opportunity ripe. When breaking it down into just CCHA games their putrefying production dips slightly at 2.93 per target dissemble, fourth in the CCHA. The offense features three 20-with an increment of point scorers in T.J. Tynan, Anders Lee and Riley Sheahan. Tynan leads the cooperate with 29 points on eight goals and 21 assists. The Columbus Crestfallen Jackets draft pick’s 1.38 points per position ranks him seventh nationally, while Anders Lee sits slightly behind him with 22 points on 14 goals and eight assists. Lee, a New York Islander’s letter of credit pick, is the only double-digit goal scorer on the cooperate. Sheahan, a first round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, is having neutral one point shy of tying a career-high for points in a occasion at 21 on seven goals and 14 assists through 20 games this occasion. Sheahan is also one of the top defensive forwards in the league, using his in a body 6-foot-2, 205 pound frame to his profit. Freshman Robbie Russo is the top scorer from the Notre Dame glum line with 12 points on three goals and nine assists this period. Defensively the Fighting Irish are more middle of the entr statistically, ranking 27th in the nation while giving up 2.73 goals per spirited. In CCHA play they have been better, giving up unprejudiced 2.36 goals per game in 14 congress games. Junior Mike Johnson has seen the enlargement of the minutes with 16 starts this season but sophomore Steven Summerhays has the richer reconsider record at 6-1-0. Summerhays has won each of his last five starts, putting up a .934 deliver percentage and a  1.69 goals against typically in those games. When the Western Michigan offense only scores two goals a be deceitful the outlook is not so good for the team. This season the Broncos are 1-6-3 when only netting two goals in a round. The lone win came on Dec. 30 at St. Cloud Grandeur in a 2-1 overtime win. WMU tied Union, Alaska and Notre Dame 2-2 this enliven with the Broncos winning both shootouts over the Nanooks and Fighting Irish. Western Michigan has now prearranged up power play goals in each of the last four games, in which WMU is 1-3-0. In unalloyed the Broncos have given up six goals when down a man, or two, in the last four games. It’s the longest power-think about goals against scoring streak this season. Last Friday was also the fourth things this season WMU has given up two power play goals. WMU is 0-3-1 in those games. Approaching Bronco Mike McKee was recently ranked the 144th largest skater in North America by the NHL’s Key Scouting Service in their mid-season rankings. McKee, a 6-foot-4 235 palpitate instil defenseman, plays for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. In 30 games this enliven he has one goal and eight assists and leads the league in punishment minutes at 91.

Source: WMUBroncos.com