by Eli Cloutier/CHN Reporter
(photo: Rich Gagnon)
ST. LOUIS This is a business trip for Western Michigan, but the Broncos are still aware of the significance of reaching the Frozen Four.
“It’s a really cool experience for us to share with each other,” sophomore forward Grant Slukynsky said.
Junior forward Liam Valente shared a similar sentiment: “It’s a great feeling, this is what we worked for the whole season.”
Reaching the Frozen Four is an accomplishment that this storied program can finally claim, but both Slukynsky and Valente made it clear that Western Michigan is here to win the National Championship.
In Wednesday’s press conference, coach Pat Ferschweiler pumped the brakes on jumping right to Saturday’s championship game.
“We have a mission at hand to win Thursday night’s game,” he said.
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Western Michigan’s first trip to the Frozen Four has many notable alumni coming together in St. Louis to celebrate. And the program has its tentacles all throughout the hockey world, particularly with the amount of coaches it has produced.
First and foremost is Ferschweiler himself.
Then there’s Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley and St. Lawrence head coach Brent Brekke, who are both in hand representing the class of 1994, a group that also includes Clarkson assistant Chris Brooks. Also expected to be in St. Louis is Keith Jones, the Philadelphia Flyers president of hockey operations, who was a linemate with Ferschweiler. And Mike Eastwood, who like Jones played in the NHL and also works for the Flyers.
But it doesn’t stop there. Every former Western Michigan coach has reached out, Ferschweiler said, “It’s pretty special.”
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Thursday’s national semifinal is a familiar matchup for the Broncos — a fourth tilt this season against conference opponent Denver.
All three games between the two rivals had been decided by one goal, most recently in the NCHC Championship game, which Western Michigan won 4-3 in double overtime.
“It’s nice going up against a team you know,” graduate forward Tim Washe said on Wednesday. “We know what to expect.”
Washe emphasized that past game plans against the Pioneers have been successful. The Broncos hope to be able to repeat that success on the biggest…
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