And With Now-Widespread Administration Support, They Look Forward to More
by Joshua Bartosik/CHN Reporter
(photo: Rich Gagnon)
ST. LOUIS First time’s the charm.
In its first-ever Frozen Four appearance, Western Michigan defeated Denver and Boston University, two programs with a combined 45 Frozen Four appearances, en route to a National Championship.
The storybook doesn’t always work out that way. In fact, it rarely does. Usually you need a few kicks at the can in the Frozen Four to win a championship. With the win, the Broncos become the first team since Lake Superior State in 1988 to win a national title in their Frozen Four debut.
It didn’t hurt that the fans showed up. Like kids being let out onto a new playground for the first time, the scene Saturday was great, and it’s what makes college hockey what it is. Throughout the sellout crowd at Enterprise Center, there was a distinct sea of yellow and brown, as the “Lawson Lunatics” took over St. Louis for the program’s first taste of Frozen Four glory.
“Amazing performance from Bronco Nation all weekend, especially tonight,” WMU coach Pat Ferschweiler said. “It certainly did feel like a home game.”
Kalamazoo, Michigan, the home of Western Michigan’s campus, is home to roughly 150,000 people, yet it felt like the entire town was in attendance to watch their Broncos achieve history.
“You could feel their presence in the streets during the day,” Ferschweiler said. “They push our players forward.”
The crowd pushed the players throughout the entire season to earn a “triple crown”: the NCHC Regular Season Championship, NCHC Tournament Championship and the National Championship.
So did the alumni, which are pervasive in hockey, treating this weekend like a festive reunion, and reveling in the payoff. St. Lawrence head coach Brent Brekke and Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley are both alums and former teammates of Ferschweiler. Same for NHL executives Keith Jones and Mike Eastwood, and a handful of others. They may work for different organizations now, but they came together this weekend.
In its 52-year history, few seasons rival the success of this campaign, a team that lost in regulation just once in its final 26 games and finished the season on a 10-game winning…
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