Western Michigan sets schedule

Western Michigan University announced the schedule for the 2007-08 hockey season.

WMU will begin its 35th varsity season on Oct. 13 in an exhibition game against the University of Windsor. WMU will face Bowling Green in their Central Collegiate Hockey Association opener at home on Nov. 2.

WMU will play 28 conference games this year facing cluster opponents Ferris State, Bowling Green, and Notre Dame four times each, twice at home and twice on the road. WMU will take on the US World Jr. Team on Dec. 18, and will host Hockey Day for the third straight year on Feb. 16, facing off against Michigan State.

In the 2006-07 season, the Broncos split the two game series against Notre Dame, split the four game series against Ferris State, and went 3-1 against Michigan State. Western Michigan went 18-18-1 overall last season and 14-13-1 in the CCHA.

The non-CCHA teams that the Broncos will compete against are Quinnipiac, either Holy Cross or Vermont (at the University of Vermont tournament), Wayne State, Niagara and Bentley. The holiday tournament in Burlington, Vt., is from Dec. 29-30 and it is the first time the Broncos play in a holiday tournament at the University of Vermont. It will mark the first match-up against Quinnipiac, Holy Cross and Bentley. WMU is 7-3 in the overall series against Niagara.

CCHA playoffs will begin on March 7, the top four teams will receive a bye for the first round of the playoffs. The teams seeded 5-8 will host the teams seeded 9-12. Winners will advance to the best-of-three quarterfinals hosted by the top four teams. The four winning teams will go on to play at the CCHA championships which will be held at Joe Louis Arena on March 21-22. The CCHA champions will go on to play at the NCAA regionals, and then to the NCAA Frozen Four.

Western Michigan's schedule includes four teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last year: Michigan, Miami, Notre Dame, and defending NCAA champion Michigan State. WMU lost the two game series against Michigan, and split the two game series against Miami in the 2006-07 season.

Printable Schedule