Monday, January 16, 2012

Broncos sweep Notre Dame out of Lawson

By Bob Miller/Western Michigan Beat Writer

Western Michigan has faced quite the difficult scheduling stretch the past two weekends.

The Broncos' disappointment at losing a pair of home games the previous weekend against top-ranked Minnesota-Duluth was replace by the satisfaction of gaining a home sweep of third-ranked Notre Dame Friday and Saturday.

In a pair of closely-fought contests, Western Michigan used third-period goals by Chase Balisy and Kyle O'Kane for a come-from-behind 3-2 win on Friday. Balisy, Matt Tennyson and Jordan Oesterle scored a single apiece on Saturday and Frank Slubowski turned away 25 of 26 shots in a 3-1 victory.

The sweep of Notre Dame boosted the Broncos to a second place standing in the CCHA, only one point behind first-place Ohio State and four points ahead of third-place Michigan.

Western Michigan holds two games in hand on both the Buckeyes and the Wolverines.

The weekend sweep and the Broncos' 12-7-5 record was enough to earn Western Michigan eighth place in the latest USCHO.com national rankings.

Western Michigan looks to continue its winning ways and press toward the top spot in the CCHA in next weekend's trip to Oxford, Ohio, taking on reigning CCHA champ Miami in a two-game series.

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