Broncos aim at capturing home ice this weekend

By Adam Bouton
Western Herald

(Chyn Wey Lee / Western Herald) Bronco freshman J.J. Crew wins the faceoff between Alabama-Huntsville’s Scott Kalinchuck earlier this season at Lawson Ice Arena. The Broncos prepare to faceoff against Bowling Green State this weekend at home.

If there is one attribute that can be pinned to the Bronco hockey squad this season, it’s resiliency.  The team has clawed back this season countless times, evident from their recent four-goal outburst after trailing Lake Superior State University 6-0 in the third period last weekend.
The team hopes that they don’t need to come-from-behind this coming weekend, but if they do, they are one team that knows how to do so.

The Brown and Gold are looking for home ice advantage in the first round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs and need to leapfrog one team to get there.  They are currently three points behind Ferris State University for the last home advantage slot.
With that in mind and looking to bottle some momentum heading into the playoffs, the Western Michigan University hockey squad (10-17-7, 7-13-6-2 CCHA) is looking for nothing less than the sweep this weekend against Bowling Green State University (11-20-3, 8-17-1-0 CCHA) at Lawson Ice Arena.

“I think, as a group, we’re a pretty mature group,” Bronco freshman left wing Greg Squires said.  “We’re all big competitors.  We play for the pride.  We play for the front of our jersey.  We just have a strong-willed team.”

“We’ve tried to use that buzz word [resiliency] with them and take ownership with it,” WMU head coach Jim Culhane added.

One of the key reasons that the Broncos are in the position that they are in is because of the play of right wing Patrick Galivan, center Max Campbell and Squires, who have teamed up to form the top WMU line.
While Squires is just a freshman, he has proven to be a key member of the line and feels as though they are clicking right now more than any other time this season.

“I think that us three have really meshed well together this year,” Squires said.  “I think we compliment each other.  I think the reason why Gally [Galivan] is doing so well is because of Soup [Campbell] and I.  We have so much chemistry right now.”

Campbell has had a knack for being the sniper when on the power play this season.  He’s scored 10 goals (out of his 14 total) on the man-advantage for a Western Michigan power play unit that is third in the CCHA.

“Today’s game is all about special teams,” Campbell acknowledged.  “I give a lot of credit to the guys that I play with for sure.”

The sophomore center was also very complimentary of his line mates.

“Those two guys [Galivan and Squires] have a tremendous amount of skill,” he said.

Galivan, with 38 points, is just two points off the CCHA scoring pace which is currently being set by Michigan forward’s Aaron Palushaj and Louie Caporusso, who have 40 points each.  The senior is second in conference scoring with 32 points in 26 games.  If he cruises past Palushaj (who is just one point ahead of him in CCHA scoring) in the last two regular season games, he would become the first Bronco player to win a CCHA scoring title since WMU teammates Mike Bishai and David Gove each had 43 points in the 2000-01 season.

“He’s [Galivan] worked hard and competed hard,” Culhane said.  “It’s great to see great people be rewarded and be recognized.  Unfortunately, it’s probably one of the quietest stories around college hockey right now.  I’m proud of the fact of where he’s at.”

The WMU senior is currently on a 10-game scoring streak and has 21 points in those 10 games.
Bowling Green has a talented scorer of their own in sophomore Dan Sexton, who has scored 15 goals and added 21 assists for 36 points this season.
The Falcons have struggled and fell all the way to last place in the CCHA in a spot that was supposed to be reserved for Western Michigan this season.
BGSU has allowed the most goals in the CCHA (109) and have just two victories in its last nine games.  They have not faired well on the road this season against CCHA opponents and have just a 2-9-1 record when away from their home ice against conference foes.

This weekend is especially important for the Bronco seniors who have laced up and donned the Brown and Gold for four years.  It might very well be the last time they set foot on the Lawson Ice Arena for a college hockey contest.

“I’m just impressed, as a group, with the way they’ve handled themselves,” Culhane said.  “I’m proud of them.”

The Broncos realize they have no cakewalk this weekend, even though they are facing the last-place team and that they must earn everything.

“We control our own destiny,” Culhane said.  “We told the guys, ‘in life you earn everything you get.’  You earn it, you get it.”

“I think we’ve been playing really well lately,” Squires added.  “If we roll it over and just focus on this weekend and focus on the task at hand.  I think we have a lot on our plate and knowing what’s on the line we’ll give it our all.”

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Feb 26 2009. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com