By appearing in its first-ever Frozen Four, Western Michigan men’s hockey already has made history.
With two more wins, though, the Broncos can break even more barriers.
On Thursday night, Western Michigan will take on reigning national champion Denver in the first of two Frozen Four national semifinals at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
It’s actually the fourth meeting between the programs this season, with the Broncos holding a 2-1 advantage in the previous three matchups. They’ve faced off as recently as March 22, when Western Michigan edged Denver, 4-3, behind a goal from Alex Bump 22 seconds into the second overtime. The Broncos trailed 3-0 heading into the third period and 3-1 with seven minutes remaining, but scored two goals in three minutes to send the game into overtime.
While Western Michigan is new to the bright lights of the Frozen Four, Denver’s quite familiar with the stage. The Pioneers will be looking to win their third national championship in the past four seasons.
The winner of Thursday’s matchup will take on either Boston University or Penn State in the NCAA championship game on Saturday night.
Here’s how to watch the Western Michigan vs. Denver game Thursday, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
Western Michigan’s Frozen Four game against Denver will air on ESPN2. John Buccigross (play-by-play) and Colby Cohen (analyst) will call the game while Quint Kessenich will serve as the rinkside reporter.
Streaming options for the games include the ESPN App, ESPN+ — ESPN’s subscription streaming service — and Fubo, the last of which offers a free trial for potential subscribers.
The puck is scheduled to drop between Western Michigan and Denver at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 10.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Monday, April 7
Prediction: Western Michigan 3, Denver 2
Dethroning a champion is never easy, particularly one that figures to have the best player on the ice in Denver defenseman Zeev Buium, but the Broncos’ storybook season will continue with a win against an opponent they’ve shown they can go toe to toe (or skate to skate) with.
Here’s a look at Western Michigan’s NCAA Tournament schedule. To see the Broncos’ full 2024-25 schedule, click here.
Here’s a look at Denver’s NCAA Tournament schedule. To see the Pioneers’ full 2024-25 schedule, click here.
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