Broncos Lock In 2019-2020 Hockey Season, 19 Home Dates Set
The Western Michigan Broncos, coming off a 21-15-1 season in 2018-2019, return to the ice in October with several regional rivals on the docket.
The season begins Saturday, October 5th with their annual Border Battle exhibition. It was announced August 6th that the Broncos will welcome the Ooks of Northern Alberta Institute of Technology for the first time in school history.
The regular season takes off the following week with the Broncos first appearance at the Ice Breaker Invitational in Toledo at the Huntington Center. Bowling Green will play as this season's host of the tournament, which has been a national tournament since 1997 with assistance from the Hockey Commissioners Association and College Hockey, Inc. Western will open with Ohio State, then will play either the hosting Falcons or the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Speaking of Bowling Green, the non-conference schedule continues with home-and-home series the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Falcons. The Broncos also have an in-state rival from the WCHA in the Ferris State Bulldogs in November. They close out October with a home-and-home series against the Michigan Wolverines.
The Broncos also have two other non-conference weekends scheduled with a home-and-home series with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in January and a pair at home with Rensselaer Polytechic Institute (RPI).
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference schedule opens in November with a trip to Colorado Springs to take on the Colorado College Tigers, who eliminated the Broncos in last season's NCHC Playoffs. The three-game series ended at Lawson and ended Western's shot at making the NCAA Tournament. Other featured conference games include a pair of weekends with the back-to-back NCAA champion Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and a home weekend with two-time regular season champion St. Cloud State Huskies.
The 24-game regular conference schedule plays through November 2019 to March 2020, ending with the rival Miami Redhawks at Lawson. The NCHC tournament begins March 13th.
Tickets and game times are starting to become available as the season approaches. Here's the 2019-2020 season, with home games in bold.
Saturday, October 5th - vs. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) - 7pm
Friday, October 11th - Ice Breaker Tourney @ Toledo - vs. Ohio State - 5pm
Saturday, October 12th - Ice Breaker Tourney @ Toledo - vs. Bowling Green or Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) - 5/8pm
Friday, October 18th - @ Bowling Green - 7:07pm
Saturday, October 19th - vs. Bowling Green - 7pm
Friday, October 25th - @ Michigan - TBA
Saturday, October 26th - vs. Michigan - TBA
Friday, November 1st - @ Colorado College - TBA
Saturday, November 2nd - @ Colorado College - TBA
Friday, November 8th - vs. Ferris State - 7pm
Saturday, November 9th - @ Ferris State - 7:07pm
Friday, November 15th - vs. Omaha - 7pm
Saturday, November 16th - vs. Omaha - 7pm
Friday, November 22nd - @ Denver - 9:07pm
Saturday, November 23rd - @ Denver - 9:07pm
Friday, December 6th - vs. North Dakota - 7pm
Saturday, December 7th - vs. North Dakota - 7pm
Friday, January 3rd - @ Notre Dame - TBA
Sunday, January 5th - vs. Notre Dame - TBA
Friday, January 10th - @ Minnesota Duluth - 8:07pm
Saturday, January 11th - @ Minnesota Duluth - 8:07pm
Friday, January 17th - vs. Colorado College - 7pm
Saturday, January 18th - vs. Colorado College - 7pm
Friday, January 24th - vs. St. Cloud State - 7pm
Saturday, January 25th - vs. St. Cloud State - 7pm
Friday, January 31st - @ Omaha - 8:07pm
Saturday, February 1st - @ Omaha - 8:07pm
Friday, February 7th - vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) - TBA
Saturday, February 8th - vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)- TBA
Friday, February 14th - @ Miami (OH) - TBA
Saturday, February 15th - @ Miami (OH) - TBA
Friday, February 21st - vs. Minnesota Duluth - 7pm
Saturday, February 22nd - vs. Minnesota Duluth - 7pm
Friday, February 28th - @ North Dakota - 8:37pm
Saturday, February 29th - @ North Dakota - 8:07pm
Friday, Marchth - vs. Miami (OH) - 7pm
Saturday, March 7th - vs. Miami (OH) - 7pm