From the suburbs to the title: Western Michigan’s journey to the top of collegiate hockey
When the 2024-25 season began, Western Michigan University’s hockey team never had reached a Frozen Four, let alone won a national championship.
Despite making four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, the Broncos never seemed to have the right stuff in the postseason. But something about this season’s team felt different from the moment the players first hit the ice.
Bolstered by talent from Buffalo Grove, Naperville and Algonquin, Western Michigan earlier this month won its first men’s hockey national championship with a 6-2 victory over Boston University in St. Louis.
“This team is as bought-in as any group of guys I’ve ever been around,” defenseman Robby Drazner, from Buffalo Grove, said. “I’ve been around a lot of teams, and this team is just different. Since Day One at camp, our players believed.”
That belief was tested early in the season, when then-No. 2 Boston College defeated Western Michigan 4-2. However, the game was tied with one minute to play before Boston College sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
The Broncos remained confident about their future prospects.
“It was kind of a big moment. We all knew … we could play with those teams and potentially beat those teams,” defenseman Zack Sharp, from Naperville, said. “I felt like we controlled that whole game until the last couple of minutes … that was a huge stepping stone for us.”
The Broncos rode that confidence to a 19-4-1 record in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, clinching the school’s first regular season conference championship in 50 years. But the regular season banner didn’t satisfy the team’s hunger for more.
After winning the first three games of the NCHC tournament by multiple goals, Western Michigan ran into sixth-ranked Denver in the conference title game. The Broncos rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 in two overtimes.
For senior forward Wyatt Schingoethe, the victory was a sign this team had what it took to win it all.
“In order to be a national champion team, everyone’s got to be their own leader and in their own way,” Schingoethe said. “And I think everyone was able to do that and find their path and be a leader for the team when we needed them.”
Three weeks after winning the conference championship, Western Michigan faced Boston University for the national championship. The team had just beaten Denver in the semifinals of the Frozen Four, again in double overtime.
But there was no fatigue on Schingoethe’s part. The senior from Algonquin scored less than two minutes into the national championship game, giving the Broncos a lead they didn’t relinquish.
“I had my family in the crowd, and to have them there, and to have that moment, was incredibly special,” Schingoethe said. “I had to earn my way to get into this team, and it wasn’t easy. So for me to have that moment at that time was awesome.”
Western Michigan maintained a 3-2 lead heading into the final period, but when Owen Michael scored an empty-net goal to push the lead to 6-2 with just two minutes to play, it became clear the Broncos were going to win the national title.
“It was a feeling that I’ve never experienced in hockey, and a feeling that I’m super grateful that I was able to experience,” Drazner said. “That moment where you can finally just throw your gloves and your stick in the air and celebrate with your teammates was an unbelievable moment.”
Western Michigan believed it was the best team in the nation all season long. Now the Broncos have the hardware to prove it.
“One of our trainers actually had a quote about belief, and it kind of stuck with us throughout the whole playoffs. And it was ‘Belief is a competitive advantage,’” Schingoethe said. “We wish we were still playing right now … just because there’s so much belief and will in this team.”