GameCenter final: Western Michigan 4, UND 1

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Western Michigan scored three power-play goals to beat UND 4-1 in the series opener. UND lost a third-straight game for the first time since November 2018.

First star: Ronnie Attard, WMU, 2 goals, 1 assist.
Second star: Brandon Bussi, WMU, 34 saves.
Third star: Josh Passolt, WMU, 1 goal, 2 assists.

WMU 1, UND 0 — Ronnie Attard (Max Sasson, Josh Passolt) 15:17 (pp). Western Michigan takes advantage of its second power-play chance of the night. Sasson has the puck at the side of the net and fires a no-look backhand pass to Attard in the left circle and Attard buries it for his sixth goal of the season.

WMU 1, UND 1 — Judd Caulfield (Matteo Costantini, Connor Ford) 19:37. Ford wins a battle along the wall and gets it to Costantini, who lofts a lob pass to the middle of the ice. Caulfield outskates Western's top defensive pairing Attard and Aidan Fulp to get to the loose puck, then puts it just inside the post to end his 12-game point drought.

WMU 2, UND 1 — Hugh Larkin (Ronnie Attard, Tim Washe) 2:54. Two UND players collide in the offensive zone and Western Michigan takes it the other way on a five-on-three advantage. The Broncos score the goal-ahead goal on a rebound on top of the crease. It's Larkin's first game and goal of the season.

WMU 3, UND 1 — Ronnie Attard (Michael Joyaux, Josh Passolt) 14:02 (pp). WMU takes advantage of a 5-on-3 power play when Joyaux feeds Attard, who hammers a one-timer in the corner of the net.

WMU 4, UND 1 — Josh Passolt (Max Sasson, Aidan Fulp) 15:33 (pp). Western tacks on a third power-play goal of the night and second of the same advantage when Passolt finishes a Sasson feed.

Forwards
29 Jackson Kunz—8 Jake Schmaltz—17 Riese Gaber
18 Matteo Costantini—21 Connor Ford—28 Judd Caulfield
19 Mark Senden—27 Louis Jamernik—16 Ashton Calder
20 Nick Portz—11 Griffin Ness—13 Carson Albrecht

Defensemen
26 Jake Sanderson—15 Ethan Frisch
25 Tyler Kleven—7 Chris Jandric
4 Cooper Moore—2 Brady Ferner
6 Brent Johnson

Goaltenders
33 Zach Driscoll
32 Jakob Hellsten

Out of lineup on trip: Dane Montgomery and Luke Bast
Out of lineup, not on trip: Gavin Hain (inj), Brendan Budy (inj), Kaleb Johnson, Harrison Feeney

Forwards
26 Ethen Frank—13 Drew Worrad—12 Cole Gallant
27 Ty Glover—34 Max Sasson—14 Jason Polin
10 Chad Hillebrand—9 Luke Grainger—21 Josh Passolt
18 Wyatt Schingoethe—16 Tim Washe—37 Dylan Wendt
28 Hugh Larkin

Defensemen
24 Aidan Fulp—7 Ronnie Attard
17 Cedrid Fiedler—3 Michael Joyaux
15 Daniel Hilsendager—2 Jacob Bauer

Goaltenders
30 Brandon Bussi
31 Ross Hawryluk
35 Alex Aslanidis

Western Michigan captain Paul Washe is out tonight. He's been suspended for violating team rules. The timeline for his suspension is yet to be determined. Josh Passolt, who missed Western Michigan's last game on Dec. 29, has returned to the lineup. . . The goaltender battle is Zach Driscoll vs. Brandon Bussi. . . UND moves Ashton Calder to the Heavy Line with Mark Senden and Louis Jamernik.