Western Michigan vs North Dakota Preview

The fifth-ranked Western Michigan Broncos take on the North Dakota Fighting Hawks today in a very big ranked-on-ranked matchup, and one that could end up being played in the spring. 

The Fighting Hawks were looked at as arguably the best team in the country early in the season, but after a three-game losing streak with back-to-back losses against Minnesota, and then a loss to Michigan State, they’re now in need of proving themselves against the country's best teams. 

For Western Michigan, they’ve played very sound hockey at 6-1, with their only loss to Michigan; can’t exactly blame them for that one. Even though they dropped that one 3-2, they still looked like a very good team that can play an entire 60 minutes at full pace. 

A player to look out for with the Broncos is freshman Adam Benak, who has been amazing so far. The Czech forward has 13 points in seven games, which is similar production to what he did in the OHL for the Brantford Bulldogs. He can break a game open, and when you play a team that has the blueline the Fighting Hawks do, you need someone to break the game open and take over; Benak might be just that. 

For North Dakota, it’s captain Cole Reschny who has been very solid with four goals and eight points in seven games. He will have to be strong in his own end and limit Western Michigan’s offensive chances. His offense will matter, but what can make a difference in this series is the captain shutting things down in their own end. 

Overall, these are two elite teams, and it’ll be a matchup you have to keep an eye on this weekend, and it could potentially be a preview for a win-or-go-home game in early 2027.