KALAMAZOO, Mich. — UMD is no stranger to Kalamazoo’s Lawson Ice Arena.
The Bulldogs have played in the home of the Lawson Lunatics 22 times, going 12-9-1 in this fair city. Given the chaotic nature of games here (UMD coach Scott Sandelin said “the pace of the game is always times three” at Lawson), that’s a fine record.
Western Michigan will have a new building the next time UMD is scheduled to play here. I don’t believe the Bulldogs are here next season when the NCHC expands to ten teams (at which point, North Dakota becomes the only team UMD will play four times per regular season, and teams will only have four games against two other opponents), and a new arena is set to open in downtown Kalamazoo in 2027 that will house Western’s hockey and basketball teams, along with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo K-Wings.
So any return to Lawson, barring a schedule change that I don’t expect to happen, would have to be in the NCHC playoffs.
As I mentioned in 9 Thoughts, UMD has 23 players rostered who have never experienced Lawson. Sophomore Adam Kleber said they heard about it from defenseman Brady Cleveland, who played here with Colorado College last season. Give that a read. They’re aware of what they’re going to experience this weekend.
Of course, knowing it’s going to happen is different than it actually happening. The atmosphere is insane here. The games feel faster. I don’t know why. It’s an NHL-size ice surface, but it feels like it’s smaller than the DECC was, even smaller than the one they’re building for the Olympics! But there’s something about this building. Players and coaches have said the game feels faster here. From the press box, which is right on top of the ice and right above the — um, unique — student section, the game feels faster.
And Western Michigan’s pace — Sandelin calls it “racehorse hockey” a lot, and while there’s a pun there I doubt it’s intended — feeds right into all that’s going on around the building. No team’s identity is better tailored to its building than the Broncos.
Get the puck. Go north. Quickly.
“They live off transition,” Sandelin said about Western Michigan. “They’re gonna get it anyway, we can’t help feed it.”
For UMD, Hunter Anderson draws back into the lineup. He’s struggled at times with the pace of games, but his stick is as good as any on the team, and after he sat the Colorado College weekend, it was time to get him back in up front. Blake Bechen will sit the series opener. On the fourth line, Braden Fischer is in for Ryan Zaremba.
Adam Gajan vs Hampton Slukynsky.
(Don’t be fooled by Slukynsky’s season numbers. He’s at a .911 save percentage over Western’s last four games, all wins. The four before that? .864 over a stretch where Western won a game 6-5 and then lost three straight after losing Joona Väisänen to a long-term injury. The guy they call “The Hammer” is playing more to expectation as of late, and Western’s found its defensive game.)
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Plante (Max) – Plante (Zam) – Shaugabay
Truman – Gaffney – Arnott
Anderson – Kovich – Bentz
Fischer – Shlaine – Bibby
UMD defense
Hanson – Kleber
Pionk – Pierce
Cleveland – Siepmann
Bodnarchuk
UMD goalies
Gajan – Dahlmeir – Sheffield
Western Michigan forwards
Henricks – Michaels – Whitelaw
Valente – Slukynsky (Grant) – Nehring
Hakkarainen – Spicer – Wisdom
Cowan – Kusler – Szydlowski
Bade – Humphrey
(One of the two extra forwards will be a scratch)
Western Michigan defense
Sjolund – Bookman
Sharp – Crusberg-Roseen
Wallberg – Woogk
Western Michigan goalies
Slukynsky (Hampton) – Laursen – Moffatt
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