Western Michigan Clinches Epic Double OT Victory Over Minnesota State
Talk about nerve-wracking. The Western Michigan Broncos pulled off a marathon win against Minnesota State in the NCAA Men’s Hockey Regional Semifinal—a standoff that stretched deep into double overtime Thursday at Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota.
The crowd witnessed one of the tournament’s most grinding matchups with both teams leaving everything on the ice. When the smoke cleared, it was Grant Slukynsky who played the hero, firing a shot that decided it all. After more than 90 minutes of hockey, his double-overtime goal secured the 2-1 victory, making it just the second NCAA hockey tournament win in Western Michigan’s history.
Goaltending Duel Defines the Night
Most fans came expecting a back-and-forth scoring show, but what unfolded was a masterclass in goaltending grit. Broncos goalie Hampton Slukynsky turned aside 28 shots through nearly two full games’ worth of ice time. But give credit where it’s due: Minnesota State’s Alex Tracy was tested all night and responded with an eye-popping 42 saves, keeping the Mavericks in the fight through two regulation periods and a first overtime that saw close calls on both ends.
Western Michigan, controlling much of the pace late, relied on cycling lines and peppering Tracy with pucks, yet the Mavericks defense stayed organized—right up until that final breakdown. Tired legs, frantic shifts, and mounting pressure from both benches defined the second overtime as players traded exhausting end-to-end rushes and coaches juggled lines to keep them fresh.
Liam Valente first snapped the tension, putting Western Michigan on the scoreboard with a power-play blast in the second period. But when Kaden Bohlsen equalized for Minnesota State partway through the third, you could feel Fargo’s temperature shift—a collective tightening as the possibility of overtime loomed.
- Final Score: Western Michigan 2, Minnesota State 1 (2OT)
- Winning Goal: Grant Slukynsky (Double Overtime)
- Saves: Slukynsky (WMU) 28, Tracy (MSU) 42
- Power-Play Goal: Liam Valente (WMU, 2nd Period)
- Equalizer: Kaden Bohlsen (MSU, 3rd Period)
For Western Michigan, the journey doesn’t end here. The Broncos now gear up for the Fargo Regional Final, where they’ll collide with either Minnesota or UMass for a shot at freezing their place in Frozen Four lore. One thing’s certain: after a battle like this, no one should be overlooking Western Michigan anytime soon.