Frank Slubowski and WMU Broncos gearing up for new NCAA season

Prince Rupert's Frank Slubowski will soon be back between the pipes with the University of Western Michigan Broncos, as the NCAA squad accelerates the pace of training and practice in anticipation of another year of college hockey.

Slubowski split the goaltending duties last season with Lukas Hafner, as coach Andy Murray's squad made some noise in a new conference, as the Bronco's faced off against some of the top teams in the Midwest and West of the NCAA.

The Broncos who had an up and down season, advanced to a fourth place finish in the NCHC Championship before bowing out on the path the NCAA's fabled Frozen Four tournament.

However a new year offers up a clean stat sheet, a wide open path in the standings and new hopes to claim a title for the University in Kalamazoo.

Western Michigan kicks off the pre-season on October 4 when they host the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at the Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo. A game which provides an opportunity for hockey fans to compare the style of play between the NCAA and CIS squads.

The regular season for WMU gets underway on October 10th, when they travel to Buffalo in a non conference game.

The regular season wraps up on March 7th when Minnesota-Duluth travel to Kalamazoo for conference finale with the Broncos.

One exciting aspect of the season to come is another outdoor hockey experience for the Broncos who will play the University of  Miaim (Ohio) at Soldier Field, part of Coyote Logistics Hockey City Classic scheduled for February 7th of 2015.

Considering the venue (Soldier Field) and the city (Chicago), Mr. Slubowski will want to pack a couple of extra pairs of long johns to face down the Windy City temperatures of February.

It marks the third outdoor game that Western Michigan has been involved with in recent years, last year they were one of the featured teams at the Great Lakes Invitational at Comerica Park in Detroit.

The Chicago trip is one of three tournaments that the Broncos will take part in during the course of the regular season, with stops at Notre Dame for the Shillelagh Tournament and in Pittsburgh for the Three Rivers Classic part of their 2014-15 schedule.

More on the Broncos hockey program can be found here, with roster and bio material available here.

You can review our items on Slubowski and the Broncos from our archive page of last year found here.

The additions to the 2014-15 season file will be found here once the season gets underway