Even to the untrained eye, it’s clear that the culture of Western Michigan hockey is dramatically different than it was two seasons ago. The rise of Bronco hockey from the bottom tier of the CCHA has been well documented by almost any outlet covering the conference and that program in particular.

That talk should only get louder in the coming weeks after Western completed a home-and-home sweep of Notre Dame last weekend, cementing the team as a legitimate contender for its first conference title. With the six-point weekend, the Broncos sit just one point behind Ohio State with two games in hand.

Chase Balisy

The key to this unprecedented opportunity for the Broncos is that through the transition of practice and training habits and on-ice strategy under Andy Murray this season and Jeff Blashill last year, one thing hasn’t been lost – the passion Western Michigan teams always had for the game, even when they were limited to spoiling a weekend for the conference’s big guns rather than actually contending.

But, in past seasons, that passion often came  with costly penalties and mistakes, a downside the Broncos revisited two weekends ago when they were swept at home by No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth – a downfall that many took to be a sign that Western wasn’t ready to compete nationally.

Against the Bulldogs, the Broncos found themselves tied heading to the final frame of both games – 1-1 on Friday, 2-2 on Saturday.  But two third-period penalties Friday and one Saturday resulted in an early power play goal both nights that sparked three-goal rallies and gave the games a blow-out feel if one simply looked at the box score.

Sophomore forward Chase Balisy looked back on those games this past Tuesday and echoed sentiments we’ve heard from Western Michigan so many times in the past.

“Against (Minnesota-Duluth) I thought we played well, but the third periods didn’t go our way,” Balisy said. “They’re the No. 1 team in the country and we just took too many penalties. We’re an emotional group of guys and we play with a lot of heart, but we can’t take that many penalties.”

The difference is that this time, the lesson was learned and the Broncos turned things around, playing spotless third periods against Notre Dame (2 goals scored on Friday, 1 Saturday) and rebuilding any lost faith in the club from supporters and media after the prior weekend’s disappointments.

“I think that this past weekend we did a better job of controlling that, even though the Notre Dame series was very physical,” Balisy said. “A lot of guys are banged up this week.”

Balisy credits another year of experience for what was an extremely young team last year for helping them keep their composure and stay in the title race.

“I’d say we definitely have more experience,” Balisy said. “We only lost a few seniors from last year and most of our forwards lines are intact, so we pretty much have the same team that made it to the CCHA finals last year.”

And while those seniors lost might have been few in number, Balisy notes that they played a huge role in his personal development as a college hockey player, as well as in the growth of the team as a whole.

“Last year I had no idea what to expect,” Balisy said. “I was just 18 years old, and the seniors really took me under their wing.”

That maturity and experience that Balisy and his teammates bounced back with against Notre Dame will continue to be important in the coming weeks, as they might complete the transition from underdog to the team with a target on its back if they take over the league’s top spot.

That quest starts with the team that ended the Broncos’ Cinderella story at Joe Louis Arena last year – the Miami RedHawks.

Miami hasn’t been a player in the title race thus far, but they’ve been hot as of late. Balisy gives them credit for a being a tough, physical team to play against and has seen the team trending upwards over the past month after a slow start.

It won’t be easy to win on the road at Steve Cady Arena, but with the chip on its shoulder after the championship game loss last March, the Broncos will throw everything possible at the RedHawks, hoping to come out of the weekend on top of the conference standings.

Should that happen, everyone will be talking about the Broncos, but Balisy and his teammates are ready to handle the pressure of being the favorites.

“At the beginning of the year, our goal was to win the CCHA Title, the playoff title and the National Championship,” Balisy said. “Every year those goals are the same, but now, with 12 games left, people will start to talk about it more.”