Countdown to Puck Drop: WMU Returns to the GLI

With now just nine days remaining before the official start of the Divison I collegiate hockey season, we look to our eighth reason for fans to be excited for the upcoming hockey season.

The focus on today's countdown is WMU's participation in the 2012 Great Lakes Invitational. The Broncos will face Michigan State on Thursday Dec. 27 at 3:35 p.m. for a historic game. Not only is it WMU's first return to the GLI since 1986, when they won it, but it is the first scheduled outdoor varsity hockey game in the history of WMU hockey.

The Broncos follow that up with another outdoor game the following day on Friday. WMU will play either Michigan or Michigan Tech, depending on what the Broncos did against Michigan State as well as who won the Michigan Tech/Michigan game the night before.

Both games are slated to be played at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit in conjuction with the 2013 NHL Winter Classic that will be played at Michigan Stadium.

The Broncos dominated the Great Lakes Invitational their last time there. WMU met Michigan State in the semifinals beating the Spartans 7-3. The Wolverines didn't put up much of a fight the following day with WMU defeating them 8-2. This is also the first winter holiday tournament for the Broncos since they competed in the Dodge Holiday Classic at the University of Minnesota back in 2009. WMU fell to nationally ranked Northeastern in their first game and then tied Brown, 1-1, in the third-place game.