KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Western Michigan Broncos, for the first time in history, won the men's NCAA Ice Hockey National Championship in St. Louis on Saturday night.
In the battle for the national championship title, the Broncos bested Boston University 6 to 2.
Sunday afternoon, the team arrived home to Lawson Ice Arena with their national championship trophy in hand. They were greeted by hundreds of fans, including their mascot Buster Bronco, who stole the show.
“It’s so cool to see all their hard work manifest in this," said Western student Logan Case. "It’s been amazing for them, and I’m so happy for them.”
Western's win is not only a victory for current students, but also a victory for alumni who have been waiting on this win for decades. “We started coming to hockey games when we went to school here in the late 80s," said Western alumnus Gale Bartow. "It’s amazing to see what these guys accomplished.”
Director of Western Athletics, Dan Bartholomae, emphasizes that Western's win is not only for the players, but "...for everybody who has put their blood, sweat, and tears into this program for over 50 years.”
After this national championship win, fans say it's never been a more blissful time to be a Bronco.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
