GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Western Michigan hockey’s Jason Polin recorded his fifth hat trick of the season and was named Most Valuable Player as the Broncos downed Ferris State, 8-2, to win the program’s fourth MacInnes Cup as Great Lakes Invitational Champions on Wednesday night.
Polin, freshman forward Ryan McAllister, junior defenseman Aidan Fulp and junior goaltender Cameron Rowe all earned spots on the GLI All-Tournament Team.
Junior forward Chad Hillebrand had two goals and an assist, while WMU also picked up goals from Luke Grainger, Fulp and Max Sasson along with Polin’s hat trick. McAllister had a game-high three assists, while Cole Gallant, Carter Berger and Jamie Rome each had two. Sasson had two assists for a three-point night.
Rowe marked his fourth-straight game giving up two or fewer goals and made 28 saves on the night. The Bronco penalty kill went perfect in the tournament after holding the Bulldogs scoreless on two chances.
WMU got out to an early lead on Hillebrand’s first goal of the season at 9:03 in the first period. Hugh Larkin made a great defensive play along the boards in the FSU zone to steal the puck away and found Hillebrand right in front of the net. The junior punched it into the net, with Larking picking up his career-high sixth assists on the opening goal.
Ferris State responded quickly, scoring at 10:56, on a goal by Kaleb Ergang. Mich Deelstra found Ergang at center ice and he split the defense to score on a breakaway, tying it at 1-1.
Polin kicked off the natural hat trick after netting his 17th of the season to get the lead back for the Broncos with 1:24 left to play in the opening period. Sasson fired a shot on net, with McAllister getting to the rebound. The freshman passed it between the legs of a FSU defenseman to Polin at the back post for the goal.
Polin’s second of the night came just 3:02 into the second period. A WMU power play was expiring when Carter Berger ripped a slap shot from the center point. The shot was deflected back to him and he passed it off to Rome for the one-timer from the right circle. Rome’s shot was saved but the rebound bounced right to Polin, who punched it in for his 18th of the season. Berger tallied his 13th assist, with Rome picking up his fifth.
The Holt, Mich., native completed the hat trick at 10:51 of the second period to give the Broncos a 4-1 lead. Polin started a 3-on-2 rush after passing it up to Sasson. Sasson went down the middle of the ice before dishing it to the left to McAllister. McAllister went cross-ice with it to Polin and he fired it into the left side of the net for his nation-leading 19th goal of the season.
Just 27 seconds later Grainger pushed the lead to 5-1 on a shot from the left edge of the slot. Hillebrand set up the goal after getting a pass from Gallant. The goal was Grainger’s seventh of the season and his fourth point of the tournament.
Fulp netted his second of the season just over a minute later at 12:25 to give the Broncos a 6-1 advantage. Rome found Fulp at the right point and he fired one through traffic and into the back of the net. Tim Washe also picked up an assist on the goal, his eighth of the season.
FSU’s Mitch Deelstra cut WMU’s lead to four at 14:24, finishing off a three-on-one rush for his fifth goal of the season.
Sasson then scored on the power play at 8:25 in the third period, with Berger and McAllister picking up the assists before Hillebrand capped it off with his second of the night at 9:02.
The Broncos are off to start the new year and then head to North Dakota to take on the Fighting Hawks on Jan. 13-14.