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That’s because he didn’t have much to say.

“No magic words, just magic players,� Ferschweiler said.

And sophomore Owen Michaels was the lead magician.

Michaels capped off a two-goal night by scoring 26 seconds into the second extra session to give the Broncos to a 3-2 win over defending champion Denver in a national semifinal contest before 16,814 fans at Enterprise Center.

Western Michigan (33-7-1), which has won nine in a row, will face Boston University (24-13-4) for the championship at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Boston U. beat Penn State 3-1 in Thursday’s other semifinal.

Michaels whipped a shot past Denver goaltender Matt Davis to end the fourth-longest semifinal game in NCAA history.

“It was kind of a little bit of a broken play,� said Michaels, who hails from Northville, Michigan. “I just saw the puck squirt out to me in middle of the ice. I had some open time and space and I figured I’d just put it on the net.

“And it went in.�

Matteo Costantini tossed a pass in the offensive zone that took a fortunate bounce off the stick of a defender. Costantini appeared to be trying to hit an open Alex Bump, but the puck ended up right on the stick of Michaels, who made no mistake in recording his 16th goal of the season.

“I kind of blacked out,� Michaels said. “Then, it was a pretty big celebration with the guys. I just had to catch my breath.�

The goal was the biggest in the history of the program and sent the Broncos to the championship game in their first final four appearance.

Michaels ended an 80-plus minute battle that saw Western Michigan dominate the first two periods on the way to a 2-0 lead.

Denver (31-12-1) fought back with a pair of third period goals including a tally by Jared Wright that tied the contest with 2 minutes and 39 seconds left in regulation.

Each team had a pair of legitimate scoring chances in the first OT, but Broncos freshman goalie Hampton Slukynsky and Davis came up big every time.

“It was a heavyweight battle,� Ferschweiler said. “Denver has a championship pedigree and they weren’t going to go down easily. They pushed back in the third and I thought our team responded with belief and execution.�

Denver has won a record 10 championship and was looking for its third crown in four years after winning the title in 2022 as well.

Meanwhile, the neophyte Broncos were making their first appearance under the bright lights.

“Maybe people doubted us, but all that matters is what’s in that (locker) room over there,� Michaels said. “We had this belief back in June and September.

“And definitely right now.�

Slukynsky made 20 saves and came up big down the stretch after seeing just eight shots over first two periods.

“Sometimes it’s tough to stay in there,� Slukynsky said. “Just stay mentally dialed in.�

Western Michigan has eight players who have been drafted by NHL teams. Sophomore Bump, chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 draft, leads the way.

Bump turned in a strong two-way performance against the Pioneers (31-12-1) and led with a game-high nine shots on goal.

The Broncos brought their band and cheerleaders along and dominated the crowd support battle.

Western Michigan began playing hockey in 1973 and is making its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth in row. Ferschweiler is in his fourth season.

Third time a charm for Terriers

Boston University senior Jack Hughes was finally able to exhale.

Hughes had a goal and an assist to lead the Terriers into their first championship game since 2015.

Boston University had lost in the semifinals each of the past two seasons and Hughes was getting tired of coming up just short.

“We all come here for a reason, to win a national championship,� said Hughes, who was chosen by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2022 draft. “Thinking about the opportunity to do that is exciting. It doesn’t really feel quite real. It’s a little bit of a relief for now.�

Hughes poked home a loose puck in the goal crease just 95 seconds into the second period to break a scoreless tie. He also assisted on an open net goal by Jack Harvey in the final minute.

Cole Eiserman converted on a 2-on-1 break off a pass from Cole Hutson midway through the second stanza for a 2-0 lead. Eiserman leads all freshmen in the nation with 24 goals.

Boston U. freshman goalie Mikhail Yegorov recorded 32 saves including 17 in the final period while his team was nursing the lead.

“Big Mike did a heck of a job in the third when we were under siege,� Boston U. coach Jay Pandolfo said.

The Terriers have 14 players that have been drafted by NHL teams, the most at the final four.

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The Frozen Four has been held two previous times in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and a team from the state of Michigan won both, which bodes well for Western Michigan.

Michigan Tech won the crown in 1975. Michigan State took the title in 2007.