For the first time this season, the Cougs are taking the roof off the barn and playing hockey beneath the stars. WSU and Western Washington University will be dropping the puck on Saturday, Nov. 22, in the annual Collegiate Classic in Winthrop, WA.

The Cougs have also announced that they are unveiling a new alternate jersey at the event, adding a cherry on top for WSU fans. 

Last season, the Cougs made the yearly trip up north and came away with a narrow 3-2 win. However, 2025 may not sing the same tune. 

Western has had a major facelift in the recent offseason, transforming itself into a top team in the PAC-8 conference. The man at the heart of that facelift is former pro Andrew Fan. 

Fan played three seasons in the Western Hockey League before deciding to commit to Western to pursue his degree. While in Bellingham, he has been putting his talents to good use.  

50 points off of 16 goals and 34 assists has him standing atop the PAC for points and assists. While he is not the biggest goal scorer, his high assist count highlights how effective he is at setting up his team.  

Western is not just a one-trick pony. Excluding Fan, they have five players with over 25 points so far this year. Right behind Fan is forward Bret Brumbaugh (36 points), defenseman Ethan Secord (33), freshmen forwards Aaron James (31) and Jacob James (27), along with forward Tyler Chapman (26). 

The depth Western has is something WSU is all too familiar with. Earlier this year, Western tallied 11 combined goals on the Cougs through two games of PAC play. The Vikings’ ability to establish the zone and execute quality passes made them a scoring threat at all times.

For the Cougs, they will have to lean on their strong suit… goaltending. Between the pipes, they have sophomore Alexei Kuhl. Despite facing the most shots (500) out of any goaltender in the conference, he reps the fifth-best save percentage at 0.909%. 

In recent matchups, the Cougs have tightened up the defense and filtered shots away from the net. If they are able to keep pucks off the pads of Kuhl, the Cougs may be able to hang with the Vikings through three periods. 

On offense, the Cougs only have one player above 20 points… Cole Carlson. Carlson has been a staple of the first line, recording a balanced 11 assists and 11 goals. As the team captain, when he gets hot, so does the rest of the squad. 

With a 9-2 conference record, Western is coming into the Collegiate Classic as one of the hottest teams in the PAC. Although WSU is 3-7 in conference, the momentum they built up in the PAC-8 Showcase should spill over into Winthrop. The Cougs and Vikings will drop the puck at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Winthrop Ice Rink in Winthrop, WA.