Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Ferris continues home winning streak

Special to MiCHO by Andy Oliver

Ferris State avenged Friday’s night overtime loss to Michigan State by clipping the sixth-ranked Spartans 2-1 in Big Rapids on Tuesday night.

Bulldogs freshman Aaron Lewicki started the scoring in the first period with his sixth goal of the season.

Blair Riley received a pass from Alex Spezia to set up a 3-on-1 rush into the MSU zone. Riley hit Lewicki with a nice pass in the high slot and Lewicki buried it.

Michigan State responded five minutes later with a power-play goal from Tim Crowder, his 11th goal of the season.

Tim Kennedy’s pass to Justin Abdelkader breaking in on the right side set up the pass to Crowder for a one-timer from the left faceoff dot that beat Ferris goalie Derek MacIntyre.

The scoreless second period saw a lot of physical play with the check of the game going to Ferris State’s Zac Pearson, who laid out MSU forward Tyler Howells as he tried to enter the Ferris zone with the puck.

With only 1:27 left on the game clock, Ferris State forward Adam Miller scored the game-winning goal, his sixth goal of the season.

The goal was set up by Pearson, slipping past an MSU check on the right boards, falling to his knees still with the puck and centering the pass to Miller who tucked it in on the far post past MSU goalie Jeff Lerg.

The win improves Ferris’s record to 10-19-3 and 7-15-2 in the CCHA.

The loss breaks Michigan State’s nine-game unbeaten streak and drops their overall record to 18-9-3 and 14-7-3 in the conference.

MacIntyre, with 23 saves, earned his fifth win of the season while Lerg made 28 saves on the night in a losing effort.

On the power play, Ferris went 0-for-3 and MSU was 1-for-4.

Up next, Ferris will be hosting Bowling Green for two games at the Ewigleben Arena this Friday and Saturday night.

Michigan State will face Western Michigan in a home-and-home as the Green and White try to lock up a bye for the first round of CCHA playoffs.

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