Bulldogs split weekend with Notre Dame

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

For one night only, Ferris State was able to make a jump in the CCHA standings by virtue of their 3-1 win over No. 7 ranked Notre Dame, before dropping back into fourth place with a 5-2 loss in the series finale.

The Fighting Irish controlled the first game from the onset, grabbing a 1-0 lead just 6:34 into the contest on a goal by Anders Lee.

Momentum shifted toward the Bulldogs side in the second period, thanks to a power-play marker by senior captain Kyle Bonis at the 3:18 mark.

Midway through the period, Ferris State gained control of the scoreboard thanks to a Dominic Panetta goal off a cross-ice pass from Dakota Kletcha.

With 55 seconds left in regulation, goaltender C.J. Motte and forward Travis Ouellette helped Bonis tally his team-high 13th goal of the season on an empty-netter.

Motte recorded 32 saves to improve to 12-9-3 as a starter, while counterpart Steven Summerhays finished with 22 stops.

Saturday's contest had a similar ebb-and-flow to the previous night, but his time it was Notre Dame that made a late rally to capture the win.

Once again, the Fighting Irish held onto a slim 1-0 lead after the first 20 minutes of play, with their lone score coming courtesy of David Gerths.

Ouellette and junior Corey Kane responded on the Bulldogs behalf in the ensuing frame by registering a goal apiece within a 10-minute span, but Notre Dame would close out the second with a pair of scores to take a 3-2 lead.

In the final stanza, Mario Lucia added an insurance goal by sliding the puck past netminder Charles Williams with less than a minute elapsed.

The Fighting Irish closed out their scoring binge with a lamp-lighter by T.J. Tynan at 17:39, which came while on the man-advantage.

Despite the loss, Williams had a 24-22 edge over Summerhays in the saves department.

Ferris State (13-10-3 overall, 11-8-1-0 CCHA) faces a tough test this weekend when they play host to Western Michigan (16-6-4 overall, 12-4-2-1 CCHA), who currently sit atop the CCHA with 39 points. Puck-drop for both games is scheduled for 7:05 pm.