Ferris State's run ends in regional final

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

Ferris State's chance of completing their unfinished business from two years ago was nixed on Saturday night after losing a 2-1 double-overtime thriller to North Dakota at the Midwest Regional Championship in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Both teams mirrored each other from the beginning, with neither one able to find the back of the net in the first period.

The Bulldogs grabbed the initial lead at the 7:31 mark of the second, thanks to senior Cory Kane's 14th goal of the campaign from between the faceoff circles. Fellow classmate Andy Huff and junior netminder C.J. Motte were both credited with assists on that play.

Just over three minutes later, North Dakota was able to even-up matters while on the man-advantage. Nick Mattson fed a one-timer to Paul LaDue at the blue line, which was subsequently deflected in by Stephane Pattyn from just outside the crease.

The contest remained deadlocked at one goal apiece until Connor Gaarder of North Dakota netted the game-winner off a back-handed redirect in front with 1:28 elapsed in the second overtime session. On a play that was eerily similar to the previous goal, North Dakota's Mattson and LaDue both picked-up their second helpers of the evening.

Despite the loss, Ferris State head coach Bob Daniels was very supportive of his team after the game.

"First of all, I want congratulate North Dakota in winning tonight and playing a great game," said Daniels. "[But] I want to congratulate our players as well. They really played well, and, more importantly, it's been a great ride. I'm exceedingly proud and realize that we're going to look back and be appreciative of this year. Its a little painful right now, but I am very appreciative of the efforts of our team."

The Bulldogs outshot their opposition 45-26, increasing their shot production gradually as the game wore on.

Motte had 24 saves to finish his second season as a starter with a 28-9-3 ledger. At the other end of the ice, Zane Gothberg made 44 stops to notch his 20th win of the season.

Senior captain Scott Czarnowczan, Kane and Motte were named to the All-Midwest Regional Tournament Team, where they were joined by North Dakota's Rocco Grimaldi, Gaarder and LaDue.

Ferris State finishes the 2013-2014 season with an overall record of 29-11-3.

Ferris State 1, Colgate 0: In Friday's opening round of 16, freshman Gerald Mayhew knocked in a loose puck at 10:01 in the first period to advance the Bulldogs to the Midwest Regional Championship. Motte stopped all 35 shots to secure his fifth shutout of the season.

FSU secures NCAA bid despite loss in finals

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

There's no shame in losing, especially when you have the clout that Ferris State has amassed throughout the season.

The Bulldogs bounced past Alaska Anchorage in the WCHA semifinals with a 5-4 overtime win, before being ousted by Minnesota State 4-1 in the championship game.

But the loss comes without consequence, as Ferris State's overall record of 28-10-3 and WCHA regular season title was enough to merit a spot amongst the 16 teams vying for the NCAA Championship.

In their journey to make it to the NCAA tournament, the Bulldogs first had to cross paths with the Seawolves in Friday's semifinal, whom they previously beat twice during the regular season.

Ferris State however found out quickly that this was no walk in the park, after seeing their 2-0 lead in the first disappear with four consecutive goals by Alaska Anchorage by the midpoint of the following period.

Senior forward Garrett Thompson helped spark the Bulldogs' comeback at 12:50, scoring his team-high 16th goal of the campaign courtesy of a 2-on-1 situation. Earning helpers on that play were Justin Buzzeo and Scott Czarnowczan.

Less than three minutes later, another senior came through in the clutch for Ferris State, with Andy Huff finding the back of the net for the game-tying goal.

The Bulldogs needed just 2:38 seconds of the overtime session to finish the job, which came courtesy of a Gerald Mayhew shot from between the faceoff circles that trickled past Seawolves' netminder Chris Kamal.

Goaltender C.J. Motte finished with 34 saves for Ferris State, while Rob Gunderson surrendered four goals on 12 shots for Alaska Anchorage in the first two periods before being pulled. In his 23:38 seconds of relief duty, Kamal had 10 stops to his credit.

Saturday's tournament final was a much tougher challenge for the Bulldogs, who found themselves in a 2-0 hole against the Mavericks after just 20 minutes of action.

It wasn't until the final minute of the second frame that Ferris State responded, thanks to Mayhew's diving effort from outside the crease that cut the deficit in half. Helping to set-up the scoring play were Cory Kane and Huff.

Any chance of a Bulldog comeback was put to rest in the third period, as Brett Knowles notched an insurance goal at the 8:38 mark, followed by Teddy Blueger's empty-netter with four seconds remaining.

Motte (27-8-3) held a narrow edge over counterpart Cole Huggins in the saves department, 28-25.

Mayhew was the only Ferris State player named to the WCHA Final Five All-Tournament Team, joining the likes of Minnesota State's Bryce Gervais, Brett Stern, Blueger and Huggins (tournament MVP).

Up next for the Bulldogs is a first-round draw in the Midwest Regional against Colgate on March 28 at the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The winner of that game will face either North Dakota or Wisconsin the following night in the regional final.

Bulldogs advance to WCHA Semifinals

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

Never judge a book by its cover.

It's a lesson that Bemidji State learned the hard way this past weekend, when Ferris State defenseman Scott Czarnowczan rifled the game-winning shot from the blueline in double overtime to help the Bulldogs move onto the second round of the WCHA Tournament.

A senior, Czarnowczan has shown time and again that he plays much bigger than his 5-foot-10, 176 pounds frame may suggest. After an injury-plagued junior season, Czarnowczan has rebounded to become Ferris State's top scoring defenseman with 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 37 games, ranking him fifth overall on the team. In addition, the team captain was also recently named to the WCHA All-Second Team alongside classmate Garrett Thompson.

Czarnowczan's goal capped a run that saw the No. 6 ranked Bulldogs bounce back from a 2-1 deficit, which began with sophomore Matt Roberton's game-tying goal with 45 seconds left in regulation to force the extra session.

Ferris State took the initial lead on Saturday night following Brandon Anselmini netting his fifth goal of the campaign with 3:50 elapsed in the contest.

An untimely hit to Cory Kane later in the frame caused the glass boards to shatter behind the Beavers' net, causing a lengthy delay in action.

The Bulldogs' momentum would come to a temporary halt in the second period, when Phil Brewer evened-up the score at the 1:17 mark, followed by Nate Arentz's go-ahead marker a mere five minutes later.

Junior netminder C.J. Motte logged nearly 85 minutes of action to pick-up his 26th win of the season, collecting 34 saves in the process.

There was less dramatics on the previous night, as Ferris State coasted to an 8-0 decision in which six different players lit the lamp.

Forwards Justin Buzzeo and Kyle Schempp gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage midway through the opening stanza, scoring their goals nearly two minutes apart. The duo would also find themselves on the score-sheet later in the game, with Buzzeo's coming at 16:15 in the second and Schempp equaling the feat 5:23 into the third.

Junior defenseman Travis White made it a 3-0 affair just shy of the 11-minute mark of the second, blasting a knuckle-puck from the right slot that found its way past Bemidji State goaltender Andrew Walsh.

35 seconds after Schempp netted his second goal of the evening, Kane upped the Bulldogs lead to six off a costly turnover by the Beavers in their defensive zone. The play began with Gerald Mayhew chipping the puck out from along the boards and onto the stick of Andy Huff, who then flipped it up-ice for Kane to finish the tic-tac-toe play.

Robertson centered to puck to sophomore Kenny Babinski from down-low to make it a 7-0 affair at 12:47, before Huff finished off Ferris State's scoring binge a minute later.

Motte recorded 26 saves en route to his fourth shutout of the season, while Walsh stopped 15 shots on 23 opportunities.

Ferris State (27-9-3 overall) faces off with Alaska Anchorage in the WCHA Semifinals this Friday at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The winner of that contest will meet either Bowling Green State or Minnesota State in the WCHA Championship Game the very next night.

Bulldogs finish runner-up in Mariucci Classic

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

No. 2 ranked Ferris State had their unprecedented 16-game unbeaten streak snapped Saturday night in the finals of the Mariucci Classic by Colgate, following an impressive showing against RPI in the opening round.

This was the Bulldogs' fifth appearance in the Mariucci Classic and first since their third-place finish during the 2010-2011 season.

The red-light ran rampant in Friday's contest, as Ferris State cruised to a 7-2 victory over RPI. Garrett Thompson and Justin Buzzeo gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead in the first before the Engineers responded with under three minutes left in the frame on a goal by Milos Bubela.

Freshman Chad McDonald scored the eventual game-winner with 7:30 elapsed in the middle stanza, followed by a power-play marker from sophomore Matt Robertson to put Ferris State ahead by three.

Just over a minute into the final period, junior defenseman Travis White notched his first collegiate goal, with Sean O' Rourke and Buzzeo providing helpers on the play.

RPI added to their total with a short-handed effort by Mike Zalewski with nine minutes remaining, only to be answered back by Robertson on an empty-netter at the 17-minute mark.

In addition to his pair of goals, Robertson also registered assists on the Bulldogs' first two scores.

Freshman defenseman Ryan Lowney led all players in the plus/minus category with a +4 rating.

Notching his 15th win of the season between the pipes was junior C.J. Motte, who had 32 saves to Scott Liebold's 24.

Ferris State ran into a familiar foe in the tournament final on Saturday in Colgate, whom they previously split with to begin the 2013-2014 season.

In the rubber match, the Raiders were able to hand the Bulldogs just their third loss of the season, scoring two power-play goals en route to a 3-0 victory.

Motte dropped his first game of the season, finishing with 26 stops, while counterpart Charlie Finn shied away 19 shots to secure the shutout.

Ferris State (15-3-3 overall, 10-0-2 WCHA) resumes their conference schedule this weekend, as they play host to Michigan Tech (7-11-6, 5-5-4).

Michigan natives aplenty in NCAA tournament

No schools from the state of Michigan made the round of 16 for the NCAA tournament that starts this weekend at four sites across the country, but the Mitten State is still well-represented with plenty of players on the rosters of the 16 qualifying teams.

BOSTON COLLEGE
Patrick Brown, Jr., F, Bloomfield Hills

CANISIUS
Doug Beck, So., F, Plymouth

MASSACHUSETTS-LOWELL 
Adam Chapie, Fr., F, Oxford
Connor Hellebuyck, Fr., G, Commerce - pictured
A.J. White, Fr., F, Dearborn

MIAMI 
Riley Barber, Fr., F, Livonia
Austin Czarnik, So., F, Washington
Garrett Kennedy, Sr., D/F, Brighton

MINNESOTA STATE 
Jean-Paul Lafontaine, So., F, Oxford

NIAGARA 
Kevin Albers, So., D, Lake Orion
Ryan Rashid, Jr., F, Farmington Hills

NOTRE DAME 
Joe Rogers, Jr., G, Marysville
Bryan Rust, Jr., F, Novi
Andy Ryan, Fr., D, Brighton
Mike Voran, Jr., F, Livonia

ST. CLOUD STATE 
Kevin Gravel, Jr., D, Kingsford

YALE 
Ryan Obuchowski, Fr., D, West Bloomfield

Bulldogs ousted by Ohio State in CCHA quarterfinals

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

Ferris State's long-standing run within the CCHA came to a bitter end over the weekend, as the Bulldogs lost a best-of-three series to Ohio State in the conference quarterfinals.

Friday's opener favored the visiting Bulldogs, who jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a power-play marker by senior Kyle Bonis from between the faceoff circles with 15:44 elapsed in the first. Earning assists in the process were linemates Travis Ouellette and Justin Buzzeo.

The Buckeyes bounced back to begin the middle frame, notching two goals within the first seven minutes of play. Max McCormick knotted the game up at one goal apiece at the 1:13 mark, after knocking in a rebound on Ferris State goaltender C.J. Motte.

With the Bulldogs down a skater, Ohio State capitalized on that opportunity to grab their first lead of the game at 6:55 on a goal by Tanner Fritz.

Not to be outdone, Ferris State was able to bounce back shortly thereafter on Justin DeMartino's fifth marker of the campaign, which came courtesy of Garrett Thompson and Brandon Anselmini.

DeMartino answered the call once more for the Bulldogs in the early moments of the third, banging in the game-winning goal from close quarters off an Eric Alexander feed at the 1:24 mark.

Ahead by a 3-2 margin, Bonis lit the lamp once more with 24 seconds left on an empty-netter to register his team-high 19th goal of the campaign.

Motte collected 28 saves to pick-up his 15th victory, while counterpart Brady Hjelle had 18 stops.

What Ferris State had hoped would be the close-out game on Saturday, turned out to be the exact opposite, as Ohio State bounced back from one-goal deficit early on to steal a 3-1 decision.

Ouellette placed the Bulldogs in the lead with 3:31 elapsed in the opening stanza on a power-play goal, with helpers being credited to Jason Binkley and Buzzeo.

The Buckeyes evened-up matters 10 minutes later, responding with a goal by Ryan Dzingel on the man-advantage.

Ohio State would light the lamp in each of the remaining two periods to stave off elimination and force a deciding game three.

With both teams looking to keep their respective season alive, there was plenty of action right out of the gates to begin Sunday's clincher, as four of the five scores came in the first period alone.

McCormick tallied his third goal in as many nights to put the Buckeyes ahead at the 1:32 mark, but Ferris State countered at the midway point with scores by juniors Andy Huff and Cory Kane.

Ohio State made it a 2-2 affair with just over a minute remaining in the first, as Curtis Gedig fired a shot over the right shoulder of Motte, which came while on the man-advantage.

Following a scoreless second period, the Buckeyes broke the tie at the 3:33 mark of the third on a goal by Anthony Greco.

Of Ohio State's six assists, three belonged to Dzingel.

Hjelle finished with an astounding 47 saves, 21 of which came in the second period.

Motte had 27 stops in the loss, dropping to 15-15-5 as a starter.

Ferris State ends the 2012-2013 season with an overall ledger of 16-16-5.

Ferris State takes third in holiday tournament

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

It took nearly all of December, but Ferris State ended their five-game winless streak with a 6-2 victory over Minnesota-Duluth in the Florida College Hockey Classic consolation game on Saturday night.

In a rematch from last year's 2012 NCAA Midwest Regional Championship, Ferris State was bested 5-3 the night before by Cornell to open the tournament.

Freshman forward Kenny Babinski scored from behind the net off a pass from senior Eric Alexander to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead just 1:22 into Friday's contest, but the Big Reds responded with two seconds left in the opening period on a goal by Brian Ferlin.

Cornell would build their lead over the next two frames, with a John McCarron marker in the second, followed by contributions from Ferlin and Greg Miller just six minutes into the third.

Ferris State initiated a scoring surge late in the game, beginning with freshman Dakota Kletcha's marker with 12:24 elapsed. Less than three minutes later, the Bulldogs pulled within one on a center-ice goal by sophomore Simon Denis.

The Big Reds secured the victory with 13 seconds remaining on an empty-netter from Erik Axell.

Cornell's Andy Iles and Ferris State's C.J. Motte each finished with 22 saves apiece. Freshman netminder Charles Williams relieved Motte midway through the third to collect three saves in as many shots.

Freshman defenseman Brandon Anselmini led the Bulldogs with two assists.

A three-goal effort in the second period proved the be the difference-maker for Ferris State in Saturday's game, after being down by a 2-1 margin against Minnesota-Duluth following the first 20 minutes of play.

Sophomore Justtin Buzzeo took a feed from classmate Dom Panetta off a face-off to give Ferris State the initial lead seven minutes into the contest.

Nine minutes later however, Minnesota-Duluth answered back with scores by Adam Krause and Caleb Hebert within a 30-second span to quickly turn the tides.

Not to be outdone, Ferris State evened-up the scoreboard on a short-handed goal by junior forward Corey Kane with 4:58 elapsed in the middle stanza.

In the final minute of the second, Ferris State Alexander and Anselmini each lit the lamp to put Ferris State back in the lead with their fourth and third goals of the season, respectively.

Special teams came into play late in the third for Ferris State, as forwards Kyle Bonis and Justin DeMartino both scored while on the man-advantage to put the game out of reach.

Williams earned his first collegiate victory with 23 stops, while Matt McNeely (16 saves) and Aaron Crandall (four) saw action for Minnesota-Duluth.

Junior forward Andy Huff had a team-high two helpers for Ferris State.

The Bulldogs (8-8-1 overall, 6-6-3 CCHA) venture back to Big Rapids this weekend, where they will play host to Michigan State (5-11-3 overall, 4-8-1-0 CCHA) on Saturday with puck-drop scheduled for 5:05 pm.

BC muzzles Ferris State in NCAA championship game

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

As the old saying goes, 'all good things must come to an end.'

For Ferris State, their magical run fell just shy of grabbing the championship, losing 4-1 to perrenial powerhouse Boston College in the national title game on Saturday.

The Golden Eagles wealth of talent and experience was prevalent from the onset, as they took advantage of a defensive breakdown at the Bulldogs' end to go up 1-0 just 3:18 into the contest.

Sophomore forward Garrett Thompson would return the favor shortly thereafter, going to his backhand to bang home Andy Huff's rebound on BC netminder Parker Milner from just outside the crease. In addition to Huff, linemate Travis Ouellette was also credited with a helper, giving him his 15th of the campign.

At the midway point of the frame, Boston College reclaimed the lead on a power-play marker from Paul Carey. The scoring play began when Pat Mullane dished the puck off to Brian Dumoulin, who then sent a crossing pass from the right faceoff circle over to Carey at the point for a one-timer.

Following a quiet second period of play for both sides, another turnover in Ferris State's defensive zone allowed for the Golden Eagles to strike again. Lighting the lamp this time was freshman Johnny Gaudreau, who split two defenders en route to beating Bulldogs' goaltender Taylor Nelson with a backhanded shot above the blocker pad.

With 1:03 remaining, Steven Whitney added an empty-netter for Boston College to help secure the team's third national championship in the last five years.

Nelson finished his college career with 33 saves, 27 of which came in the final two periods alone. At the oppsotie end, Milner tallied 27 stops.

"What a year," said Nelson. "I'm extremely proud of every individual in that locker room. All season long, we sacrificed for one another and bled for one another. And, as far as what it means to the program, I think in our minds, it's made history."

Despite the loss, senior defenseman Chad Billins and junior forward Kyle Bonis both earned a spot on the 2012 Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.

Ferris State closes out the 2011-2012 season with a record of 26-12-5, which ties them for the second-most wins in school history.

'Dawgs dismantle Union, headed to finals

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

Every dog has his day, and for Ferris State, that day is Saturday as the Bulldogs faceoff against Boston College for the national championship following last night's 3-1 victory over Union.

It wasn't all fun and games for Ferris State (26-11-5 overall) from the get-go however, as the Dutchmen grabbed the initial lead with eight minutes remaining in the first on a five-hole shot by Daniel Carr.

In the ensuing period, the Bulldogs began to march back with a power-play marker by senior forward Aaron Schmit.

Ferris State sealed the deal in the final stanza, producing a pair of goals just four minutes apart. Junior Kyle Bonis, who had assisted on Schmit's earlier tally, scored the game-winner at the 15:17 mark by bouncing in a rebound off defenseman Brett Wysopal's initial shot.

"There was a lot of nerves out there, especially early on in the game," said Wysopal. "Pucks were jumping off everyone’s sticks. On the goal, it just got wrapped around the goal pretty hard, saw him in front the net. It wasn’t a very good shot, just got him in the right spot. I was praying that it wasn’t out of reach for Bonis and luckily it wasn’t and he buried it."

Looking for the equalizer, Union pulled netminder Troy Gosenick late in the game, but Schmit put those plans to rest by lighting the lamp with 55 seconds left in regulation.

Grosenick finished the game with 34 saves, compared to Taylor Nelson's 27.

The national championship game from the Times-Forum in Tampa, Florida can be seen on ESPN2 at 7 pm.

Ferris State advances to Frozen Four

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

For the first time in school history, Ferris State is headed to the Frozen Four, thanks to a 2-1 victory over Cornell in the Midwest Regional on Saturday.

The contest remained scoreless until 11 seconds into the third period, when sophomore forward Garrett Thompson put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0 with their 5-on-4 advantage set to expire. The play started with linemate Jordie Johnston skating up ice before blasting a shot that fell wide of Big Reds' netminder Andy Iles. From there, Matthew Kirzinger scooped-up the puck and fed an open Thompson in front of the net.

Shortly thereafter, Dustin Mowrey evened-up the score for Cornell following a costly turnover by the Bulldogs.

With under seven minutes left in regulation, sophomore Andy Huff gained control of the puck in the neutral zone and hurried into the Reds' defensive zone alongside Johnston to create a 2-on-1 scoring opportunity. Huff sent a pass over to Johnston, who went top shelf on Iles to notch his team-high 20th goal of the campaign.

The Bulldogs went 1-5 while on the man-advantage, while killing off all six of Cornell's power-play opportunities.

Senior goaltender Taylor Nelson racked-up 22 saves to Iles' 19.

In Friday's opening round of tournament action, Ferris State earned a 2-1 decision over Denver, with goals coming courtesy of Johnston and freshman Simon Denis.

The Bulldogs (25-11-5 overall) are set to face Union (26-7-7) in the NCAA semi-finals on Thursday, April 5 at the Times-Forum in Tampa, Fla. The game can be seen on both ESPNU and ESPN3 at 4:30 pm.

Broncos knocked out of NCAAs by North Dakota

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

After a CCHA playoff championship and a second straight trip to the NCAA tournament, Western Michigan's season is again over prematurely after North Dakota topped WMU 3-1 Saturday afternoon at the West Regional in St. Paul, Minn.

Kyle O'Kane netted Western Michigan's lone goal in the second period and Frank Slubowski made 25 saves between the pipes.

After O'Kane's goal, the apparent tying goal was waived off as the officials ruled that the net was dislodged before the puck bounced off of captain Ian Slater and across the goal line.

Michael Parks, Corban Knight and Brock Nelson (empty-net) scored for the Sioux, while Aaron Dell finished with 24 stops in goal.

North Dakota will play the Minnesota-Boston University winner tomorrow with a berth to the Frozen Four at stake.

Western Michigan ends the season with a 21-14-6 record, the most wins since the 1995-96 season.

Cornell skates by Wolverines in overtime

By Bob Miller/Michigan Beat Writer

Michigan tempted the overtime gods one too many times.

After coming out on the positive end of overtime wins against Notre Dame and Bowling Green in the CCHA championship tourney, first-seeded Michigan's season ended 3:35 into the first overtime period in upset fashion against fourth-seeded Cornell, 3-2, in the semifinal round of the NCAA Midwest Regional Friday night in Green Bay, Wis.

Kevin Lynch had knotted the game for the No. 2 overall Wolverines with only 4:01 left in the third period. Captain Luke Glendening opened the game's scoring when he gave Michigan a short-lived 1-0 lead only 1:10 into the first period.

“I liked the way our team started,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “The goal that was disallowed was obviously a factor in the game. I was wondering why it was being reviewed. Give Cornell credit, they got back in the game.”

Michigan thought it had a 2-0 lead early in the first period, but the goal was disallowed and Cornell turned the tide of momentum from that point.

"We had a strong start with Luke popping one and then when I put it in, emotions were running high," Lynch said. "But that was early enough in the game where I don't think it could have affected the outcome. We're a strong enough team where we could have come back, and we did at the end of the game."

The Wolverines had plenty of chances to make an offensive difference in regulation time. Numerous times, Michigan failed to connect on power-play attempts, including a five-minute major.

"We got shots, but we didn't score, and that was the frustrating part," Berenson said. "We needed to score. Especially when you're trailing in a game, your power play needs to score."

Spartans one and done in NCAA tournament

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Michigan State entered the NCAA tournament as the 15th seed and drew overall No. 2 seed Union in the first game of the East Regional in Bridgeport, Conn., Friday afternoon.

MSU played well, but suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Dutchmen, effectively ending the Spartans' 2011-12 season.

Will Yanakeff made 29 saves for Michigan State (19-16-4), while Matt Berry scored the lone goal for the Spartans on a second-period power play.

For Union, Hobey Baker finalist Troy Grosenick finished with 20 saves and Jeremy Welsh tallied a goal and an assist.

Union will play the winner of No. 5 Miami and No. 12 Massachusetts-Lowell matchup for the right to go to the Frozen Four in two weeks in Tampa, Fla.

Ferris, Michigan, Michigan State, Western advance

CCHA Press Release

The CCHA has placed five teams in the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship for the second time in league history and will be represented at three of the four regional sites.

CCHA tournament runner-up Michigan and regular-season champion Ferris State are headed to the Midwest Regional at Green Bay, Wis. Miami and Michigan State will travel to Bridgeport, Conn., for the East Regional and CCHA champion Western Michigan will play in the West Regional at St. Paul, Minn.

The four regional winners advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla., on April 5-7.

Western Michigan (21-13-6), coming off their second CCHA championship title and first since 1986, will make their second consecutive appearance at the NCAA tournament and fifth in program history. The Broncos are the No. 4 seed at the West Regional and will take on North Dakota (25-12-3) of the WCHA at 1:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 24.

The Michigan Wolverines (24-12-4) are making their 22nd consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, earning the second overall seed in the tournament. The maize and blue will take on Cornell (18-8-7) in the Midwest Regional. The puck drops at 9:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 23. Michigan will be looking to capture its tenth national crown.

Also competing in the Midwest Regional, Ferris State (23-11-5) takes the No. 2 seed and will skate against Denver (25-13-4) of the WCHA. This marks just the second time that the Bulldogs have been selected for the NCAA tournament and first since the 2002-03 season. Ferris State and Denver will take the ice on Friday, March 23 at 5:30 p.m. EST.

The Miami RedHawks (24-14-2), making their tenth NCAA tournament appearance overall, are the No. 2 seed at the East Regional where they will meet Massachusetts-Lowell (23-12-1) of Hockey East in the 6:30 p.m. Eastern time game on Friday, March 23. The RedHawks, appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in the past nine years, are looking to make the Frozen Four for the fourth time in five years.

The Spartans of Michigan State (19-15-4), are the No. 4 seed at the East Regional and will face off against Union (24-7-7) of the ECAC in the 3:00 p.m. Eastern time contest. The Spartans last NCAA tournament appearance was in 2008 when they advanced to the regional final against Notre Dame.

This marks the second time that there have been five CCHA entries in the national tournament, tying the conference record set in 2004 when five teams (Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Ohio State) also advanced.

The championship playoff format involves four predetermined regional sites with four teams assigned to each site. The four regional winners advance to the Frozen Four. The entire championship uses a single-elimination format.

Automatic qualification privileges are granted to the postseason champions of five conferences. The remainder of the field is selected at large.

Boston College of Hockey East is the No. 1 overall seed. The other No. 1 seeds, in order, include Michigan, Union and North Dakota.

Michigan Tech bounced in WCHA Final Five

MTU Press Release

Michigan Tech was less than five minutes away from its first WCHA Final Five win in more than 15 years before No. 9-ranked Denver turned the tables and came away with a 3-2 overtime victory in front of 11,489 fans at Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis on Thursday.

The Huskies (17-18-4) came down on a 2-on-1 rush looking to add to a 2-1 lead over the Pioneers (24-12-4) late in the third period. A Tanner Kero shot was stopped and a loose puck cleared straight up the middle of the ice leading to a 3-on-2 breakout the other way. Luke Salazar scored, sending the game to overtime.

Just 2:38 into the extra session, Denver’s Jason Zucker tallied the sudden-death game-winner, becoming the first opponent to score in overtime against Tech in 17 extra-session games (since Jan. 2009).

“That’s hockey,” said MTU head coach Mel Pearson. “We had a chance to go up 3-1. Instead, they scored right away, then got a bounce in overtime. We’ve won our share of close games this year. It just didn’t go our way tonight.”

Goaltender Josh Robinson turned in perhaps his best performance of the season to keep the Huskies in the game. The senior netminder stopped a season-high 41 shots, including three straight saves during a sequence in the second period to keep the score tied at 1.

Ryan Furne gave Tech its only lead of the game just 18 seconds into the third period. Jordan Baker created a turnover on the half-wall and passed the puck to Furne, who walked in and threw a shot on net. The puck found its way under Denver goalie Juho Olkinuora’s right arm into the net.

The Huskies had their third power play of the game midway through the frame, but couldn’t snap a four-game goal-less streak on the man-advantage.

Kero’s chance on the 2-on-1 was one of four shots on goal for the freshman, three of which were good scoring chances.

Two more freshmen tied the game in the first period after Denver had taken a 1-0 lead on a Ty Loney tally at the 3:50 mark. Defenseman Justin Fillion hit Blake Pietila in stride at the blue line. Pietila split two defenders on the breakaway and scored top shelf off a forehand at the 10:45 mark.

Both teams had great chances in the second period. The fourth line of Bryce Reddick, Dennis Rix and Chad Pietila created several 'grade A' chances, but DU posted a 16-6 advantage in shots on goal in the frame.

Shots were 15-10 in the third period and 3-1 in overtime, both in favor of Denver.

Robinson wrapped up his career with a 15-14-4 record in net during 2011-12. Olkinuora made 27 saves for the Pioneers to improve to 9-7-3 on the year.

Michigan Tech has concluded up its 91st season of intercollegiate hockey, having quadrupled its win total from a year ago (four). Robinson, Reddick, Brett Olson, Baker, Alex MacLeod and Corson Cramer were all part of a senior class that helped the Huskies turn the program around.

“I’m so proud of the way our team represented Michigan Tech and our program all season long,” said Pearson. “This season was about the seniors. They’re the ones who bought into what we were trying to do and led the rest of the guys in the locker room.”

Notes: Michigan Tech finished the season 4-1-4 in overtime games … The Huskies and Pioneers each had a win, a loss and a tie in three games against each other this year … Furne finished with the team lead in goals with 12 … Olson had a team-high 30 points on the year.

Hunwick leads U of M past Notre Dame, into CCHA semis

By Bob Miller/Michigan Beat Writer

Michigan goaltender Shawn Hunwick fully played up to the performance level he'd demonstrated in the past two years of post-season play and led the Wolverines to a two-game sweep of their quarterfinal CCHA playoff series against Notre Dame.

The series win earned the Wolverines a spot in this weekend's CCHA championship semifinals at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

As much as the Wolverines were surprised at having to play such a talented Notre Dame team in the quarterfinals, Michigan has to be even more surprised to be matched against No. 11 playoff seed Bowling Green in their semifinal tilt on Friday.

Bowling Green traveled to Northern Michigan in the opening round and disposed of the Wildcats in a deciding third game, then performed the same trick against No. 1 seed Ferris State this past weekend to secure their spot in the semifinals versus the Wolverines.

In the opener with the Irish, Michigan forward Chris Brown sent the Wolverine faithful home both happy and tired when he scored the game-winner three minutes into the second overtime period with a snap shot from the circle to Notre Dame netminder Steve Summerhays' left for a 2-1 Michigan win.

The Wolverines managed to build a 3-0 lead on a pair of goals by David Wohlberg and a single by Phil Di Giuseppe in the Saturday rematch against Notre Dame and then held on to win 3-1 to clinch the series.

Hunwick's solid play in both games was the crucial component for the Wolverines.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson of his team's advancement to the CCHA semifinals. “It wasn’t easy. Last night’s game was a game either team could have won and I thought Hunwick was the difference in that game.”

I thought we were okay in the first period,” offered Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson. “We got some life later in the game. I thought that Riley Sheahan and his line gave us a little energy as the game progressed. It's just that Hunwick's too good and we've had a tough time finishing over the last couple months.”

If Michigan can manage to end Bowling Green's Cinderella run in Friday's semifinal game, the Wolverines would take on the winner of the Western Michigan-Miami semifinal contest in Saturday night's tourney finals at the Joe.

Hunwick photo (GLI 2010) by Matt Mackinder/MiCHO

Falcons upset Ferris State in CCHA quarterfinals

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

There's hockey and then there's post-season hockey.

Ferris State found that out the hard way over the weekend, dropping two of three games to Bowling Green in the CCHA quarterfinals.

The Bulldogs, who won all four games over their counterparts during the regular season, lost Friday's contest 3-2 in overtime before staving off elimination the following night with a 7-4 decision.

In Sunday's deciding game, Ferris State appeared to be headed to the semifinals, thanks to a three-goal output within the first 20 minutes.

Senior forward Jordie Johnston initiated the scoring binge just 3:23 into the game, notching his team-high 18th goal of the campaign on a backhanded shot that sailed past Falcons netminder Andrew Hammond.

Classmate Derek Graham added a power-play marker from the left circle at 13:59, before freshman defenseman Jason Binkley stretched the Bulldogs lead shortly thereafter with his first collegiate goal.

Over the next two periods however, Bowling Green marched back with three unanswered goals to force an extra session.

Ryan Carpenter broke-up Taylor Nelson's shutout bid less than six minutes into the middle stanza, with assists being handed-out to Mike Sullivan and Dan DeSalvo.

From there, things would go from bad to worse for Ferris State, as DeSalvo pitched-in two even-strength tallies at 4:43 and 15:54 in the third period.

In overtime, the Falcons pulled-off the inevitable and sent the No. 1-ranked team packing, thanks to a deflection near the net by DeSalvo to complete the hat trick at 2:38.

Nelson, who held a 33-28 advantage over Hammond in saves, drops to 18-6-3 as a starter.

Bowling Green advances to the CCHA semifinals, where they will face Michigan this Friday at Joe Louis Arena in a single-elimination game. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:05 pm, following the Miami-Western Michigan game.

The Bulldogs (23-11-5 overall) are still expected to be one of 16 teams that receive an NCAA tournament bid. Tournament teams will be announced next Sunday, March 18 at noon on ESPNU.

Michigan Tech sweeps CC, off to WCHA Final Five

MTU Press Release

David Johnstone tipped home a Daniel Sova shot just 3:30 into overtime to send Michigan Tech to its first WCHA Final Five in five years with a 4-3 victory at Colorado College Saturday night.

Steven Seigo scored with just 1:05 left in regulation to send the game to overtime, then Johnstone notched his second goal of the game and third of the weekend to help the Huskies sweep the Tigers in the best-of-three first round WCHA playoff series.

“I got a piece of it and didn’t know it went in,” said Johnstone of the game-winner. “I saw my brother (Jacob) celebrate and that’s when I knew.”

Michigan Tech (16-18-4) looked as though it was headed to a decisive game three with CC as the Tigers (18-16-2) held a 3-2 lead late in the third period. The Huskies pulled Josh Robinson from net with 1:30 remaining to gain the extra attacker. It paid off as Seigo slapped a shot from the point through traffic to tie the game at the 18:55 mark. The Huskies had several more chances before the period ended, but couldn’t get the game winner.

After a full intermission, 20 minutes was put on the board. Only 3:30 was needed for the Huskies to get the game winner and improve to 4-0-4 in overtime games on the year. The visitors kept the puck in the offensive zone for more than a minute before Sova wound up and fired from the left point. David Johnstone deflected the shot inside the near post.

“This is a big win for our program,” said MTU coach Mel Pearson. “Our guys worked really hard and turned in a gutsy effort tonight. CC’s a good team and any team’s going to give you everything they’ve got when they’re facing elimination.

“I’m just so happy for our players and our alumni and fans as well.”

Johnstone had the game’s first and last goals on the night. He scored the game’s opening goal for the second straight game. Saturday’s came just 1:08 into the first as he collected a loose puck after a CC defenseman fell down. Johnstone fired a shot from the slot that beat Josh Thorimbert.

Just five minutes later, Huskies' senior captain Brett Olson made it a 2-0 Huskies’ advantage. With the teams skating 4-on-4, line mate Jordan Baker circled with the puck in the neutral zone, drawing three Tigers. He then fed a pass to Olson, who skated into the zone 1-on-1 with a defenseman and buried a shot into the top right corner.

CC got on the board at the 8:23 mark of the 1st as Archie Skalbeck and Andrew Hamburg worked a 2-on-1 breakaway after Tech’s Riley Sweeney had fallen down at his offensive blue line.

Hamburg scored again 3:50 into the second period to tie the game at two.

Tech was called for back-to-back penalties early in the third period, but killed off both including 15 seconds of 5-on-3. Not too long after that, CC scored the go-ahead goal as Scott Winkler wristed a shot from the right circle past Robinson.

The score remained 3-2 until late in the third, when Seigo scored the game-tying goal to send it to overtime.

The teams were a combined 0-for-7 on the power play tonight. Tech held a 41-32 advantage in shots on goal.

Robinson stood tall in net for the Huskies with 29 saves.

Michigan Tech will now make its first appearance at the WCHA Final Five since 2007, when it won a first-round series at CC two games to one. The Huskies will have to wait to see who they play. The Final Five is re-seeded after all the first-round series are completed.

Tech will either play North Dakota at 2 p.m. on Thursday (Mar. 15) or St. Cloud State at 7 p.m. on Thursday (Mar. 15) at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Notes: Tech is 4-1 vs. CC at World Arena in the WCHA playoffs and 0-28 in regular season games here … Johnstone grabbed a share the team lead in points with his four-point weekend. He and Olson are tied with 30 apiece.

Spartans' playoff run ends with sweep to Miami

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Michigan State may still make the NCAA tournament as an at-large team, but the Spartans' run in the CCHA tournament came to an abrupt halt this weekend as Miami swept MSU in two straight games down in Oxford, Ohio.

"I couldn't have asked for more from our guys in terms of the way they competed tonight," said MSU coach Tom Anastos to msuspartans.com after Saturday night's 4-1 loss. "We lost to a very good team - probably the toughest team we played this season. We talked about laying it on the line for our seniors and I thought we did that tonight. We didn't accomplish our goal of coming away with a win, but we competed hard."

Michigan State captain Torey Krug netted the lone goal for the Spartans (19-15-4) and goaltender Drew Palmisano made 38 saves.

In Friday night's series opener, the RedHawks blitzed MSU for a 6-0 shutout. Will Yanakeff started in goal and made 21 saves on 26 shots before Palmisano played the third period and stopped 12 of 13.

MSU will miss its fifth consecutive CCHA championship weekend, as the Spartans last played at Joe Louis Arena back in 2007.

Bulldogs lose both games in Catamount Cup

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

Ferris State went into the Catamount Cup looking for an extra holiday gift or two, but instead were only able to unwrap a lump of coal.

Special teams proved to be the downfall for the Bulldogs, who surrendured two power-play goals against RIT in the opener, followed by another three against host Vermont on Friday night.

On Thursday, Ferris State was unable to muster any offense, losing a 3-0 decision to Atlantic Hockey's RIT.

The Tigers took advantage of a holding call against the Bulldogs early on, with Chris Saracino sneaking the puck past goaltender Taylor Nelson for his first of the campaign.

Later in the frame, Mark Colavecchia tallied an even-strength goal to make it 2-0 RIT after 20 minutes of play.

At the 5:19 mark of the second period, the Tigers notched another goal while on the man-advantage, with this one coming courtesy of Adam Hartley.

Cameron Burt had an assist on all three goals for RIT.

Earning the shutout victory for the Tigers was Shane Madolora with 23 saves, compared to Nelson's 16.

Ferris State had a much better showing against Vermont the following night, but was unable to overcome a potent Catamount offense in a 4-2 loss.

Down by a 2-0 margin heading into the middle stanza, the Bulldogs cut their deficit in half thanks to a shot by sophomore Justin DeMartino that found the back of the net. Earning helpers on that play were junior Eric Alexander and sophomore Scott Czarnowczan.

Momentum would swing back to Vermont later in the period, as Kyle Reynolds scored on the power-play to make it a 3-1 affair.

With 1:35 remaining in the second, Ferris State pulled within one when senior forward Jordie Johnston finished off a pass from freshman defenseman Simon Denis while on the power-play.

A slashing call on the Bulldogs' Tommy Hill midway through the third would prove fatal, as the Catamounts' Colin Markison cashed-in on the man-advantage to put Vermont ahead by two.

Netminder Rob Madore stopped 24 shots for the Catamounts to secure his third victory of the season.

At the other end of the ice, freshman C.J. Motte dropped to 4-4-1 as a starter, recording 20 saves.

Ferris State (11-8-1 overall) is set to play their next four games at home, beginning with a non-conference series against Colgate on January 6-7, before returning to their CCHA schedule the following weekend when they host Alaska.