The struggle is real for fans of Ferris hockey.
Just when it appeared the Bulldogs had found a nice balance between offense and defense, they allow Mercyhurst to put on a clinic in a 1-4 loss Saturday, Oct. 21.
Ferris took down the Lakers Friday Oct. 20 in a nail-biting 3-2 victory and hoped to secure their first sweep of the season, but were unable to do so.
While the Bulldogs played a solid game, they ultimately fell victim to the power-play opportunities set up by their own penalty woes.
Mercyhurst scored all four of their goals with a man-advantage and that was the difference for the Lakers.
Ferris’ defense will likely take some heat for allowing four goals, but the Dawgs actually played pretty solid. In fact, Mercyhurst didn’t find the net until there was 2:14 remaining in the first period.
Sophomore defenseman scored the lone goal for the Bulldogs in the second period to even things up, but the offense was unable to get going the remainder of the night.
The Bulldogs managed to keep the Lakers quiet during the second period, likely due to the fact that they only found themselves in the penalty box once.
The third period is where things really got messy, as the Lakers scored three unanswered power-play goals. Two of those came off the stick of junior forward Matthew Whittaker.
It’s still early for the Bulldogs who currently sit with a 2-4 record, but head coach Bob Daniels must be worried with the amount of penalties his team is committing. If the team can find a way to stay out of the penalty box, they’re a scary team.
The Bulldogs are in the midst of a long road stretch, and will continue that when they head to Minn. to take on Bemidji State Friday Oct. 27 at 8:07 p.m.