The No. 8-ranked Ferris hockey team is set to battle the No. 12-ranked Northern Michigan Wildcats in the first CCHA semifinal matchup at Joe Louis Arena.
Ferris lost and tied, eventually losing in a shootout, in the two regular-season contests against the Wildcats. Northern Michigan senior goalie Brian Stewart was the difference as he saved 94 of 97 shots he faced in the series.
In 2003, the last time the Bulldogs made it to the semifinals, Ferris defeated Northern Michigan 4-2 before losing to Michigan in the finals.
The winner of the first semifinal will play the winner of the second game, featuring top-seeded Miami (Ohio) and Michigan, for the CCHA Playoff Championship. Miami has played in the championship game twice in the last four years, while Michigan has played in it in four of the last five seasons.
The Bulldogs have made three prior appearances at Joe Louis Arena, but have never won a title. The Wildcats won back-to-back CCHA Tournament Championships in 1980 and 1981 and their last appearance in the title game was a loss to Michigan in 1999.
Ferris is ranked eighth in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and is tied for eighth in the PairWise Rankings. Both of these rankings help determine which 16 teams receive bids to the NCAA Tournament. Ferris is in a position to make the NCAA Tournament, depending on what happens this weekend. A win over Northern Michigan would almost guarantee a spot in the national tournament.
The Bulldogs and Wildcats faceoff at 4:35 p.m. and fans can watch the game on Fox Sports Detroit. Michigan and Miami play at 8:05 p.m. and the game will be shown on the Big Ten Network.