Ferris State is heading home with their first win in Ann Arbor since 2006 after a 3-2 overtime victory against Michigan at Yost Ice Arena Friday night.
With the win the Bulldogs improve to 3-6-1 on the season and will be heading home after completing a three-week road trip. The Bulldogs went 2-3-1 on the trip as they split weekends against Mercyhurst and Michigan while picking up a point in the WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) standings with a tie at Bemidji State.
The Bulldogs have not won at Yost Ice Arena since February of 2006 and it certainly seems that this could be the win the team is looking for to help get the season headed in the right direction.
The Ferris penalty kill continued their troubles Saturday as both Michigan goals came on the powerplay. Ferris State went just 5 for 7 on the penalty kill but the team made up for it while killing off a Michigan powerplay late in the game while it was tied 2-2.
Michigan jumped on the board just 2:52 into the game when defenseman Josepch Cecconi found Cooper Marody in front of the net on the powerplay. Marody took the pass and slipped one by the low blocker side of Ferris goaltender Justin Kapelmaster.
The Bulldogs came back to tie the game just 5:47 later when freshman Coale Norris tucked one by Michigan goaltender Hayden Lavigne off a rebound that capped off a wild frenzy of Bulldog opportunities. It was a special goal for Norris as it was his first against brother and Michigan forward Josh Norris.
“It obviously felt good, anytime you play your brother and have family in the stands it’s pretty special,” said Norris.
After jumping out to a fast start the Bulldogs went just under 20 minutes without a single shot on net. Michigan outshot the Bulldogs 20-0 in that span but Kapelmaster stood tall keeping the game tied at 1 apiece.
The Wolverines reclaimed the lead with 13 minutes remaining in the game when U of M’s Dexter Dancs was set up perfectly in front of the net. Dancs tipped the puck past a sprawling Kapelmaster for Michigan’s second powerplay goal of the game to put the Wolverines up 2-1.
The Bulldogs tied things back up with just 8:04 left when Mitch Maloney grabbed a loose puck and found a way to get it past Lavigne after Drew Dorantes sent one ringing off the pipe. Both teams shared some chances and the Bulldogs got a huge penalty kill with under six minutes left to send the game into overtime.
The two teams went back and forth with quality chances in overtime and Michigan thought they had scored the game winner with 51 seconds into the extra period but the goal was waved off for goaltender interference.
The Bulldogs took advantage of the extra life when defenseman Ryker Killins lasered one top shelf past Lavigne to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 victory 2:26 into the overtime period.
“I don’t know how I got so open and I went down in the slot and was yelling for a pass from Dorantes and he put it right on my tape which was good and I tried to just get it on net as quick as possible and I was lucky enough for it to go in,” said Killins.