For the second time in six games, Ferris hockey prevailed in overtime.
With their 2-1 overtime victory over the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) on Friday, Oct. 22, the Bulldogs improved to 2-3 on the season (2-0 GLIAC). The two wins already surpasses their total of one from a season ago. Both victories this season have come in overtime contests.
The Bulldogs were unable to sweep the weekend series against the Tommies, however, as St. Thomas came back with a 5-2 victory on Saturday, Oct. 23.
Friday’s contest was a tense affair, as neither team scored in the first period. However, after a second-period goal by St. Thomas, the game seemed one-sided for the Bulldogs.
In the third period, Ferris answered back with an early power play when junior defensemen Brenden Rons recorded his first goal of the season at 4:31 to tie the score at 1-1. There was no more scoring in the third period, and the game went to overtime.
In overtime, senior forward Ethan Stewart dished the puck to the middle of the ice where senior forward Liam MacDougall was on standby. MacDougall drew a toe-drag to the middle and ripped the game-winner at 1:11 as Ferris scored early to collect their second win of the season. Stewart picked up his first assist of the year in the win.
The shots finished even at 26-26, while Ferris managed a 19-15 advantage in the last 41:11 of play. Sophomore goaltender Logan Stein contributed to the win with 25 saves for the Bulldogs. Ferris’s power play finished 1-6 on the night, but its penalty kill went 7-7.
“There were a lot of special teams for both sides,” Stein said. “We scored the only powerplay goal and killed off a ton of their power players against us. Our special teams were a big reason we won.”
The two teams went head-to-head once again on Saturday, Oct. 23. The Tommies prevailed in this game, knocking Ferris’s record to 2-4 (2-1 GLIAC).
St. Thomas dominated the first two periods, recording five goals to Ferris’s none. The Tommies opened the scoring early in the first period and did not let up, taking a 5-0 lead into the third period.
Ferris scored its first goal at 11:45 of the third period when senior forward Jake Transit scored his second goal of the season, finishing a one-timer at the right goal post. Sophomore defenseman Ben Schultheis and freshman forward Bradley Marek picked up assists on the play.
Ferris would tack on one more goal at 14:22. MacDougall collected his second goal of the weekend when his skate tipped in junior forward Dallas Tulik’s shot for Ferris’s second and final goal of the night.
“We played good as a team but ran into a hot goaltender who even played better than the previous game,” head coach Bob Daniels said. “We are starting to turn in the right direction, but we need to focus on moving the puck early.”
In goal, Stein made 22 stops and allowed five goals on the night. Junior goaltender Carter McPhail got in on the action and made two saves for the Bulldogs.
“We are an extremely resilient group,” Stein said. “We have had a mix of results early in the season, and we are trying to find consistency in our performance.”
Ferris State heads to New York to take on the Canisius Golden Griffins on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29-30, at the Harbor Center, where games are set for 7 p.m.