The college hockey transfer portal has taken the Bulldog hockey roster by storm over the start of the off-season.
Since the portal opened on March 31, Ferris has lost six former players and gained four for next year’s team.
The Bulldogs posted a 10-24-2 record last season while being eliminated in the first round of the CCHA Playoffs by the Bemidji State Beavers.
Out:
Senior forward Antonio Venuto
Venuto led the Bulldogs in scoring last season with 26 total points and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist. Venuto played four seasons for Ferris and will use his final year of eligibility at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA.
Freshman forward Luigi Benincasa
Benincasa scored 22 points for the Bulldogs in his freshman campaign and was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team this past season. After appearing in 33 games for Ferris, Benincasa will stay in the CCHA conference, moving to the Minnesota State Mavericks.
Senior goalie Logan Stein
After appearing in 75 career games for the Bulldogs, Stein transferred to the University of Michigan to play his senior season. Stein held a .910 save percentage last season with a career average of .892 in his Ferris tenure.
Junior goalie Noah Giesbrecht
Giesbrecht will take his final two years of eligibility to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. In three seasons for Ferris, Giesbrecht started 50 games and maintained a .898 career save percentage alongside a 3.35 goals-against average.
Freshman defenseman Jack Mesic
Mesic appeared in all 36 games during his freshman campaign with the Bulldogs, scoring two goals and ten total points. Mesic opted to stay in-state and transferred over to Western Michigan University.
Senior forward Austin McCarthy
McCarthy tallied six points in his four years of play for Ferris, with five coming in the 2023-2024 campaign. He totaled 37 game appearances. McCarthy will use his final year of eligibility at Adrian College.
Seniors Ben Schultheis and Stepan Pokorny have entered their names into the transfer portal but have yet to announce a commitment for next season. The portal remains open until Tuesday, May 14.
In:
Senior goalie Noah West (University of Michigan)
West will play his fifth and final year for the Bulldogs after moving from the University of Michigan. In his career for the Wolverines, West recorded over 200 saves in just 13 total games played. West becomes one of two goaltenders on the Ferris roster.
Sophomore forward Gavin Best (Michigan State)
In his first two seasons for the Spartans, the Minnesota native appeared in 12 games. Best also achieved Academic All-Big Ten awards and will join the Bulldogs for the 2024-2025 campaign.
Sophomore forward Cole Burtch (Western Michigan)
In his tenure for Western, Burtch scored a point in three total games played. He was also named an NCHC Distinguished Scholar Athlete.
Freshman forward Max Itagaki (Army)
Itagaki scored 56 points in his two years at Army in 69 total games played. He led the team in assists both years and was named Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year in 2022-2023. Itagaki will bring his talents to the Bulldogs for his junior season.
For more Ferris hockey updates, visit https://fsutorch.com/category/sports/hockey.