TICKETS STILL ON SALE FOR THIS WEEKEND'S CCHA TOURNEY FIRST-ROUND SERIES

Ferris State junior center Brett Smith, who has a career-high 16 points with eight goals and assists apiece in 32 games this season, will be just one of many to watch during this weekend's opening-round action of the CCHA Tournament. The Bulldogs are making their first home ice tourney appearance since the 1992-93 campaign.

Plenty Of Seats Are Available For Operation "White-Out"

The nationally-ranked 2002-03 Ferris State University men’s ice hockey team, which captured its first-ever Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Regular-Season Championship title last Friday (March 7) at Bowling Green State to earn the CCHA Tournament's number one seed, will host the 12th-seeded Lake Superior State University Lakers this weekend (March 14-16) at FSU's Ewigleben Ice Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.

The best-of-three first-round series is one of six to be held this upcoming weekend on campus sites. Opening faceoff for this Friday's tourney opener is 7:35 p.m. (EST) while Saturday's contest will begin at 7:05 p.m. (EST). Opening faceoff for Sunday's third game, if necessary, is also scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. (EST) start time.

Single-game tickets for the CCHA Tournament series are still on sale and can be purchased by contacting the FSU Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888. If the series advances to Sunday's deciding third game, the ticket office will remain open immediately following the conclusion of Saturday's contest and will reopen Sunday from 12-5 p.m. (EST). Individual game ticket prices are $14 for adults and $7 for both Ferris State students with identification and youth in grades K-12.

The FSU Athletics Department will distribute 500 white t-shirts and white pom-poms beginning this Friday as part of "Operation White-Out" and everyone attending is encouraged to wear white throughout the weekend series. Furthermore, Ferris State Goal signs will be handed out to fans and 500 Bulldog Hockey white rally towels will be sold at the game.

Ferris State, under 11th-year head coach Bob Daniels, is presently midst its best season in the program's 25-year NCAA Division I history with a school-record 27-8-1 overall mark. The Bulldogs claimed the CCHA Regular-Season crown with a first-place 22-5-1 CCHA record (45 league points).

If Ferris State wins its first-round tourney series, the Bulldogs will advance to the CCHA's "Super Six" Championship to be held March 20-22 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich. By virture of its number-one seeding, FSU will receive a first-round bye in the single-elimination tournament format and won't take to the ice until Friday, March 21, at 4 p.m. (EST) in the first semifinal game against the winner of the quarterfinal round involving the re-seeded number three and sixth teams. Both of Friday's (March 21) semifinal contests will be televised live on FOX Sports Net-Detroit.

2002-03 Central Collegiate Hockey Association First-Round Tournament

(Best of Three Series -- Friday-Sunday, March 14-16 at campus sites)

#12 seed Lake Superior State at #1 seed Ferris State

#11 seed Bowling Green State at #2 seed Michigan

#10 seed Nebraska-Omaha at #3 seed Ohio State

#9 seed Alaska Fairbanks at #4 seed Michigan State

#8 seed Western Michigan at #5 seed Northern Michigan

#7 seed Notre Dame at #6 seed Miami (Ohio)

Teams re-seeded after first round based on regular-season points