FERRIS STATE HOCKEY RELEASES 2004-05 SCHEDULE

Bulldogs To Play 36-Game Schedule; 18 Home Dates Includes Two Matinee Encounters

Click Here For 2004-05 Schedule

A pair of home Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) matinee contests is one of the many notables highlighting the Ferris State University men’s ice hockey team’s schedule for the 2004-05 season as announced by FSU Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic.

Greg Rallo and the Bulldog hockey team will play a 36-game regular-season schedule in 2004-05.

The Bulldogs, who will embark on their 27th season of competition as a NCAA Division I member, will host Ohio State (Oct. 16) in a 5:05 p.m. (EDT) contest and Bowling Green State (Feb. 5) in a 5:35 p.m. (EST) matchup. Ferris State begins the regular season Oct. 8-9 with a home non-league series against Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) member Colgate at FSU’s Ewigleben (A-VAH-glave-in) Ice Arena before opening league play and concluding a season-opening four-game homestand the following weekend (Oct. 15-16) versus 2003-04 CCHA Super Six Tournament champion Ohio State. Eight of the Bulldogs’ first 14 outings this season are league contests.

“I believe this season’s schedule will present us with some unique challenges,” said FSU head coach Bob Daniels, who embarks on his 13th year at Ferris State this upcoming season. “We face a challenging schedule right out of the gate against several nationally-recognized opponents. Also, we’re getting an opportunity of defending our Badger Hockey Showdown championship title which is special to our guys.

“I’m also excited about playing two Saturday matinee home games,” said Daniels. “We hope this will be attractive to our students and families in the community. We’re going to take the wait and see approach on our home attendance before scheduling these type of contests on an annual basis.”

Ferris State will drop the puck for the first time this fall on Saturday, Oct. 2, with the Crimson and Gold game. A 3 p.m. (EDT) opening faceoff is scheduled for the annual event. Following its pair of opening regular-season home series, the Bulldogs take to the road for the initial time this campaign at Bemidji (Minn.) State (Oct. 22-23). FSU will then tangle with interstate CCHA opponents Michigan (Oct. 29-30) and Michigan State (Nov. 5-6) in home-and-home series on consecutive weekends for the second straight season.

Six of Ferris’ next eight encounters will be versus league foes. Connecticut (Nov. 12-13) will make its first-ever Big Rapids appearance prior to the Bulldogs getting back into the CCHA ranks with stops at Lake Superior State (Nov. 19-20) and Miami (Ohio) (Dec. 10-11). FSU is then idle for 19 days before returning to the ice Dec. 31-Jan. 1 to participate for the second consecutive year in the 16th annual Badger Hockey Showdown at Madison, Wis. Ferris captured the tourney’s title a season ago with a 3-1 victory over host Wisconsin in the championship game.

The Bulldogs open the second half of their 2004-05 season at Ohio State (Jan. 7-8) before returning home to battle Nebraska-Omaha (Jan. 14-15). Ferris then ventures to Alaska Fairbanks (Jan. 21-22) for the sixth straight season. A pair of Ohio schools, Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green State make their Ewigleben Ice Arena appearances Jan. 28-29 and Feb. 4-5, respectively.

Notre Dame serves as the opposition during FSU’s final regular season road two-game set Feb. 11-12 as the Bulldogs host Northern Michigan two weeks later (Feb. 25-26).

Ferris’ CCHA competition cluster opponents this campaign will be Ohio State and Miami (Ohio). The Bulldogs will skate against those teams on four dates, which includes two home and two road appearances apiece. FSU will also continue its four-game set against Western Michigan as the Broncos represent the Bulldogs’ “rivalry” opponent as part of the cluster scheduling format implemented in the 2002-03 season. The two teams will meet for the first time Dec. 3-4 in a home-and-home series with Ferris serving as the host for the Saturday (Dec. 4) series finale. FSU and Western Michigan finish up the regular season on March 4-5 with the Bulldogs hosting the series opener Friday, March 4.

CCHA Tournament first-round action is slated for March 11-13 at campus sites and those six series winners will proceed to the CCHA Super 6 Championship Tourney (March 17-19) at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich. The CCHA Super Six Championship winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will conducted March 25-27 at four regional sites. For the second consecutive year, the Midwest Regional will be held at Grand Rapids’ (Mich.) Van Andel Arena March 25-26. The 58th annual NCAA Frozen Four is set for April 7 and 9 at Ohio State’s Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Season ticket renewal forms will be mailed in early August. For information regarding single-game tickets, please contact the FSU Athletics Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888 beginning in mid-September. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.starticketsplus.com.

Click Here For 2004-05 Schedule PDF