BLOG 47: We’re in the stretch drive for the hockey season

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris hockey player Aaron Lewicki (12) battles for control of the puck against Michigan State last weekend in Ewigleben Ice Arena. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS – Veteran head coach Bob Daniels knows his Ferris hockey team is coming down the stretch with four big road games during the next two weeks.

This weekend, the Bulldogs are on the road in Ohio to face Bowling Green State (Feb. 13-14) with start time scheduled for 7:05 p.m. both nights. The weekend after, Ferris (11-12-7 overall and 8-9-5-2 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association) makes the long trip to Alaska to face the Nanooks (Feb. 20-21) in Fairbanks.

Before thinking about Alaska, however, Ferris must meet the challenge of facing the Falcons in Ohio in a CCHA series. Daniels’ team is coming off a series against Michigan State during which the Bulldogs won two points in a Friday-night shootout in East Lansing, but fell 1-0 to the Spartans, in Big Rapids, Saturday.

“I thought we played well in the game and I thought we played well in the series,” Daniels said. “(Saturday), they got a great performance from their goaltender and I thought we had a great performance from our goaltender (freshman Taylor Nelson) as well. We just didn’t put the puck in the net, but I don’t think we played poorly at all.”

This weekend, the Bulldogs will try to open things up and increase their proficiency on the power play against the Falcons (9-18-3 overall and 6-15-1-0 in the CCHA). Ferris was maybe at its best in the MSU series when it opened things up and skated its way to a shootout victory after falling behind 2-0.

Thanks to a win over Ferris, Michigan State inched its way out of last place with 15 points to 13 for Bowling Green State. The Bulldogs have 23 points and are in a tie for seventh with Northern Michigan.

There are no easy opponents in the CCHA, so the Bulldogs can take nothing for granted – especially on the road. Ferris needs to return to Big Rapids with multiple points if it hopes to climb the ladder in the league’s standings. Nebraska-Omaha is in sixth place with 26 points. After playing BGSU, the Bulldogs final two regular-season opponents currently are in the top four in the CCHA (fourth-place Alaska and third-place Michigan) standings.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com