July 24, 2025

Ferris State’s hockey team welcomes one of the nation's top transfer classes for upcoming season

The Ferris State University hockey team announced 13 new players will join the Bulldog roster for the upcoming season under first-year head coach Brett Riley, a group labeled as one of the nation's top five transfer classes in college hockey.

The incoming class consists of four defensemen, seven forwards and two goaltenders. Five players come from Long Island University, following Riley to Big Rapids after a 20-win season with the Sharks in 2024-25.

Out of the remaining eight players in the class, three hail from schools in the NCHC, two from BIG 10 programs and one each from Hockey East, Atlantic Hockey and the ECAC. An in-depth look at each player can be found below.

Incoming Players:

Valtteri Piironen, a senior defenseman from Finland who played at Long Island University

Valtteri "Wade" Piironen is one of five transfers from Long Island to join the Bulldogs. A 6-4, 201-pounds, he brings size and physicality to the blueline. He played in 97 games for Riley across three seasons at Long Island, tallying 12 points each of the past two years. In 2024-25, Piironen set a career-high with 11 assists while leading the team with 61 blocked shots. He finished the season plus-8, tied for second highest on the squad. Piironen is an elite shot blocker, totaling 186 blocked shots across three seasons with the Sharks. Prior to playing collegiate hockey, Piironen spent three seasons with the Sioux Falls Stampede and competed for Finland's U17 team in 2017-18. He participated in the Colorado Avalanche's development camp last summer.

Riley on Piironen: "Valtteri is a dynamic, all-situations defenseman with excellent skating and shutdown ability. A top shot-blocker in college hockey, he's logged big minutes and brings a reliable, battle-tested presence to our blue line."

Nic Belpedio, a graduate student who plays defense from Skokie, Illinois who played at Colgate University. 

Belpedio joins the Bulldogs as a graduate transfer after four years with Colgate in the ECAC. He has appeared in 115 collegiate games, which leads Ferris State heading into the upcoming season. Belpedio has 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points in his career, tops among Bulldog defensemen. Belpedio set career-highs with five goals, nine assists, 14 points, two power play goals and 40 games played during the 2022-23 season before suffering a season-ending injury after nine games in 2023-24. Last year, he made 31 appearances and registered nine points on three goals and six assists. Prior to his time at Colgate, Belpedio skated in 96 games across two seasons for the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL.

Riley on Belpedio: "Nic brings veteran leadership and four years of experience at Colgate, where he played in every situation. His character, poise, and compete level will make an immediate impact in our locker room and on the ice."

Jack Mesic, a junior defenseman from Plymouth who played for Western Michigan University.  

After winning the national championship with Western Michigan last season, Mesic returns to Big Rapids for his junior year. As a freshman for FSU in 2023-24, Mesic had 10 points, good for the second most by a Bulldog freshman that year. He blocked 46 shots, second most on the team and most by a Bulldog freshman since 2016-17. He started the season +5 in his first four games with a goal and two assists during the same span. Last year, Mesic skated in five games for the Broncos and brings championship experience to the Bulldog roster.

Riley on Mesic: "Jack is a warrior. We're thrilled to welcome him back to Big Rapids. Our fans may remember that he is a tough, reliable defenseman. We expect him to be a major presence on our back end."

Brian Morse, a freshman defenseman from Fresno, California who played at University of Maine.

Morse comes to Big Rapids after redshirting last season at Maine. He played two years of junior hockey with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL prior to his stint at Maine, totaling 13 goals, 35 assists and 48 points in 106 games with the Chiefs. In his final year of junior hockey in 2023-24, Morse recorded eight goals, 19 assists and 27 points, finishing second among Chiefs defensemen in total scoring. He registered a power play goal, short-handed goal and dished seven assists on the power play.

Riley on Morse: "Brian is a cerebral defenseman with elite hockey sense and a standout junior career in Chilliwack. With his offensive upside and composure, we're excited to see him take the next step at the NCAA level."

Caden Brown, a senior forward from St. Louis, Missouri who played at The Ohio State University. 

Ferris State is Brown's third stop in his collegiate career. He spent the last two seasons with Ohio State and the two seasons before that with the University of Wisconsin. Brown comes to Big Rapids with 73 career games played, seven goals scored, 11 assists and 18 points to his name. Last season, he battled through injuries, appearing in only two games for the Buckeyes while registering a goal and an assist. In 2023-24, Brown set career-best marks with four goals, six assists and 10 points. Across two seasons with Wisconsin, he saw action in 46 games, scoring two goals and dishing four assists, all during his freshman year. Brown is a two-time Ohio State Scholar Athlete and was named to the 2025 Academic All-Big Ten Team. 

Riley on Brown: "Caden is a creative and intelligent forward with high-end offensive talent and elite hockey sense. After overcoming injuries, we're fired up to see him back at full strength and making plays all over the ice."

Josh Zary, a senior forward from Nanaimo, British Columbia who played at Long Island University. 

Zary spent the previous three seasons with Riley at Long Island, appearing in 92 games and registering 68 total points on 44 goals and 24 assists. He scored 12 goals as a freshman in 2022-23 and again as a junior in 2024-25. As a sophomore in 2023-24, he led Long Island with 20 goals and was one of only 24 players nationally to score at least 20 times. With 35 games played that season, he achieved the feat in the third fewest games of any skater to record 20 goals. Zary led the Sharks last year in faceoff wins (289) and winning percentage (60.1, minimum 100 attempts). In 2023-24, he won 330 faceoffs and 60.3% of his draws, again leading the squad in both metrics. He paced the Sharks and was tied for second nationally with 13 power play goals during the 2023-24 season and tacked on seven more power play strikes as a junior last year. He has 13 career multi-point games and leads all current Bulldogs in career goals (44), power play goals (25) and points (68).

Riley on Zary: "Josh is a proven scorer at the college level and has been near the top nationally in both power play goals and faceoff percentage for a few years. He brings skill, reliability, and experience down the middle."

Max Dukovac, a senior forward from Aurora, Illinois who played at Miami University. 

Dukovac comes to big Rapids after three seasons with Miami in Ohio. During his time as a Redhawk, Dukovac recorded nine goals, 26 assists and 35 points across 92 games played. He appeared in at least 25 games each season and brings veteran leadership and experience to the Bulldog roster. Last season, Dukovac recorded a career-high five goals that included goals in back-to-back games to close the season against eventual national champion Western Michigan. As a freshman in 2022-23, Dukovac tallied 15 points with 14 assists before following that up with 10 points in each of the following two years. Dukovac played six career games against Ferris State, registering one goal and four assists against the Bulldogs. Before joining Miami's roster, Dukovac skated with current Bulldog Tyler Schleppe as a member of the Langley Rivermen, leading the team with 59 points.

Riley on Dukovac: "Max adds speed, skill, and versatility to our forward group. He's a proven college performer in all situations and we're eager to see him take his game to the next level with us."

Tanner Rowe, a junior forward from Calumet who played at University of Michigan.

Rowe is entering his third year of collegiate hockey after two seasons with the U of M.  He appeared in 45 games as a Wolverine, registering one goal which came during his freshman season against Stonehill. Before skating in the BIG 10, Rowe played two seasons for the Omaha Lancers in the USHL. In 2022-23, he served as an alternate captain and tallied 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 58 games played. He scored four goals and had seven assists for 11 points during his first year with the Lancers in 2021-22. 

Riley on Rowe: "Tanner combines size, skating ability, and character. He's a physical presence who plays with pace and purpose and we're excited to see his game continue to grow."

John Lundy, a senior forward from Brooklyn, New York who played at American International College. 

Lundy spent the previous three seasons with American International College. He played in 72 games as a Yellow Jacket, registering 24 goals, 18 assists and 42 points. As a freshman in 2022-23, Lundy had one assist in nine games before jumping to 22 points as a sophomore on 14 goals and eight helpers. Last season, he finished second on the team with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) and led the squad with six power play goals. Lundy also led the Yellow Jackets with eight power play goals as a sophomore in 2023-24. He has nine career multi-point performances and scored a career-high three points in AIC's victory over Air Force Jan. 13, 2024. Lundy is also capable in the faceoff circle, winning 62 draws (64%-win rate) last season.

Riley on Lundy: "John has a knack for the net and a proven track record of scoring timely goals. He's a smart, instinctive forward who consistently puts himself in the right place to make an impact."

Riley Wallack, a senior forward from South Surrey, British Columbia who played at Long Island University. 

At 6-6, 229 pounds, Wallack is the biggest player on Ferris State’s roster. He played for Long Island each of the past three seasons, accumulating 79 games played, 19 goals, 16 assists and 35 points. Last season, an injury limited him to only 14 games played, but he recorded 11 points (six goals, five assists). Wallack was 143-122 (54 percent) on the faceoff circle and scored two power play goals, a short-handed goal and a game-winning goal. In 2023-24, he was second on the team with 253 faceoff wins (54%-win rate) and scored four points in 30 games. As a freshman in 2022-23, Wallack was fifth on the team with 20 points, fourth with 11 goals and tied for second with five power play strikes. He also led the team with 352 faceoff wins and won at nearly a 60% clip. Wallack played with Schleppe and Dukovac on Langley's team, serving as the squad's captain and posting 43 points in 38 games.

Riley on Wallack: "At 6-6, Riley brings imposing size and strong two-way play. He is excellent on faceoffs and responsible in all zones, and we're excited to see him return from injury and make his mark."

Hobie Hedquist, a junior goaltender from Heron Lake, Minnesota who played at North Dakota University. 

Hedquist comes to Ferris State after two seasons in the NCHC with North Dakota. A 6-2, 192-pound goalie from Heron Lake, Minn., Hedquist appeared in 17 games for NODAK with an 8-5 record and one shutout to his name. Last year, he made 10 appearances and finished with a 2.80 goals against average and an .894 save percentage. He recorded a 20-save shutout against Robert Morris in a 1-0 victory for North Dakota. His career-high of 33 saves came Feb. 1, 2025 in a victory over St. Cloud State. As a freshman in 2023-24, Hedquist led the team with a 2.51 goals against average and .905 save percentage, finishing with a 5-1 record.

Riley on Hedquist: "Hobie is a driven, athletic goaltender who's ready to take another step. Technically sound and fiercely competitive, he'll be a key part of our goaltending unit."

Noah Rupprecht, a junior goaltender from Thief River Falls, Minnesota who played at Long Island University. 

Rupprecht is a 5-11, 179-pound goaltender who played his first two collegiate seasons for Riley at Long Island. With a 17-7 overall collegiate record, Rupprecht is a proven winner. Last year, he was 12-5 and recorded a victory against No. 17 Notre Dame on Oct. 26, allowing just two goals. He finished the season with a .901 save percentage and 2.33 goals against average. His career-high is 34 saves, which came in a 4-3 loss at Providence on Nov. 16, 2024. He ended the season with six straight wins, allowing no more than two goals in any game during that stretch. As a freshman in 2023-24, Rupprecht was 5-2 with a 2.14 goals against average and .900 save percentage. His lone career shutout came Jan. 20, 2024 against Stonehill. Rupprecht played with Bulldogs Trevor Taulien, Emerson Goode and Jacob Badal during two seasons with the Odessa Jackalopes in the NAHL from 2020-22.  

Riley on Rupprecht: "Noah joins us with a 17–7 college record and a reputation for winning big games. His relentless work ethic and fiery compete level will help elevate our culture and our crease."

Carter Rapalje, a junior forward from Monument, Colorado who played at Long Island University. 

Rapalje has played two full collegiate seasons, both of which saw him record at least 30 points. He began his career at Stonehill in 2022-23, scoring 20 goals and dishing 15 assists for 35 points, becoming the first Stonehill skater since 2006-07 to score 20 goals in a season, and he did it in just 23 games. Rapalje had six games with two or more goals, including two hat tricks and had multi-point performances in 10 of his 23 games played. He scored eight power play goals, two short-handed goals and had three game-winners. Rapalje then missed the 2023-24 season before transferring to Long Island for the 2024-25 season, where he led the team with 30 points, 17 goals, eight power play goals, two short-handed goals, four game-winning goals and 10 multi-point games. He has the most career assists (28) and multi-point games (20) of any current Bulldog and is second with 37 goals and 16 power play goals (trailing on Zary). His career mark of 1.14 points per game is also highest on the team.

Riley on Rapalje: "Carter is electric — blazing speed and a nose for the net. Coming off a 17-goal season, he's dangerous in all situations and primed to be a major offensive force for us this year."

The Bulldogs open their season Oct. 3 at Miami of Ohio. Ferris State’s first home game is Oct. 10 against defending national champion Western Michigan University.