2009-10 Bulldog Hockey Team Makes Its Mark

The 2009-10 season will be etched in the Ferris State University men's ice hockey all-time annals as one of the program's best as the Bulldogs achieved a significant amount of success on the ice throughout the campaign.

Ferris State, under the direction of 18th-year head coach Bob Daniels, managed to not only produce 20-plus victories this season but were also nationally ranked throughout the majority of the campaign and earned a trip to the 2010 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Championship at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich. 

The Bulldogs wrapped up their 31st season of competition at the NCAA Division I level with a 21-13-6 overall record and a third-place 13-9-6-4 mark (49 league points) in CCHA play.  The 21 wins represents a tie for the fourth-highest single-season victories total in the program's history.  FSU also went 15-3-2 at home during the regular season to match the third most wins in a campaign inside the Ewigleben Ice Arena.  In the postseason, Ferris State extended its playoff home game unbeaten streak to 12-0 following a second-round series sweep of Nebraska-Omaha (March 12-13).

Ferris State would advance to the CCHA Championship for the fifth time in school history and its fourth such appearance at Joe Louis Arena, the annual site of the league playoff championship.  This season marked the Bulldogs' first trip to The Joe since the record-setting 2002-03 campaign.

Nationally, Ferris State was ranked as high as sixth at one point during this season.  FSU continued to be respected among the nation's best and is presently listed within the top 15 teams in all three national college hockey polls.  Currently (March 22), the Bulldogs are ranked 13th by U.S. College Hockey Online.com and Inside College Hockey.com while coach Bob Daniels' squad is 15th according to USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine.      

While not receiving a NCAA Tournament bid is a disappointment, the Ferris State icers gave us all plenty to be proud of this season.