PREVIEW: Ferris State Hockey Opens Season This Weekend As Rivalry Renews
Ferris State vs. Western Michigan |
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Friday - Saturday, Oct. 9-10 | |
Television: | NCHC.TV (Friday) - WCHA.TV (Sat) |
Radio: | 97.3 FM WDEE |
Stats: | Click Here |
Tickets: | Buy Online | 231-591-2888 |
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Game Notes (PDF) | |
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Big Rapids, Mich. - A rivalry will be renewed this weekend as the Ferris State University men's ice hockey team officially opens up the 2015-16 campaign and the program's 41st season with a non-conference home-and-home series against the Western Michigan University Broncos.
The two teams will begin a five-year scheduling agreement by squaring off for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign when both squads were members of the former Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and had a number of memorable matchups.
The weekend will begin in Kalamazoo at Lawson Ice Arena on Friday (Oct. 9) night at 7 p.m. (ET) before the series' shifts to Big Rapids on Saturday (Oct. 10) with the puck drop for the Bulldogs' home opener set for 7:07 p.m. (ET).
2015-16 Season Preview:
Ferris State is set to begin the 41st season of Bulldogs men's ice hockey and the 24th year with head coach Bob Daniels behind the bench. There will be many familiar faces on the squad, as a total of 20 letterwinners from last season are returning. Seven newcomers make up a freshman class that will be expected to contribute right away. Co-leading scorers from 2014-15 Gerald Mayhew and Matt Robertson are both among the returning veteran forward group, which includes 11 skaters up front. On the back end, seniors Brandon Anselmini, Simon Denis, Zach Dorer and Sean O'Rourke will lead an experienced blueline corps. Redshirt junior Charles Williams is expected to garner most of the playing time in net after recovering from an injury which sidelined the netminder last season.
Recapping The 2014-15 Season:
FSU is looking to improve on last year's finish in the WCHA Standings. After a 13-14-1 record in conference play, the Bulldogs swept Bemidji State in a best-of-three quarterfinal round, before losing to eventual champion Minnesota State in the WCHA Final Five at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Season highlights included a 4-3 opening night victory over then No. 8 ranked Michigan in front of a sold out crowd at Ewigleben Ice Arena, wins at St. Lawrence and Michigan State in non-conference play, an appearance in the Great Lakes Invitational and an overtime win vs. Bowling Green in February on a goal by forward Jared VanWormer.
Scouting The Broncos:
Western Michigan finished the 2014-15 season with an overall record of 14-18-5, while a 6-13-5 mark placed them seventh inthe NCHC. The Broncos averaged 2.65 goals per game, which was 37th out of 59 Division I teams, while their power play was a strength at 20.0 percent. However penalties plagued WMU for most of the season, as the team averaged 16.3 per game whichtied them for the highest average in college hockey. Returning junior Sheldon Dries led the team in scoring with 29 points on 14goals and 15 assists, while Frederik Tiffels burst on the scene as afreshman, scoring 11 goals and adding 10 assists for 21 points tobecome one of the leading rookies in the country. The departure of forwards Colton Hargrove and Justin Kovacs will hurt theBroncos' offense, but freshmen Matheson Iacopelli and Griffen Molino should lessen the blow. In net, Lukas Hafner returns for his senior season, while junior transfer Collin Olson also expects to see playing time.
Late Surge Lifts Ferris State Past Lethbridge In Exhibition:
Redshirt junior goaltender Charles Williams stopped a penalty shot in the final minute to help secure a 4-2 victory for Ferris State against the University of Lethbridge in an exhibition contest at the Ewigleben Ice Arena on Sunday afternoon. Junior forward Chad McDonald led the Bulldogs with two goals while freshman defenseman Ryker Killins had two assists and junior forward KyleSchempp scored the team's first goal of the season. Williams played all 60 minutes in net and finished with 24 saves.
Mackin Named WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year:
Incoming freshman forward Corey Mackin was selected as the 2015-16 WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year by the league's member head coaches on Sept. 21. Mackin, the Canadian JuniorHockey League's most valuable player last season for his play with the Coquitlam Express (BCHL), scored a total of 50 goals and 54assists for 104 points in 58 games. The talented newcomer hails from Philadelphia and more than doubled his point total with the Express from 2013-14 to 2014-15.
Captains of the Ship:
Junior forward Kyle Schempp will serve as the captain of theBulldogs for 2014-15 and will be assisted by senior defensemen Simon Denis and Sean O'Rourke along with junior forward Jared VanWormer. Schempp has appeared in 80 games for Ferris State during his first two collegiate seasons, scoring 20 goals and 21assists. The junior has recorded 10 goals and three power play tallies in each of his years. Denis, who has an "A" on his jerseyfor a second straight year, had a redshirt season due to injury during 2013-14 and is the longest tenured Bulldog on the roster. O'Rourke is coming off a career-high two goals and five points in38 games last season, while VanWormer finished with 14 points on six goals and eight assists as a sophomore.
Daniels Closing In On Milestone:
Head Coach Bob Daniels is just three wins away from securing 400 career victories. The bench boss is set to begin his 24th season behind the Bulldog bench after taking over the reins at the start of the 1992-93 campaign. Daniels has led the team to three NCAATournament berths, including a 31-win season during 2002-03.
Defense First:
Ferris State is coming off a season in which they ranked eighth inthe country in scoring defense, allowing just 2.20 goals per game through 40 contests. Although the team lost goaltender CJ Motte to graduation, the squad returns six defensemen that helped tomake up one of the best back ends in college hockey.
Penalty-Killing Prowess:
The Bulldogs ranked second in the WCHA in penalty killing aseason ago, and were sixth-best in the country allowing just 20 power play goals all season despite being shorthanded 163 times. Bowling Green was the only WCHA team with a better rate than FSU's 87.7 percent, as the Falcons killed 89.8 percent of their penalties without allowing a goal.
Shorthanded Specialist:
Junior forward Chad McDonald can bring some excitement to the penalty kill, using his speed to create offensive chances. The BattleCreek, Mich. native has scored two shorthanded goals in each of his two collegiate seasons and lead the team in the category during 2014-15. But the Bulldogs also got shorthanded tallies from Justin Buzzeo, Dom Panetta and Kyle Schempp to total five SHGs on the season, ranking them first in the WCHA and 13th in the nation.
Everyday Anselmini:
Senior defenseman Brandon Anselmini has appeared in more games than any other active member of the Ferris State roster,having suited up in 111 games in his first three seasons as a Bulldog. The Guelph, Ont. native dressed in 32 games as a freshman, 41 contests as a sophomore and played in 38 a year ago. In his three-year career, Anselmini has 11 goals, 28 assists, 39 points, four power play tallies, 140 penalty minutes, 151 shots on goal and a plus-five rating.
Williams Takes Over In Net:
Redshirt junior goaltender Charles Williams is the expected starter for 2015-16 after the graduation of captain CJ Motte. The Canton,Mich. native has already earned the confidence of his coaching staff, despite not having played in a regular season game since January of 2014, a 25-save shutout of Michigan Tech. Williams has played in 11 contests in his career with the Bulldogs, amassing a record of 2-3-0 with a 2.39 goals against average and a savepercentage of .911.
Click Here For Complete Game Notes (PDF)