Ferris State Wins Fourth-Straight WCHA Home Tilt To Pull Off Weekend Sweep

Postgame Highlights
Postgame Press Conference 

Big Rapids, Mich. - For the fourth consecutive home Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) contest, the Ferris State University men's ice hockey team came away victorious, with a 5-2 win over the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves at the Ewigleben Ice Arena on Saturday (Dec. 2) night.

Redshirt sophomore forward Craig Pefley scored twice, including the game-winning tally, and added two assists for a four-point night to lead Ferris State while junior defenseman Ryker Killins added a goal and an assist.

Killins started the Bulldogs off on the board at 16:09 of the opening period on the power play for his fourth goal of the year. Killins danced around a shot-blocker and went top shelf over the glove of UAA goaltender Olivier Mantha for a 1-0 Bulldog lead. 

Ferris State junior forward Corey Mackin earned his 11th assist of the year on the goal while senior forward Andrew Dorantes picked up his ninth.

The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead at 1:48 of the second period when Pefley scored his first of the game and second of the year from junior forward Zac Tierney, who earned his second assist of the season with Killins earning an assist on the play.

Alaska Anchorage scored twice in 32 seconds, first when Austin Azurdia pulled the Seawolves within one at 11:33 of the second while Corey Renwick tallied at 12:05 to tie it at 2-2 with his first collegiate goal.

The Bulldogs netted the game-winning goal at 7:21 of the third when Pefley found his second of the game loose at the top of the crease and pushed it home. Sophomore defenseman Nate Kallen earned his seventh assist of the season with freshman forward Coale Norris picking up his second of the year.

Ferris State added two insurance markers, both from sophomore forward Taylor Fernandez, first at 16:03 when he scored on the rush from between the circles for his first of the year. Pefley picked up his first assist on the play and second of the year to give FSU a 4-2 lead.

Fernandez iced the game away with his second of the game at 18:32 with an empty net goal from Norris (3) and Pefley (3) for the final 5-2 margin 

In goal, sophomore goaltender Justin Kapelmaster made 27 stops on 29 shots in a strong effort for Ferris State while Alaska Anchorage's Olivier Mantha made 28 stops and was charged with the loss.

The Bulldog special teams units were strong with the power play clicking at 2-of-3 on the night while holding the Seawolves 0-of-5 on the power play for a perfect 8-of-8 penalty kill weekend.

Ferris State's victory is its fourth consecutive home WCHA win and the Bulldogs are next set to hit the road to see the Michigan Tech Huskies on Friday and Saturday (Dec. 8-9) for a pair of 7:07 p.m. (ET) puck drops in Houghton, Mich.