FSU Battles To Tie & Drops Shootout To Alaska
Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State men's ice hockey team battled to a 4-4 overtime draw and fell in a shootout decision against Alaska as they returned to Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) action on Friday evening (Jan. 13) at the Ewigleben Ice Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.
Per CCHA rules, the Bulldogs come away from the night with one point. They currently stand at 13-8-2 overall with a 7-6-2 record in the conference. The shootout victory awards the Nanooks with two points on the evening and they end the night with a 7-10-4 overall and 4-9-4 CCHA record.
Junior Nanook Nik Yaremchuk scored the lone first period goal at the 7:28 mark with assists going to Jarret Granberg and Kaare Odegard.
The Bulldogs didn't come into the second period quietly as senior forward Jordie Johnston (Rosetown, Saskatchewan) netted his 12th goal of the season 23 seconds into the period to tie the score at 1-1 overall. Junior forward Matthew Kirzinger (Leroy, Saskatchewan) and sophomore defender Scott Czarnowczan (Macomb) picked up the helpers.
Then, at the 6:06 mark of the second period, Alaska's Nolan Youngman picked up a flukey unassisted even-strength goal. Bulldog senior goalie Taylor Nelson was not in the crease and the puck tapped off a defender's skate and squeaked by the goal line.
Sophomore Garrett Thompson (Traverse City) scored a power-play goal at the 7:58 mark of the second to tie the score at two goals each. Freshman defenseman Jason Binkley (Powell, Ohio) fired the puck on the net as it was deflected off Thompson. Senior forward Jordie Johnston also picked up a helper on the goal.
Alaska's Granberg, who notched three points this game, made the score 3-2 off a power-play goal at the 12:06 point of the second. Scott Ender and Yaremchuk get the assists.
FSU Rookie center Justin Buzzeo (Windsor, Ontario) picked up his first collegiate goal, and wrapped up the second period scoring, with 6:44 left in the period. Senior defenseman Derek Graham (Schoolcraft) earned the assist.
In the third period, only seven minutes and 20 seconds into the frame, Bulldog junior forward Kyle Bonis (Lindsay, Ontario) scored to give the Bulldogs their only lead of the game. The goal marked Bonis' 10th of the season and snapped a five-game scoreless streak. Junior Eric Alexander (Kentwood), who missed a portion of the game due to injury, tallied the assist after dumping the puck into the offensive zone.
Alaska's Adam Henderson tied the game up at 4-4 almost at the midway point of the third period, at 9:38. The game remained tied through regulation and a five-minute sudden death overtime period.
All three Bulldogs - Johnston, senior Chad Billins and Buzzeo, missed their shots in the shootouts. Of the three Nanooks - Colton Beck, Yaremchuk and Henderson - Henderson was the only one who was able to slip one past Nelson.
Nelson made 36 saves, including a 15-save first period, as he earned the tie. The Nanook goalie, Scott Greenham, made 31 saves in the contest.
Alaska was 2-of-3 on power play attempts, as the Bulldogs converted 1-of-3 times on the man advantage. Both squads had identical penalty times as they served five penalties for ten minutes in the box apiece.
The two teams will be back in action at 7:05 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday evening (Jan. 14) inside the Ewigleben Ice Arena as the Bulldogs look to pick up three points in the conference. After the contest, Billins along with senior defenseman Brett Wysopal and freshman goalie CJ Motte will be available to sign autographs on the concourse with special autograph sheets provided by the FSU Copy Center.
