Ferris State Wins Shootout Over Northern Michigan Following Overtime Deadlock On Home Ice

Postgame Video Highlights   

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team won a shootout over the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Saturday (Oct. 22) night as they picked up their first Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) points of the year inside FSU's Ewigleben Ice Arena. 

Freshman forward Taylor Fernandez earned his first collegiate goal while sophomore goaltender Darren Smith backstopped the Bulldogs to what amounted to a 2-2 overtime tie by NCAA standards with 40 saves. 

Sophomore forward Trevor Recktenwald netted his first goal of the season at 5:13 of the second period when he banked a centering pass off of a NMU skater and into the net. Freshman defenseman Cameron Clarke tallied his first collegiate point, an assist, on Recktenwald's goal. Meanwhile, senior forward Chad McDonald also notched his second assist of the year on the opening goal of the contest. 

The Wildcats evened the game at a goal apiece at 12:24 of the second period when Rylan Yaremko scored his first collegiate goal. Filip Starzynski and Casey Purpur were credited with assists on Yaremko's goal. 

FSU's Fernandez found the back of the net at 1:38 of the third period when freshman forward Chris Allemon shot a puck towards NMU goaltender Atte Tolvanen that he kicked into the middle. Fernandez got to it and backhanded it high past Tolvenen. It marked the first collegiate points for both Allemon and fellow freshman forward Jason Tackett, who were both credited with assists. 

Northern Michigan tied the game back up, though, at 2-2 at 12:34 of the third period when Robbie Payne scored his fourth of the year from Jordan Klimek.  

Regulation ended in a deadlock with the two squads going to overtime. The Bulldogs had to kill off a penalty at the end of the first overtime that carried into the WCHA's new 3-on-3 overtime format and were then forced to kill a second one called 50 seconds into the second extra session. 

Ferris State successfully killed both penalties in OT and the game advanced to a sudden death shootout. Redshirt freshman forward Craig Pefley netted the only goal of the shootout to win it for Ferris State.

As games after 65 minutes in NCAA hockey are officially ruled a tie, Pefley's shootout goal will not count towards his season total. 

In all, Smith's 40 stops were enough to force the second overtime and shootout where the Bulldogs gained two points in the WCHA standings. Tolvanen made 29 saves on 31 shots for NMU. 

Northern Michigan finished 0-of-6 on the power play while the Bulldogs posted an 0-of-5 mark on the night with the man advantage.  

Ferris State next hits the road for a weekend league series against the Minnesota State Mavericks, starting on Friday, Oct. 28, in Mankato. The puck drops at 8:07 p.m. (ET) before the two teams meet in the series finale on Saturday (Oct. 29).

The Bulldogs' next home contest is against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Ewigleben Ice Arena and tickets are on sale now. Visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com or call (231) 591-2888 for additional information.