Smith & Bulldogs Shutout Minnesota State To Open Weekend Home Series

Postgame Highlights
Postgame Press Conference

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team registered its second consecutive win in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) on Friday with a 3-0 victory over the nationally 16th-ranked Minnesota State Mavericks at the Ewigleben Ice Arena.

Sophomore goaltender Darren Smith made 36 stops to earn his second-straight victory and first shutout of the season. Senior forward Gerald Mayhew had a goal and an assist and tallied his 100th career collegiate point with his second period power play goal in the win.

After a scoreless first period, the Bulldogs got off and running in the second when sophomore forward Corey Mackin scored his sixth goal of the year. Mayhew was on his back in the corner and passed a puck to senior forward Jared VanWormer, who centered it for Mackin. Mackin whipped it past Maverick goaltender Jason Pawloski at 34 seconds of the second period to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

It was Mayhew's sixth assist of the year and VanWormer's fifth.

Senior forward Chad McDonald got on the score sheet shortly after at 2:28 of the secondwhen he wired a slap shot off the post and in on the power play to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. Freshman forward Joe Rutkowski registered his 10th assist of the year on the goal with junior forward Andrew Dorantes earning his eighth.

Mayhew capped the scoring with his second point of the net, this time on the power play at 15:06 of the second period. VanWormer earned his second assist of the game and sixth of the season with a nifty drop pass to Mayhew, who fired it over the blocker of Pawloski, who was pulled following the goal. Senior defenseman Ryan Lowney earned his 10th assist of the year on the goal as well.

The Bulldogs finished 2-7 on the power play and blanked the Mavericks, who went 0-7. Ferris State had a five-on-three penalty kill that turned into a six-on-three when Minnesota State pulled their goaltender late in the contest that lasted 1:33, but blocked shots and timely stops by Smith preserved the shutout.

The shutout was Smith's fourth of hiscareer as he earned his second victory of the season.

Pawloski made 11 stops on 14 shots before being pulled late in the second period in favor of senior Cole Huggins. Huggins made nine saves on nine shots.

The Mavericks had a 36-23 edge in shots on goal, with many early shots coming from the outside, and most of their third period shots coming on their late power plays in the third period.

Ferris State will wrap up the season series with Minnesota State on Saturday (Dec. 10) at 7:07 p.m. (ET) in the weekend finale at the Ewigleben Ice Arena.