Ferris State Shuts Out Seawolves Before Sellout Senior Night Crowd In Regular-Season Home Finale

Postgame Video Highlights 
Postgame Press Conference

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team scored a 3-0 senior night shutout victory over the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves on Saturday (Feb. 18) night before a sellout crowd inside FSU's Ewigleben Ice Arena.

Sophomore forward Corey Mackin scored twice as the Bulldogs peppered the Seawolves with 53 shots. In net, Ferris State sophomore goaltender Darren Smith blanked the Seawolves with 23 saves on the night.

Mackin got the Bulldogs going at 7:40 of the first period with his 12th marker of the year on a three-on-one break. Senior forwards Gerald Mayhew and Jared VanWormer played catch down the right wing before Mayhew spooned a pass across the crease that Mackin shoveled past UAA goaltender Olivier Mantha. The assists were Mayhew and VanWormer's 14th each for the season.

The Mayhew to Mackin connection found each other again when Mayhew knifed through three defenders and turned a pass back into the middle that Mackin buried for his 13th goal of the year and a 2-0 Bulldog lead at 15:23 of the first.

Ferris State hung onto the lead and extended it at 19:26 of the third when junior forward Mitch Maloney deflected in an empty net goal for his 10th of the year. Senior forward Chad McDonald fired the initial shot and earned his eighth assist of the season on Maloney's goal.

Neither squad capitalized on the man advantage, as both teams went 0-4 with the Bulldogs registering 11 shots on the power play in the game. Ferris State outshot Alaska Anchorage 53-23 for the evening. The Bulldogs had a 21-3 margin in shots on goal in the opening period alone.

Mantha took the loss for the Seawolves, making 50 stops in the game, as they fell to 7-19-6 on the season.

Smith's win gave the Bulldogs their third consecutive home victory, as Ferris State moved to 11-12-3-2 in WCHA play.

The win ties Ferris State with Bowling Green State at 38 points apiece in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) standings going into the final weekend of the regular season for fourth place.

The top four teams in the WCHA at the end of the regular season host a first round playoff series.

Ferris State hits the road for the last weekend of the regular season on Friday (Feb. 24) to take on the Lake Superior State Lakers. Puck drop is slated for 7:37 p.m. (ET) in Sault Ste. Marie with Saturday's (Feb. 25) regular-season finale at 7:07 p.m. (ET).

Prior to Saturday's final regular-season home game, the Bulldogs honored the senior quartet of Ryan Lowney, Gerald Mayhew, Chad McDonald and Jared VanWormer. Together, they've helped the Bulldogs win two conference titles and twice reach the NCAA Eight in their storied careers.