Ferris State's VanWormer & Lowney Join Hockey's Professional Ranks

Big Rapids, Mich. - Two additional members of the Ferris State University men's ice hockey senior class from this past season recently also began their professional careers as forward Jared VanWormer (Traverse City) and defenseman Ryan Lowney (Redford) both joined East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) franchises.

VanWormer, who served as FSU's team captain this past year, signed with the Missouri Mavericks while Lowney started his professional career in the same league with the Fort Wayne Komets. 

The duo joined another collegiate teammate in senior forward Gerald Mayhew, who previously inked with the American Hockey League's (AHL) Iowa Wild and notched his first two professional goals this past weekend.

VanWormer, 24, joined Missouri at the professional level after netting 60 points on 25 goals and 35 assists in 136 collegiate games at Ferris State. The 6-foot-0, 205-pounder out of Traverse City set personal career-highs this season in points (23), goals (9) and assists (14) whle serving as the Bulldogs' captain.

Meanwhile, Lowney signed a professional tryout agreement with the Komets.  Lowney, 23, completed a four-year collegiate career with Ferris State and finished the season scoring 15 assists and 17 points in 37 games. He finished with collegiate totals of seven goals, 51 assists and 58 points in 158 games.

Currently, VanWormer has seen action in four games to date for Missouri on the professional level with six shots while Lowney has also appeared in four games with 10 total shots this year.

Together, the duo helped lead the Bulldogs to two NCAA Final Eight appearances along with a WCHA Regular-Season and Playoff Championship during their four-year careers.