Bulldogs Fall In Tightly Contested Contest vs. #7 Bowling Green

Postgame Highlights 
Postgame Press Conference 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team fell 4-2 to the Nationally #7-ranked Bowling Green Falcons on Sunday (Jan. 3) afternoon inside the Ewigleben Ice Arena in Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) play.

Ferris State freshman forward Jacob Dirks picked up his first collegiate goal while junior goaltender Roni Salmenkangas made 29 stops in the effort. 

The Bulldogs jumped in front at 5:16 of the first period when junior forward Justin Michaelian ripped a shot cross cage inside the left goal post for a 1-0 Bulldog lead and his second goal of the year. Senior forwards Coale Norris (2) and Lucas Finner (4) added assists on the play.

BGSU responded twice in the first, when Taylor Schneider scored shorthanded at 9:06, followed by Gavid Gould's even strength extra attacker goal at 15:57 on a delayed Bulldog penalty for a 2-1 Falcon lead.

However, at 2:32 of the second period, Dirks, fresh off the bench, finessed into the low slot and wired a shot for the top left corner, besting BGSU goaltender Zack Rose to tie the game at 2-2. The goal was Dirks' first collegiate while freshman defenseman Sam Skinner earned his first collegiate point (an assist) on the play. Sophomore forward Dallas Tulik also added a helper, his first of the year.

Early in the thid period, BGSU forward Brandon Kruse picked off a puck at the Bulldog blue line and sprung Cameron Wright in alone. Wright scored his third goal of the weekend for the 3-2 lead and the eventual game-winner. Evan Dougherty added an insurance marker at 18:57 on the empty net.

For BGSU, Rose made 21 stops while Salmenkangas made 29 for Ferris State. The Bulldogs held Bowling Green 0-3 on the power play and went 0-2 on the man advantage. The Falcons finished with a 33-23 edge in shots on goal, with Ferris State leading 12-11 in the middle frame.

The Bulldogs head to Huntsville, Ala., to take on the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers in the final WCHA regular season meetings between the two teams on Friday and Saturday (Jan. 8-9) with both games slated for 8:07 p.m. (ET) starts.