Ferris State Hockey Earns Split with Bowling Green After 4-3 Win Saturday

Postgame Highlights 
Postgame Interview - Coach Daniels 
Postgame Interview - Gavin Best 
Postgame Interview - Kade Turner 

Big Rapids, Mich. – The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team earned a series split against the Falcons of Bowling Green State University Saturday (Jan. 18) with a 4-3 victory behind a strong goaltending performance from Noah West and the first collegiate goal from Kade Turner.

Ferris State wrapped up its regular season series against BGSU with a win in the Ewigleben Ice Arena, their first Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) win since Dec. 7 (2-1 over Northern Michigan). With the victory, FSU (7-15-2, 6-10 CCHA) snapped a five-game losing streak, beating Bowling Green for the first time since 2023. BGSU was victorious in Friday's (Jan. 17) game 4-3.

West earned his seventh victory of the season, tallying 38 saves and allowing three goals. Gavin Best and Tyler Schleppe each had two-point efforts while nine Bulldog skaters recorded at least one point.

For the second consecutive night, FSU trailed by multiple goals after the first period. In Friday's game, BGSU had a 3-0 advantage, and then took a 2-0 lead in Saturday's contest. Quinn Emerson struck first at 5:30 and Brody Waters scored at 7:24. Eric Parker assisted Emerson's goal and Ryan O'Hara assisted Waters's.

Ferris State responded with four unanswered goals. Turner lit the lamp for his first collegiate goal at 3:21 in the second period. Best worked the puck up the boards for Xavier Jean-Louis at the point, who sent a pass across the blue line for Turner. He fired a shot past BGSU netminder Cole Moore, putting FSU on the board. Jean-Louis tallied his third assist and Best got his sixth.

Zach Faremouth took a five-minute major penalty at 11:57 for hitting from behind, but the Bulldogs went on to kill the penalty and stay within one goal.

Best made it his first career multi-point effort with a goal at 19:50. Travis Shoudy took a shot from the point that Moore saved but Schleppe tipped the rebound to Best, who went five-hole for his sixth score, giving him 12 total points this year. Shoudy picked up his seventh helper and Schleppe got his third.

Nick Nardecchia scored his second goal of the season at 3:18 in the third, giving FSU its first lead of the series at 3-2. Taulien sent a pass from the point to Jacob Badal in the left-wing circle who then fired a pass through the slot to Nardecchia on the backside where he beat Moore. Taulien got his sixth assist while Badal collected his third helper and fourth point.

Schleppe scored the game-winning goal at 5:06. Kaleb Ergang played a puck at the left boards down into the circle for Schleppe. He ripped a shot as he took a big check from Jackson Niedermayer that beat Moore short-side and gave the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead. Ergang collected his seventh assist and Schleppe's tally was his eighth.

BGSU cut the deficit in half with a power play goal by Waters at 12:19 from Dalton Norris and O'Hara. Moore was pulled for the extra attacker at 18:35, but West made three saves and Faremouth blocked a shot to preserve FSU's victory.

On top of scoring his first collegiate goal, Turner also finished with a game-high five blocked shots and went +1 on the ice. Shoudy and Taulien each finished +3 while Schleppe was +2. Best led the team with five shots on goal, followed by Cole Burtch with four. Faremouth and Schleppe both won 13 faceoffs.

As a team, the Bulldogs had 38 shots on goal, won 34 faceoffs, blocked 19 shots, went 0-2 on the power play and 1-2 on the penalty kill. BGSU took 41 shots on goal, won 39 faceoffs and blocked eight shots.

Ferris State has another home series next weekend as Minnesota State comes to town Friday (Jan. 24) and Saturday (Jan. 25). Both games will be streamed live on Midco Sports Plus and broadcasted on flagship radio station Sunny 97.3 FM. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. (ET) Friday and pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on the radio.