Ferris State Hockey Starts Final Regular Season Series with Dominant 5-1 Win Over Northern Michigan

Postgame Highlights 
Postgame Interview - Coach Daniels 
Postgame Interview - Caiden Gault 
Postgame Interview - Zach Faremouth 

Big Rapids, Mich. – Four skaters recorded multi-point games and Noah West stopped 37-of-38 shots as the Ferris State University men's ice hockey team cruised to a 5-1 home win against Northern Michigan University Friday (Feb. 28) at the Ewigleben Ice Arena in Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) play.

In Head Coach Bob Daniels's final career home series, the Bulldogs (13-18-2, 12-13-0 CCHA) started on a high note and put themselves in position to sweep the season series against NMU. Previously, FSU swept the Wildcats in Marquette Dec. 6 and 7. 

West earned his 13th win of the season and made 17 saves in the first period. Zach Faremouth, Caiden Gault, Travis Shoudy and Gavin Best each had multi-point performances in the win.

Faremouth scored the first goal at 13:21 in period one. His sixth of the year gave Ferris State a 1-0 advantage. Xavier Jean-Louis sent a pass from the corner to Faremouth who took a backhanded shot from the crease that beat NMU goaltender Ryan Ouellette. Jean-Louis got his fourth helper and Shoudy also assisted, his 12th of the season.

NMU tied the game with a goal from Billy Renfrew at 19:49. Trevor Mitchell and Matthew Argentina assisted.

Faremouth scored the game-winning goal at 14:39 in the second, his second of the game and seventh of the season. Best intercepted a pass as he hopped onto the ice and found Faremouth backside for the goal. Best tallied his eighth assist as FSU reclaimed a lead.

Shoudy scored at 9:37 in the third period, putting FSU up 3-1. Tyler Schleppe won a faceoff that Best controlled and dropped a pass to Shoudy at the left point. Shoudy ripped a shot through traffic to the top-right corner for his sixth goal, while Best got his ninth helper and Schleppe tallied his seventh. Schleppe also set a career-high with his 16th point, topping the 15 he had as a freshman.

Gault scored at 13:20 and 18:54, his first career two-goal game. His first of the night came on a redirected shot. Nico DeVita fired from the point and Gault tipped it past Ouellette for his 12th goal of the year. DeVita got his second helper and Faremouth made it a three-point evening with his fifth assist, the first three-point performance of his career.

Gault's second goal of the game sealed FSU's 5-1 victory. Holden Doell won a puck battle along the boards at center ice and found Gault streaking towards the net for a goal. Doell got his eighth assist and 10th  point as Gault scored his team-leading 13th goal this year.

For the game, FSU blocked 18 shots, had 30 shots on goal, won 29 faceoffs went 1-1 on the penalty kill and 0-2 on the power play. NMU, who averages 17.5 blocks per game (most in the nation) had 10 blocked shots, 38 shots on goal and won 23 draws.

Best led the team with four shots on goal and Cole Burtch had a game-high 11 faceoff wins. DeVita blocked three shots while Jean-Louis, Schleppe, Doell and Kaleb Ergang blocked two. Jean-Louis, Faremouth and Jack Silich were both +3 and Shoudy, DeVita, Doell and Best were all +2.

Ferris State will end its regular season against Northern Michigan Saturday (March 1) in the Ewigleben Ice Arena. FSU will recognize its seven seniors for Senior Night – DeVita, Ergang, Faremouth, West, Jacob Dirks, Nick Grimaldi and Nick Nardecchia. The Bulldogs will also honor Coach Daniels for his final game in Ewigleben Ice Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. (ET) and will be streamed live on Midco Sports Plus and Sunny 97.3 FM. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the Senior Night ceremony.