Bulldog Hockey Wins Fifth CCHA Game With 5-3 Victory Over Lake State at Home

Postgame Highlights 

Big Rapids, Mich. – The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team topped Lake Superior State University Friday (Jan. 19) in the Ewigleben Ice Arena behind a strong offensive night, scoring five goals for the fourth time this season.

The Bulldogs (7-16-1) scored five goals for the second consecutive home game, previously topping the Bemidji State Beavers by a 5-3 score back on Jan. 6. With their victory over the Lakers, the Bulldogs improved to 5-7-1 on home ice.

Logan Stein earned his fourth win of the season in Friday's victory, turning away 23-of-26 shots. Luigi Benincasa (1-1-2), Emerson Goode (1-1-2) and Antonio Venuto (0-2-2) each had multi-point games.

Neither team scored in the first period, but the Bulldogs held an 18-8 advantage in the shots category, and the scoring started early in the second period.

Ferris State got its first goal at 1:18 in the second period from Travis Shoudy on the power play. Shoudy's third goal of the year came from Jason Brancheau and Venuto, and gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

Benincasa scored his first goal of the night at 3:04 in the second period, extending the Bulldogs' lead to 2-0. Emerson Goode played the puck up the left-wing wall and fired a pass between his legs right onto Benincasa's tape. He then beat LSSU netminder Ethan Langenegger for his fourth goal of the season, with Goode recording the lone assist.

Lake Superior State tied the game before the second intermission with goals just 10 seconds apart. First, at 15:59, Dawson Tritt scored his seventh power play goal of the season, with Ross Roloson and John Herrington assisting. Then, at 16:09, Connor Milburn tied the game. Tritt and Cam Kungle had the helpers.

Nick Nardecchia gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead at 9:17 in the third. Jack Mesic ripped a shot through traffic that Langenegger saved, but the rebound popped up in the air. Tyler Schleppe fought for position net front, allowing Nardecchia to handle the rebound and bury his third goal of the year. Mesic and Drew Cooper got the assists.

Goode gave the Bulldogs a 4-2 advantage at 18:37, scoring on the empty net. With the extra attacker on for LSSU, Benincasa intercepted a pass at the Bulldog blue line and worked through neutral ice. He sent a pass to Goode, who pressed into the Laker side and buried the empty netter for his fifth goal of the year.

Finally, at 19:00, Ferris State scored its final game of the night. Kaleb Ergang worked a puck on target that beat Langenegger through traffic. Venuto and Stepan Pokorny had the assists.

Lake Superior State scored one last time at 19:58. Nate Schweitzer scored the goal with Milburn and Kungle assisting.

For the game, Ferris State went 1-4 on power play tries and 2-4 on the penalty kill. FSU outshot the Lakers 33-26 and lost the faceoff battle 31-29. The Bulldogs had 13 penalty minutes on five trips to the box, while Lake State also had five penalties, but for 10 minutes.

The Bulldogs will be back in action Saturday (Jan. 20) for the back half of the home-and-home series with Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. (ET) with pregame coverage beginning on Sunny 97.3 FM at 5:30 p.m. (ET).