FOOTBALL: Hillsdale 59, Ferris 14

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University got an up-close-and-personal look at why Hillsdale College is ranked 22nd in the nation and third in the region.

Hillsdale proved it is no joke.

The Chargers came to Top Taggart Field and dominated from start to finish in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football action en route to a 59-14 destruction of the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon. Fighting to solidify its playoff positioning, Hillsdale scored 14 points in the first quarter and 17 more in the second for a 31-0 halftime lead. The Chargers then added 21 unanswered points in the third quarter for a 52-0 lead. Ferris added two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but they were too little too late to put event a dent in the outcome of the game.

"First of all, I give Hillsdale credit for coming in and playing a good football game and they've got a good football team and I think they've got a pretty good chance of finishing pretty strong here in the playoffs and hopefully they'll get that opportunity," Ferris head coach Jeff Pierce said. "We just didn't match up horsepower-wise with them being able to control the line of scrimmage and there is not a whole lot you can do when you don't do that. They did that."

With the loss, Ferris dips to 1-9 overall and 0-9 in the GLIAC while Hillsdale improves to 8-2 overall and 7-2 in conference play.

Hillsdale finished with 377 yards of total offense to 151 for Ferris.

For the Bulldogs, Skyler Stoker finished with 62 yards on 24 carries while Tyler Thomas rushed it three times for 25 yards with a touchdown. Through the air, Kyle Parrish completed 7-of-12 passes for 54 yards with two interceptions while Robert Banaszak who completed 2-of-3 passes for 59 yards with a touchdown.

For Hillsdale, Vinnie Panizzi rushed for 84 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns, Joe Glendening had nine rushes for 43 yards with a touchdown and Brad Spencer had five attempts for 10 yards with a touchdown. Billy Kanitz had one carry for a touchdown.

Nick Hixson, a defensive back for the Chargers who is a former Chippewa Hills High School star, had one interception, a punt return for 18 yards and two kickoff returns for 25 yards.

"Our kids are just showing up, we start practice Monday night, they lock in and they learn from the mistakes from the previous Saturday, they work hard and they stay with their focus during the work week," said Hillsdale head coach Keith Otterbein, who is a former long-time head coach at Ferris. "They've been showing up physically and mentally ready to play. The one time we kind of stubbed our toe with that a little bit was at Findlay. Our kids learned a very, very valuable lesson.

"Beating Grand Valley a few weeks ago and then making a road trip to Northern Michigan kind of proved that. They responded well," Otterbein added.

Defensively, there were not a ton of bright spots for Ferris but one of them was linebacker Matt Ryan who led the team with 12 tackles and was in one one tackle for a loss. Defensive lineman Jacob Moreno had 11 tackles and with seven apiece were Angelo Williams and Nick Butler.

Ferris closes out its season Saturday when it travels to University Center to take on another team fighting for playoff positioning: Saginaw Valley State University.

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Video Highlight Of Lou Williams Jumper Against Aquinas

Here is a video clip of Lou Williams knocking down a nice jumper for Ferris State University in Thursday's exhibition at Greenville High School against Aquinas College.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Ferris Gears Up For Exhibition Battle Against Division I Oakland University

BIG RAPIDS - Ready or not, Ferris State University's women's basketball team is about to hit the floor Sunday afternoon in an exhibition in Rochester against Division I Oakland University.

The Bulldogs (13-15 last season) have had a bit of a rough preseason with some injuries and illness, issues that have limited the amount of team practice time, but time slows for no one. Ferris knows full well it will get a stiff test this weekend against an Oakland squad that is a pretty good Division I team that can run a team off the floor when it gets things going in a 2 p.m. contest in the O'rena.

Hopefully the Bulldogs are getting the health issues behind them to be able to hit the court running against what will be an eye-opening opponent.

Ferris did essentially lose all of its starters from last season, but Ferris is hardly absent of a good deal of experience. Center Andrea Clancy, who head coach Tracey Dorow has touted as one of the team's most improved players; guard Becci Houdek, a talented guard with a great deal of ability; and forward Tiara Adams, an athletic wing player with starter experience from a year ago, bring a good dose of experience and all three likely will garner increased minutes this weekend against the Grizzlies.

This game will be an early quiz to see how the aforementioned handle the increased minutes this season as they step into newer roles.

Last year, Oakland finished 26-7 overall and lost to Dayton in the first round of the Women's NIT.

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Ferris Wins Tough Exhibition Battle Against Aquinas, 66-56

GREENVILLE – It was hardly a great shooting basketball display for either team, but Ferris State University survived Aquinas College in its first preseason quiz.

The Bulldogs and Saints went at it in a hard-fought exhibition at Greenville High School – a game in which both teams showed signs of being works in progress as Ferris earned a 66-56 win. Now that Ferris has had a chance to test itself against the Saints, the Bulldogs have had an opportunity to test themselves against a real opponent, Ferris can reflect on areas of improvement that need to be addressed during the balance of the preseason.

“A couple of good things that happened were that defensively we played pretty well, but in spurts. We created some turnovers (Aquinas had 21 turnovers). We struggled at times when we got tired,” Ferris head coach Bill Sall said. “Offensively, we were in a rush in everything we did. That is a pretty major concern, but also something that is correctable as we watch some game film and we start to look at the things that we did wrong and that we can get better at.”

Against Aquinas, Ferris discovered first hand just how hard teams have play to win college basketball games, it learned it must rebound (as a team) much better and it quite frankly has to knock down shots when opportunities present themselves. The Saints, though not as athletic, held their own on the glass as it made Ferris pay several times for not boxing out by securing offensive rebounds.

Still, Ferris had some notable solid performances led by second-year point guard Dontae Molden, who eased into more of a comfort zone as the game progressed. Austin Randel also played a solid game shooting the basketball. Darien Gay had a solid outing as well. Aquinas focused its defensive effort on Justin Keenan to limit him as much as possible. The Bulldogs must learn to feed off Keenan and make teams pay for devoting too much attention to the All-American candidate.

Off the bench, freshman Daniel Sutherlin (six points and seven rebounds) was a bright spot as the Detroit native battled hard on the boards and showed the potential to be able to finish shots in the paint as he fights to become a power forward for the Bulldogs.

Both teams struggled shooting the ball as Ferris hit 34.9 percent for the game while Aquinas hit 37.5 percent of its attempts from the floor.

Ferris was led by Keenan with 17 points, Randel added 12, Molden put up 11 and Gay also hit double digits with 12 off the bench.

Keenan led Ferris on the glass with 14 boards.

The Bulldogs travel to Division I Dayton University to take on the Flyers in an exhibition contest on Nov. 3 with tip off scheduled for 7 p.m.

Note: Greenville is the hometown of Bulldog men's basketball player Matt DeHart, who was in the starting lineup, got a loud ovation from the crowd and signed autographs after the contest ... the crowd was listed as 650.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Ferris Picked Third In The North Division In Preseason GLIAC Poll

BIG RAPIDS - It will be a challenging division for Ferris State University's women's team with two nationally-ranked powerhouses in the North Division in Michigan Tech University and Grand Valley State University expected to set the tone.

The Bulldogs and Lake Superior State University were picked a distant third and fourth behind the two national powers in the 2009-10 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Preseason Women's Basketball Media Poll. Ferris finished with 74 points and Lake Superior was just two points back with 72 points. Above the two, however, Michigan Tech (the preseason No. 1 team Division II team in the nation in one poll) earned 142 points and 22 of 24 first-place votes while GVSU collected 122 points and a pair of first-place votes in the poll.

Ferris head coach Tracey Dorow knows she has two powerhouse teams in her division and is looking forward to her young Bulldogs gaining experience and a competitor's edge as it faces a very challenging schedule this season.

"Really excited about the upcoming season. We've got four new freshmen one of whom is going to redshirt Felicia Standley. We also have a volleyball player (Ashley Huntey, a local product from Morley Stanwood High School) who is coming over to join us after losing all five starters from last season. We have one young lady returning who started 15 games for us in Tiara Adams (pictured bottom). She is playing really, really well right now. (Adams is a) very athletic, very exciting player to watch.

"Other top returning players include Becci Houdek is back and playing very well right now and we have senior center Andrea Clancy (pictured top) back and Andrea is doing a great job of leading our team along with Stephanie DeNoyelles ... our two captains," added Dorow, whose team finished 13-15 last season and 10-12 in the GLIAC.

Ferris begins exhibition play on Sunday with a trip to Rochester to take on Division I Oakland University in a 2 p.m. contest.

The regular-season opener is Nov. 20 in Erie, Pa. against former GLIAC rival Gannon University with tip off scheduled for 6 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Ferris Picked Second In The North Division In Preseason GLIAC Poll

BIG RAPIDS - Members of the media think pretty highly of the Ferris State University men's basketball team entering the 2009-10 season.

The Bulldogs were picked second in the North Division of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the men's basketball media poll as released on Thursday evening by league officials. Ferris garnered 107 points and two of 23 first-place votes to rank behind Grand Valley State University, which was tabbed first with 130 points and 17 first-place votes. Lake Superior State University was picked third with 94 points and four first-place votes. Michigan Tech got one first-place vote and 84 points.

But, for Ferris, the journey to a conference championship begins now as the team works to put all the pieces in their proper place.

"We've got some good pieces to the puzzle. We are still trying to figure it all out," said Ferris head coach Bill Sall, whose team finished 14-14 overall last season and 12-10 in the GLIAC. "I think our consistency has been an issue hopefully we can continue to find it. We have a very good player returning in Justin Keenan (the starting center, pictured top) and Darien Gay (one of the Bulldogs' starting guards, pictured bottom) we have a couple of players on the first team all league. I think the pieces to the puzzle are there and it's our job to get it going."

Keenan and Gay, both juniors, were named to the 2009-10 Men's Basketball All-GLIAC Team from the North Division.

Keenan probably narrowly missed out on a chance to be named the Preseason GLIAC Player of the Year as that honor went to Marcus Parker, who is the point guard for the defending NCAA Division II National Champion University of Findlay Oilers.

Ferris' first action this season is Thursday Oct. 29 as it travels to Greenville to take on Aquinas College in an exhibition contest with tip off slated for 7 p.m.

Greenville is the hometown of 6-foot-3 FSU shooting guard Matt DeHart who will be hoopin' it up in his backyard.

GENERAL NEWS: National Scholar-Athlete of the Year Jake Visser Featured In Faces Of Ferris

Jake Visser, a former All-American football student-athlete at Ferris State University, always will reflect fondly upon his college playing days as a Bulldog.

During his Ferris tenure, prior to and after, Visser and excellence became virtually synonymous. On the football gridiron, the 6-foot-2, 275-pound defensive tackle was nearly unstoppable. As a junior and senior, when he was named All-America for his exceptional play, Visser was more than just the typical student-athlete.

Moreover, he shattered tired stereotypes of student-athletes as “dumb jocks” – stereotypes that don’t sit well with hard workers like Visser who evolved into a true Academic All-American.

Visser’s Ferris experience has catapulted him into exclusive company. The Coopersville native became the premier scholar-athlete in the nation at the NCAA Division II level by the time everything was said, done and written. He was recently named the men’s National “Scholar-Athlete of the Year” by the Division II conference commissioners.

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment for Jake, Ferris State University and the entire Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference,” noted GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson.

The GLIAC also named Visser as its 2008-09 male “Scholar-Athlete of the Year” based on his top-notch athletic performance and his unyielding dedication to academics in the classroom. Whether in Big Rapids or on the road, traveling for games in Ohio or the Upper Peninsula, keeping up with his studies remained a high priority.

“It has been a real honor and a real blessing for me to have had the opportunity to play college football at Ferris State University,” said Visser, a secondary education graduate (History Education) who hopes to teach history and coach high-school football in his future. “I know I made the right decision coming here to play college football and if I had that decision to make over again I would pick Ferris.”

Read the full Faces of Ferris entry on Jake Visser, the national Scholar-Athlete of the Year, by visiting: http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/faces/visser/

Here is a special video feature on Jake Visser as well:

GENERAL NEWS: Ferris Hall Of Fame Inductee Davenport Featured In Petoskey Newspaper

Dean Davenport, who is being inducted into the Ferris State University Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame (Class of 2009), was featured in a story by the Petoskey News-Review.

Chosen as the Class of 2009 are: Deb Bolinger of Marietta, Ga., softball (1978-82); Monty Brown of Saginaw, football (1989-92); Dean Davenport of Big Rapids, athletics administrator & coach (1970-93); Tim Herman of Flint, men's basketball (1976-79); Andy Roach of Mattawan, hockey (1993-97); Karen (Kramer) Trierweiler of Grand Ledge, women's basketball (1983-87); and Bill Scheible of Big Rapids, who played football (1974-76) for Ferris and also served the athletics department in a variety of capacities after his playing career concluded.

The seven new inductees will join 88 honorees already enshrined during the 10th annual Induction Banquet on Oct. 30 at FSU's Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids. The event opens at 5:30 p.m. with a reception in honor of this year's inductees. The dinner runs from 7-8 p.m. and the induction program follows until approximately 10 p.m.

Here is an excerpt:

BIG RAPIDS - A career which began at a young age in Petoskey and Charlevoix will be recognized in fruition on Friday.

Dean Davenport, former athletics administrator and coach at Ferris State University from 1970-93, will be inducted along with six others into the school's Hall of Fame Class of 2009, Friday, Oct. 30, at the Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids.

Davenport, who summers in Charlevoix, served as Ferris State's athletics director from 1979-93 when the Bulldogs won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference President's Cup for all-around excellence 13 consecutive years.

A coach and administrator at FSU for 23 years, Davenport was a former member of the 15-person selection committee of faculty, staff, alumni and community members that have selected nominees the past 10 years.

"I've watched a lot of good people go into the Hall of Fame and wanted to make sure they did," Davenport said. "Lo and behold, they decided to put term limits on the committee and it didn't come as a surprise my name came up."

Davenport's career at Ferris saw Bulldog teams win 73 league championships during his tenure.

The former Traverse City Central boys' basketball coach was also key in the planning of the FSU Sports Complex, the growth of women's intercollegiate athletics, the emergence of the schools' Division I men's ice hockey program, and the development of the athletics scholarship program.

"I got started in Petoskey when I worked with Ace Zographos coaching boys' basketball and Dr. (Carl) Spitler was the superintendent who hired me right out of CMU," Davenport said. "I still think the Petoskey school system is one of very best in the state and I was very privileged to have been a part of that school."

For the full story, visit the Petoskey News-Review: http://www.petoskeynews.com/sports/article_624410ea-c306-11de-8d0d-001cc4c002e0.html

HOCKEY: Ferris Not Quite In National Polls ... But Close

BIG RAPIDS - Many fans of Ferris State University were hopeful the hockey team's 5-1 start this season might propel it into the national rankings.

Well, Ferris was close in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll. The Bulldogs garnered 20 points in the poll which essentially have ranked them 27th in the nation heading to Alaska for this weekend's two-game series with Central Collegiate Hockey Association rival Alaska, ranked 16th in the nation (USCHO) and 13th by Inside College Hockey. Those two games will be played Friday and Saturday nights with the puck set to drop at 11:05 p.m. (EDT) in each of the games (Oct. 30-31).

But, with a good weekend in Alaska, head coach Bob Daniels' Bulldogs can erase a lot of doubts and catapult itself into the national rankings. That, however, will be no easy task as Alaska is a very good team.

USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Division I Men's Poll

Oct. 26, 2009

1. Miami (26) 4-1-1
2. Denver (20) 4-2-0
3. North Dakota ( 1) 4-1-1
4. Boston University 1-2-0
5. Michigan 2-2-0
6. Cornell 0-0-0
7. Yale ( 1) 0-0-0
8. Notre Dame 3-3-0
9. Mass.-Lowell 3-1-0
10. Vermont 2-2-0
11. Princeton 0-0-0
12. Nebraska-Omaha 3-0-1
13. Boston College 1-1-0
14. Bemidji State 3-0-1
15. Colorado College 4-1-1
16. Alaska 3-0-1
17. Massachusetts 3-0-0
18. Quinnipiac 3-0-0
19. Wisconsin 1-2-1
20. Michigan State 4-2-0

Others Receiving Votes: Minnesota 106, St. Cloud State 91, Minnesota-Duluth 75, New Hampshire 64, Western Michigan 41, Harvard 22, Ferris State 20, Providence 16, Northeastern 10, Merrimack 2, Holy Cross 1, Lake Superior 1, St. Lawrence 1, Union 1

BASKETBALL: GLIAC Preseason Polls To Be Released Wednesday

BIG RAPIDS - Wednesday, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason basketball polls will be revealed by the league and we will see where everyone ranks at the start.

I imagine the Ferris State University men's team will be picked near the top of the North Division in the neighborhood with rival Grand Valley State University. Returning with standout center Justin Keenan, who already is picking up preseason honors and could be on pace for an All-American-type season, will lead the way for the Bulldogs. Look also for a big year coming up from guard Darien Gay, who really emerged a year ago as a top-notch shooter and ball handler. If Ferris can stay healthy, it has a shot to contend for GLIAC supremacy this season.

On the women's side, expect Ferris to be picked sort of middle of the pack this season as the team rebuilds with young talent to go with returning veterans like center Andrea Clancy and guard Becci Houdek. Michigan Tech University is ranked No. 1 in the nation by at least one preseason poll and will be the heavy favorite to win the league. Grand Valley also returns a lot of talent and should rank highly in the GLIAC this winter.

We should know by Wednesday afternoon how the teams rank as we enter the 2009-10 college basketball season.

HOCKEY: Ferris Tops Robert Morris 4-1

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University's hot start to the season continues as its latest success is a 4-1 win over Robert Morris on Saturday evening in Ewigleben Ice Arena.

The Bulldogs completely dominated the series finale and outshot the Colonials by a decisive 52-19 margin to record its second home sweep of the season in as many regular-season attempts.

Ferris' goals were scored by Todd Pococke, Justin Menke, Matthew Kirzinger and Aaron Lewicki as the team cruised to a clear-cut non-conference win over Robert Morris to send the crowd in Ewigleben Ice Arena home with smiles after an impressive win.

The Bulldogs are looking solid early in the season and has a good shot of entering the national rankings following yet another productive home weekend protecting its home ice against the visiting Colonials.

Ferris now is 5-1 overall on the season thanks to this weekend's sweep.

FOOTBALL: Bulldogs Can't Sustain First-Half Momentum Against Timberwolves

MIDLAND - Ferris State University had one of its best first halves of football all season, against Northwood University, but could not sustain the momentum in the second half.

The Bulldogs and Timberwolves were deadlocked in a 7-7 tie. Northwood capitalized on a Ferris turnover (the Bulldogs fumbled on their first possession of the game). FSU bounced back to tie the game by the end of the first half. But, from there, Northwood looked like a completely different squad as it dominated the third and fourth quarters in the trenches (on both lines of scrimmage) and poured it on in a 33-7 win.

In the first half, the Bulldogs had a good running attack going thanks to the abilities of freshman back Skyler Stoker who looked arguably the best he has looked all season. At halftime, Stoker totaled 53 yards rushing the ball on 16 carries, but finished the game with 57 on 22 attempts. With the deficit building, Ferris was forced to pass the ball more in the last quarter and a half to try and get back in the game.

Kyle Parrish, at quarterback, was solid with his passing and decision making and helped the Bulldogs balance out the offensive attack.

Ferris has reinvented its offense to try and run the ball more effectively out of more of a pro-style I formation. Against Wayne State University, last weekend in Detroit, Ferris was mostly ineffective, but at times against Northwood Ferris looked solid.

For whatever reason, however, the second half saw Ferris simply unable to reestablish its consistency from the first half in the second half.

The Bulldogs had 127 yards of total offense to 94 for Northwood in the first half. By the end of the game, however, Ferris had 193 yards of total offense to 281 for the Timberwolves.

FOOTBALL: Northwood Scores 26 Straight; Tops Ferris 33-7

MIDLAND - It was the proverbial tale of two halves for Ferris State University during Saturday's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game at Northwood University's Hantz Stadium.

The lesson for Ferris was a painful one: You have to play four quarters to win against teams in the GLIAC. Unfortunately, Saturday, Ferris had two good ones, but not four. On the other side, the Timberwolves played two solid quarters, in the first half, and two dominant frames in the second half en route to a 33-7 win over the Bulldogs. A much-improved Northwood scored 26 unanswered points in the second half to turn a 7-7 tie into a convincing victory.

With the win, Northwood improves to 5-3 overall and in the GLIAC while the Bulldogs remain winless in the conference at 1-8 overall and 0-8 in the league.

Courtesy of a dominating effort in the second half, on Saturday, the Timberwolves outgained Ferris by 281 yards to 193.

As far as rushing, Northwood had 173 yards on the ground and held the Bulldogs to just 52 (FSU had 141 through the air). Where Ferris was competive in the first half, Northwood looked like a different football team in the final two quarters as it asserted itself on the line of scrimmage and took control of the contest.

For Ferris, Skyler Stoker had 57 rushing yards on 22 carries with the lone FSU touchdown. Quarterback Kyle Parrish completed 16-of-30 passes for 141 yards while Mike Ryan was the leading Ferris receiver with five catches for 41 yards.

Defensively, linebacker Matt Ryan led Ferris with 11 tackles, Jordan Morgan had nine, Jacob Moreno finished with six and five tackles were credited to Santino Favot. Ryan's big second half showed the ability of Northwood to run the ball better and force the linebackers to have to make more tackles (whereas the defensive line was making tackles in the first half).

For Northwood, Anthony Brandon had 54 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown, quarterback Spencer Klukowski had 50 yards on 10 carries, Jimmy Parsons carried the ball eight times for 24 yards and Dmitri Banks had three rushes for 17 yards.

The Bulldogs return to Big Rapids for their home finale as they host Hillsdale in the Hall of Fame/Halloween Parade Game with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m.

FOOTBALL: Ferris Will Have To Contend With Klukowski, Brandon, Others From Northwood

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University's challenge this weekend is a bit of an interesting one with a road game at Northwood University.

The Bulldogs and Timberwolves kickoff in Saturday afternoon's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at 12 p.m. from Hantz Stadium in Midland.

The GLIAC is an unforgiving league and it also is a copycat league. Ferris, which is 1-7 overall and 0-7 in the conference, has been vulnerable all season to potent rushing attacks while Northwood's specialty continues to be its ability to effectively rush the football (as pointed out in a previous blog). Now, where the Timberwolves differ somewhat from other teams in the GLIAC is that its quarterback, Spencer Klukowski, is a integral part of its running game. But, while Klukowski can run it, he ranks solidly among GLIAC passers this season as he is averaging 149 yards per game through the air with nine touchdown passes.

Northwood ranks fourth in the GLIAC in rushing offense at 192.1 yards per game. So, the Bulldogs will have to keep its eyes on Anthony Brandon, who has 260 yards; Klukowski, who has 239 yards; Jimmy Parsons, who has 190 yards; and O'Neil Thomas, who has 186. Those numbers are evidence of a balanced rushing attack that Ferris will have to contend with as the NU offensive line will work to blow open holes for a number of solid backs who will carry the rock.

On the season, Northwood has rushed for 1,345 yards while opponents of the Timberwolves have rushed for 666.

FOOTBALL: Midland Daily News Writer Fred Kelly Previews Ferris-Northwood Matchup

MIDLAND - Fred Kelly, a writer for the Midland Daily News has posted a preview for tomorrow's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game at Hantz Stadium on the Northwood University campus between the Timberwolves and Ferris State University.

Here is an excerpt of that preview:

As for the game itself, NU (4-3 overall and in the GLIAC) is facing a Ferris State team which has struggled mightily all season. At 1-7 overall and 0-7 in the conference, the Bulldogs have had trouble on both sides of the ball. Still, (Northwood head football coach Mike) Sullivan said, his team will not take FSU lightly.

"We've got to prepare for everything," he said. "It's another one of those games where it's a desperate team (we're facing). We'd better be prepared and
ready to go."

The Bulldogs rank near the bottom of the league in nearly every major category. They are last in both scoring offense (11.8 points per game) and total offense (227.8 yards per game), and are 11th in both scoring defense (33.6 ppg) and total defense (405.6 ypg).

The Bulldogs, losers of seven straight, have scored seven or fewer points in each of its last four games. FSU has not scored more than 10 points in any of its last 10 contests.
Sullivan said the Bulldogs' offense has mixed things up recently, likely in an attempt to get jump-started.

"They've run out of the shotgun and run some option and thrown the ball since 1996. And then, last week, they lined up in an I-formation and ran some power and zone, so I'm not sure (what to expect)," he said. "We've got to prepare for both (formations)."

Check out the rest of the Midland Daily News preview story at: http://ourmidland.com/articles/2009/10/23/sports/2175167.txt

WOMEN'S SOCCER: Ferris-Saginaw Valley Match Postponted To Oct. 28 At Top Taggart Field

From Ferris Athletics Communications

BIG RAPIDS - The Ferris State University women's soccer team's match against Saginaw Valley State scheduled for this Friday (Oct. 23) afternoon has been postponed due to heavy rains and wet field conditions at the FSU Soccer Field in Big Rapids, Mich.

As a result, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest has been rescheduled for this Wednesday (Oct. 28), starting at 7 p.m. (EDT) under the lights at FSU's Top Taggart Field.

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest was slated to get underway at 4 p.m. (EDT), but continual overnight rains have made the field unplayable.
The Bulldogs have currently compiled a 2-11-2 overall record with a 2-8-1 conference mark while Saginaw Valley State is 12-1-2 overall this fall, which includes a 9-0-2 GLIAC record.

Ferris State will return to action this Sunday (Oct. 25) afternoon as the Bulldogs entertain the Northwood Timberwolves in a 2 p.m. (EDT) conference matchup at Top Taggart Field. The original scheduled start time was at 12 p.m. (EDT) on the FSU Soccer Field.

Top Taggart Field underwent its latest upgrade in the summer of 2008 as a new top of the line Mondo Ecofill artificial surface was installed.

HOCKEY: Ferris Takes Aim At Robert Morris

BIG RAPIDS - The start of the campaign has been solid, but Ferris State University is no in mood to slow its roll at this point of the young season.

Next up, the Bulldogs remain on home ice in Ewigleben Ice Arena as it hosts Robert Morris in a two-game and non-conference series. The teams play Friday night at 7:05 p.m. and wrap up the series on Saturday with an earlier 5:05 p.m. start. It's understandable that Ferris is feeling as it is now off to a 3-1 start that includes some defensive masterpieces highlighted by solid goaltending from its talented in-net duo: junior Pat Nagle and sophomore Taylor Nelson.

Ferris improved to 3-1 after sweeping Connecticut by winning 2-1 in the first contest and 6-1 in the series finale in the team's home-opening series last weekend.

Another big series could have Ferris in the national rankings as it currently is listed among other teams receiving votes in this week's (Oct. 19) U.S. College Hockey Online/CBS College Sports Poll with one point. The Bulldogs are, of course, coached by Bob Daniels who is in his 18th season on the bench running the show for Ferris. During his tenure, Daniels has a record of 272-322-63.

The opposition is Robert Morris which has two games under its belt and comes to Big Rapids with a record of 1-1 this season. The Colonials competed in the Brice Alaska Goal Rush Tournament in Fairbanks and were defeated 4-2 by nationally-ranked Alaska (a Central Collegiate Hockey Association rival of Ferris) before they bounced back to best Alaska-Anchorage 5-3. Robert Morris is coached by Western Michigan University graduate Derek Schooley, who is in his sixth season and has a career coaching record of 60-95-20.

For more on Robert Morris and the series, check out the game notes compiled by FSU Athletics Communications: http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sports/mice/2009-10/releases/0910releasegames5-6

FOOTBALL: An Early Look At Bulldogs-Timberwolves Matchup

BIG RAPIDS - Obviously, this has been a tough season of football for Ferris State University and it's a season not likely to get any easier this weekend.

The Bulldogs travel to Midland Saturday afternoon for a noon kickoff as they take on Northwood University at Hantz Stadium in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest. Ferris would love nothing more than to reverse a particularly painful trend that has it 1-7 overall and 0-7 in the GLIAC entering this contest against the host Timberwolves.

So, what are early thoughts on this contest that pits the Bulldogs and Timberwolves against each other?

• Ferris has badly struggled to stop the run and it ranks 11th in rushing defense giving up 266 yards per game;
• The Bulldogs rank just 10th out of 12 teams in rushing offense (compiling 79.1 yards per contest);
• Northwood ranks fourth in the GLIAC in rushing offense (totaling 192.1 yards per game); and
• More importantly, the Timberwolves rank second in the conference in rushing defense (giving up just 95.1 per game)

This game appears destined to coming down to what it always comes down to: stopping the run. The Bulldogs both desire and need a stout run defense and it needs to be able to establish some kind of consistent rushing attack to get up around the 100-yard mark. A solid rushing attack will maybe take some pressure off the passing game. Last week, against Wayne State University, quarterback Kyle Parrish rarely had time to make his reads down field to establish a consistent passing attack.

But, if the offensive line can provide protection for the quarterbacks, then the Bulldogs could be in business.

The young guys on this team need a win badly.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Bulldogs Looking To Gain Experience In A Hurry This Winter

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University women's basketball head coach Tracey Dorow has a young squad, but one with talent and a lot of potential.

These early weeks of college hoops practice will be largely about building team chemistry and now, above anything, getting and staying healthy. Health issues aside (it's the time of the year for sickness to spread), Dorow is hopeful her squad can work hard to strengthen team chemistry as the start of the regular-season creeps closer and closer by the day.

The Bulldogs have a nice blend of some returning experience in the back court (led by Kelsey DeNoyelles, Tricia Principe, Becci Houdek and others) with some youth in the front court (led by Leah Kebler, Katy Fox and Felicia Standley).

"The first thing we need to do is make sure we're on the same page offensively we've got to make sure we're very aggressive but very patient and taking care of the ball and understanding what it means to attack the opponent and what it means to get a high-percentage shot," said Dorow, whose Bulldogs are coming off a 13-15 season last winter that included 10-12 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division.

Ferris is hardly without returning experience on the front line as 6-foot-2 center Andrea Clancy is looking sharp and could be ready for her best season as a college player. Experienced players at the small forward position in Amy Joostberns and Tiara Adams will need to put their years of service to work this winter.

"Right now it is really hard," Dorow said. "We've got a lot of newcomers trying to get timing and patterns figured out."

Expectations are up (with an eye on improving upon last winter's record) and Dorow is hopeful her freshman and sophomores can deliver the goods this season in what will be a highly competitive GLIAC race against some of the nation's best teams.

GENERAL NEWS: Don't Forget To Vote On The New Poll

BIG RAPIDS - I just posted a new Ferris State University poll (although it is not necessarily exclusive to FSU this time) asking a question about which sport requires the most athleticism.

Clearly, the hockey FANS are passionate about their sport and the level of athleticism that is required to be top notch in that game.

I encourage everyone to get out and get practice on exercising one of your constitutional rights - the right to vote.

Go and get your vote on (check out the side panel to your right).

VOLLEYBALL: Ferris Goes 2-1 In Crossover, Junior Middle Arielle Goodson Shines

BIG RAPIDS - A lot of people feel some of the nation's best Division II volleyball in the nation is played in the Midwest Region.

This past weekend, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference served notice for the second year in a row that it ranks best (ever-so slightly) over its sister league, the Great Lakes Valley Conference when it comes to volleyball. The two leagues went at it in Lansing in the 2009 Asics GLIAC/GLVC Crossover Tournament and the GLIAC emerged as winner in the showdown between the leagues by a 24-21 margin. The 2009 campaign marked the second consecutive year the two leagues went at it in volleyball in this unique event. In 2008, the GLIAC won 27-12, but this year the competition was a lot tighter.

Ferris State University had a 2-1 record in the event, with its loss coming to nationally-ranked Lewis, to help the GLIAC's cause in Lansing. The Bulldogs earned a 3-0 win over Southern Indiana, a 3-2 win over Missouri-St. Louis and ended competition with a 3-0 loss to No. 13 Lewis. In that last match against the Flyers, Goodson, this week's GLIAC North Division Player of the Week, had a big effort as she totaled 13 kills off an attack percentage of .440.

Here is the rundown of the competition as compiled by GLIAC Media Relations:

Leading the way for the GLIAC was Wayne State University, which posted a perfect 3-0 record. The Warriors defeated Northern Kentucky University (3-2), Drury University (3-1), and St. Joseph's College (3-0).

Ashland University, Ferris State University, the University of Findlay, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, and Saginaw Valley State University each recorded 2-1 marks at the event, helping the GLIAC retain the Asics Crossover trophy.

The GLVC had four teams with perfect slates in the event. Bellarmine University, the University of Indianapolis, Lewis University, and UW-Parkside each went 3-0.

Two future GLIAC members, Lake Erie College (1-2) and Ohio Dominican Univeristy (3-0) also helped in the cause, participating in the tournament for the GLIAC to balance out the 15-member GLVC.

The twelve-member 2009 Asics Crossover All-Tournament team featured six players from each conference. Earning All-Tournament status for the GLIAC were: Ashland freshman outside hitter Brittany Snider (Olmstead Falls, Ohio), Grand Valley State University junior middle blocker Rebeccah Rapin (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel), Hillsdale College junior libero Sydney Dow (Jonesville, Mich.), Michigan Technological University sophomore outside hitter Kathleen Storm (Hancock, Mich.) Saginaw Valley State senior setter Kait Harris (Essexville, Mich./Garber), and Wayne State senior outside hitter Sarha Gosselin (Harrison Twp., Mich./Warren Lincoln).

The six members of the 2009 Asics Crossover All-Tournament team from the GLVC were: Bellarmine University junior outside hitter Emily Beckman (Louisville, Ky./Male), Lewis University senior outside hitter Stephanie Sagat (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South), Northern Kentucky Univeristy junior libero Chelsea Clark (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown), Rockhurst Univeristy sophomore right side hitter Maggie McGovern (Kansas City, Mo./Notre Dame de Scion), University of Indianapolis junior outside hitter Lyndsay Callahan (Chicago, Ill./Marist),UW-Parkside junior setter (Kewaskum, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran).

You better believe the GLIAC and GLVC will be looking forward to future showdowns - most notably in the NCAA regional tournament.

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Bulldogs Looking To Establish An Identity In First Few Weeks Of Preseason

BIG RAPIDS - In many ways, the first few weeks of Ferris State University's preseason men's basketball practice has been and will be nearly as much mental as physical.

Head coach Bill Sall is pushing this team very hard in the early days of the preseason and the players understand the expectations are high - VERY HIGH - for this team.

A big emphasis for Sall, in the weeks to come, is establishing the identity of this team as it seeks to climb back into the upper echelon of a conference that includes defending NCAA Division II champion Findlay and a perennial national power in Grand Valley State. Thanks to a great off-season period, during which members of the team got in a lot of work during the summer, Ferris is hopeful it can establish the identity and mindset of a contender for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship.

"I think our biggest issue right now is to really set what our identity is," said Sall, who is legendary for emphasizing toughness on defense and on the boards. "We want to be able to play with a little more toughness and a little more grit and have the ability to put a lot of pieces together that we have this year with the players coming back and the players we've added. We have a lot of good pieces to the puzzle."

Few people on this team want to hear about being young anymore.

The feeling amongst players and coaches is that it's time to cash in on potential.

"These first three weeks that is a continuing progress," said the Ferris head coach who returns a solid group of players led by 6-foot-6 center Justin Keenan, who is garnering preseason All-American recognition.

Leaders like Keenan, Dontae Molden, Austin Randel, Josh Young, Darien Gay and others will be among the ones who need to lead the way for this squad.

FOOTBALL: Several Ferris Defenders Post Big Numbers In Loss

DETROIT - Ferris State University fell on the short end of a 45-7 loss, mostly due to its difficulties stopping the run, but the Bulldogs had some big defensive numbers against Wayne State University on Saturday afternoon at Adams Field.

Linebacker Matt Ryan, who is enjoying a strong season, finished with 20 tackles, seven solo tackles, a forced fumble and half a quarterback sack. It's the third straight big-time performance by the senior. In addition to Ryan, senior safety Santino Favot (pictured) had eight tackles and a pass breakup as part of his defensive effort out of the secondary. Ron Hardy, a receiver turned defensive back due to injuries, recorded seven tackles while Muneer Bawayeh, Nick Butler and Angelo Williams each had six tackles.

Ryan, however, had the big defensive effort for the Bulldogs. Entering Saturday's game at Wayne, Ryan had career-high tackle totals in each of the previous two games as he had 12 tackles against Michigan Tech (Oct. 3) and then came back with 16 last week against Indianapolis. He shattered those totals with 20 against the Warriors.

FOOTBALL: Bulldogs Introduced To Mr. Bell

DETROIT - All the talk of the greatness of Wayne State University running back Joique Bell are not exaggerated at all.

He is the best running back in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and might just be one of the best backs in the nation in Division II. If Joique Bell is not a strong candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy then there needs to be an investigation. Bell was nothing short of superb as he was dominant against the Bulldog defense. Bell rushed for 263 yards on 34 carries with six touchdowns as he was mostly unstoppable Saturday afternoon in Detroit as the Warriors cruised to a 45-7 win over Ferris State University.

What makes Bell so dominant is that he runs with speed, he runs with quickness he can make that hammer cutback, he can run with power and he still has breakaway speed.

Bell rushed for 263 yards, but he could probably have run for more had the score been closer and WSU head coach Paul Winters had a need to leave him out there to keep playing.

FOOTBALL: Wayne State University 45, Ferris State University 7

DETROIT – Clearly, it was a tough day for Ferris State University on the football field as its inability to stop the run again returned to haunt the Bulldogs – this time against a solid Wayne State University squad.

Ferris pretty much had no answers for the standout rusher Joique Bell as the senior native of Benton Harbor enjoyed a big-time performance. Bell, making a serious bid to win the coveted Harlon Hill Trophy, carried the ball 34 times for 263 yards and six touchdowns as Wayne rolled to a 45-7 win over the Bulldogs. As a team, the Warriors rushed for 398 yards, controlled the clock and dominated Saturday’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game from start to finish.

It was a disappointing outcome, as part of what has been a particularly painful football season, for the Bulldogs. With the loss, Ferris drops to 1-7 overall and 0-7 in the GLIAC while Wayne improves to 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the league standings as it still holds out hope for earning a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

For the Bulldogs, the running game was stuffed as sacks and the inability to beat the Wayne State defensive line spelled doom for Ferris. The Bulldogs rushed for negative 45 rushing yards on 28 carries. Of course, sacks factor in a major way into the equation as Wayne had a bunch.

Ferris had 60 yards on nine carries from running back Tyler Thomas while quarterback Kyle Parrish, the starting quarterback, completed 7-of-12 passes for 85 yards in the game.

As a team, the Bulldogs mustered just 100 yards of total offense while Wayne had 510 (thanks in no small part to the rushing attack sparked by Bell).

The Warriors earned 10 sacks for 95 yards as they pressured Parrish from start to finish and never gave him an opportunity to get going.

The game was bolstered by good displays of sportsmanship from by head coach Jeff Pierce, of Ferris, and Paul Winters, of Wayne. The game was marred by injuries to Wayne State’s Jeremy Jones (in the second quarter) and Ferris’ D.J. Freeman (in the fourth quarter) that required attention from medical personnel as both had to be strapped down and taken away by ambulance in separate incidents.

The Bulldogs are in Midland to take on Northwood next weekend with kickoff scheduled for noon from Hantz Stadium.

Additional blogs will be posted later this evening.

HOCKEY: Ferris Uses Big Second Period To Beat Connecticut 2-1

BIG RAPIDS – Ferris State University welcomed a nice crowd of enthusiastic students. Many of the students were dressed in white (to get them in the arena free of charge) and all were eager for a Bulldog victory.

The Bulldogs (2-1-0) did not disappoint the crowd by the time everything was said, done and written for the team’s home opener Friday night in Ewigleben Ice Arena. Ferris fell into a 1-0 goal, with a score late in the first period, but bounced back for two scores in the second and held on through a scoreless third for a 2-1 non-conference win over visiting Connecticut to send FSU fans home happy.

Ferris head coach Bob Daniels, considering illness that has wreaked havoc on the team, was pleased his team battled through the adversity to win game one of the two-game series with the Huskies. Ferris fans are hopeful this win sets the tone for the weekend as the two teams go at it on Saturday with the puck to drop at 5:05 p.m.

“I think our team did a good job considering the environment we’re in right now,” Daniels said. “We had four forwards out tonight ill. So, we were already short with forwards when (Cody) Chupp took the penalty (a five-minute major and a game misconduct) and we went down to 10 with a good number of those being our younger kids. Overall, though, I was pretty happy with our effort tonight.”

Connecticut took the first lead as Daniel Naurato scored, at 19:27 of the first period, off assists from Sean Ambrosie and James Gallagher for a 1-0 lead. It was a painful goal to give up for Ferris. Teams hate to surrender late-period goals, but hats off to the Huskies for capitalizing on a great opportunity just prior to the teams heading into the locker rooms for the break.

Naurato’s nifty goal was all that was registered on the scoreboard after the first 20 minutes were in the books.

In the second period, Ferris’ Derek Graham scored, as he beat the Connecticut netminder low on the glove side, at 3:34. The Bulldogs enjoyed the game-winning goal off the stick of freshman center Travis Ouellette who lit the lamp on a power play at 18:29 of the second (assisted by Scott Wietecha and Graham) for a 2-1 lead.

“We capitalized on some chances and we had our opportunities,” said Daniels, who liked the second period as Ferris held the edge in shots during the 20-minute period by a count of 19-7 and outscored the Huskies 2-0. “I thought that was our strongest period. I thought probably our weakest period, at least it felt to me, was our third period. The last five minutes I felt we were holding on.”

For the Bulldogs, sophomore netminder Taylor Nelson was solid in goal as he finished with 26 saves to earn the victory in the team’s home opener.

“I thought Taylor Nelson played well for us,” Daniels said. “In the third period near the end he made a number of big saves including one with five seconds or four seconds to go.”

HOCKEY: Promotions Get Students Into Game Free On Friday

BIG RAPIDS - Be advised of this announcement in regard to tonight's Ferris State University ice hockey regular-season opener against Connecticut.

This Friday's (Oct. 16) season home opener is free to all FSU students and those in attendance will receive a free jersey.

There is another promotion for Saturday night's game:

On Saturday (Oct. 17), Greek Night/Toga theme for FSU students along with new Ferris State faculty introductions and Crossroads Charter Academy Night.

Get in the game and check out Bulldog hockey.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Hoop ... There It Is ... Ashley Huntey Is A Baller!

BIG RAPIDS - We know about Ashley Huntey's abilities as a basketball player, but we could soon be seeing her hooping it up for the Ferris State University women's basketball team.

Huntey, who is doing her thing playing college volleyball for the Bulldogs, has her spot on the Ferris women's basketball team and should bring a healthy dose of athleticism and length aty 5-foot-10.

Had a chance to watch the first Bulldog women's basketball practice on Thursday evening and I think we could be seeing an exciting brand of hoops this year on the hardwood.

Having Ashley, who starred as a prep student-athlete at nearby Morley Stanwood High School, on the squad just makes it an even more positive experience for Ferris. It was a treat watching her play sports in high school and it has been great to watch her emerge as a college volleyball player and, hopefully, as a college b-ball player, too.

The Bulldogs have a good mix of experience and youth even if there is not a whole lot of depth and a preseasonn injury.

2009-10 Women's Basketball Roster

No.	Name	Pos.	Cl.	Ht.	Hometown/High School
3	Lindsey Pettit	G	So.	5-9	Portland, Mich./Portland
10	Kylie Muntz	G	Fr.	5-8	Dayton, Ohio/Wayne
11	Becci Houdek	G	Jr.	5-9	Canton, Mich./Canton
12	Stephanie DeNoyelles	G	Jr.	5-7	Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart
20	Andrea Clancy	C	Sr.	6-2	Port Austin, Mich./North Huron
21	Kelsey DeNoyelles	G/F	So.	5-9	Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart
24	Felicia Standley	F/C	Fr.	6-2	Augusta, Mich./Galesburg-Augusta
25	Ashley Huntey	G/F	So.	5-10	Stanwood, Mich./Morley-Stanwood
30	Amy Joostberns	F	Jr.	5-10	Nashville, Mich./Lakewood
32	Katy Fox	F/C	Fr.	6-1	Royal Center, Ind./Pioneer
42	Tricia Principe	G/F	So.	5-9	Kalamazoo, Mich./Mattawan
44	Tiara Adams	F	Jr.	5-9	Lansing, Mich./Waverly
45	Leah Kebler	F/C	Fr.	6-0	Midland, Mich./Dow

FOOTBALL: Ferris Must Run And Slow The Run Against Wayne State

BIG RAPIDS - Winning on the road in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rarely is an easy task as far as football is concerned.

Ferris State University has its work cut out for it as it heads to Detroit this weekend to take on Wayne State University in a GLIAC football contest at Adams Field. While winning on the road already is a tough objective, winning at Wayne is even more challenging with the improvements made by WSU as far as its program and facility is concerned.

It's also tougher because of the guy carrying the football out of their backfield: Joique Bell, a big-time rusher. Finding a way to slow down (it's virtually impossible to stop him) one of the best running backs in the nation will be no easy task for Ferris as it seeks its first road win of the season and just its second overall (the Bulldogs opened with a 34-14 win on Aug. 29 at home against Tiffin).

Will part of any key to success for Ferris entail slowing down Bell? Wayne ranks second in the GLIAC in rushing offense at 216.7 yards per contest while Ferris is second to last in the GLIAC in rushing defense surrendering 247.1 per game. Bell is the leading rusher in the GLIAC and it's not even close. Bell is averaging 181.1 yards a game while the second-place rusher is Hillsdale's Vinnie Panizzi, who is averaging 119.9 a contest.

Will head coach Jeff Pierce's Ferris squad load up (defensively) in the box and force Wayne's quarterbacks to have to throw the ball a little more?

The Bulldogs also will have to possess the football (and try to control the clock with sustained drives) since Bell can't beat them if he is on the sidelines watching the game. Hopefully Ferris can establish its running game with D.J. Freeman, Tyler Thomas and others to use the clock to their advantage and turn the tables on what Wayne likely hopes to do.

It will be interesting to see how things play out as the Bulldogs will be in the Motor City this weekend to take on Wayne State University (5-2 overall and 4-2 in the GLIAC).

BASKETBALL: Ferris Teams Get Started With Practice For Upcoming College Season

BIG RAPIDS - Yes, it's about that time of the year for fans of hardwood hoops.

The Ferris State University men's and women's basketball teams are about ready to hit the floor to begin preseason practice inside of Jim Wink Arena.

The men's team, guided by eighth-year head coach Bill Sall, and the women's squad, mentored by 12th-year head coach Tracey Dorow are ready to build on the positives from last fall and try to translate that into good things in the future. Both teams welcome back eight letterwinners to go along with some newcomers who could be called upon to make contributions early in their careers wearing FSU's crimson and gold colors.

Here is how the "preseason" and early season, in terms of competition, will play out for Ferris as compiled by Ferris Athletics Communications:

FOR THE MEN: The men's squad is slated to play a pair of exhibition games starting on Thursday, Oct. 29, with a preseason matchup against Aquinas College at Greenville High School. The exhibition slate also includes a visit to NCAA Division I preseason nationally-ranked Dayton (Ohio) on Tuesday, Nov. 3, before tipping off the regular season with a non-league tilt at Lewis (Ill.) on Sunday, Nov. 15, at Romeoville, Ill. The following night, Nov. 16, the Bulldogs visit Central Michigan for a regular-season contest against the NCAA-I Chippewas in Mount Pleasant.

FOR THE WOMEN: The women's squad will hit the court for the first time with an exhibition game at NCAA Division I Oakland on Sunday, Nov. 1, in Rochester. FSU then officially opens the 2009-10 season by visiting former GLIAC-member Gannon for a non-conference game on Friday, Nov. 20, inside the Hammermill Center in Erie, Pa.The Bulldog men and women will both play a 27-game regular season schedule. The two teams will open their 22-game league schedules at home versus archrival Grand Valley State on Monday, Nov. 30, at Jim Wink Arena.Both teams currently have 13 players on their preseason rosters at this time.

Keep visiting here and the basketball blogs for more preseason updates, analysis and previews.

FOOTBALL: Is Parity Improving In The GLIAC?

More and more Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams seem to be emerging in football this season.

Among the GLIAC teams enjoying renaissances in 2009 (teams performing perhaps better than expected in the preseason) are Findlay, Northern Michigan and Northwood. Grand Valley had a rare blip on the screen (and dropped to ninth in the nation in one poll) with a shocking 27-24 loss to Hillsdale. Ashland also has struggled at times this season. But, the GLIAC remains solid at the top and in the middle with steady programs like Saginaw Valley. On the back half of the season, teams that will qualify for the playoffs will begin to emerge as some of the better teams will continue to go at it during the next few weeks on the gridiron.

At any rate, here is the D2Football.com Top 25 Media Poll for this week:

Oct. 13, 2009

1. Abilene Christian, 7-0
2. North Alabama, 7-0
3. Central Washington, 7-0
4. Bloomsburg, 7-0
5. Northwest Missouri, 6-1
6. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 7-0
7. Minnesota State, 7-0
8. Minnesota-Duluth, 6-1
9. Grand Valley, 6-1
10. Albany State, 6-0
11. Charleston, 7-0
12. Nebraska-Kearney, 6-1
13. Missouri Western, 6-1
14. Tarleton State, 6-1
15. Edinboro, 6-1
16. Central Missouri, 6-1
17. Carson-Newman, 5-2
18. Saginaw Valley, 5-2
19. Findlay, 6-1
20. Wayne State (NE), 5-2
21. Tuskegee, 5-2
22. Washburn, 5-2
23. California, 5-2
24. Northern Michigan, 5-1
25. UNC Pembroke, 6-1

VOLLEYBALL: Big Regional Weekend Coming Up For Ferris

BIG RAPIDS - This weekend presents some important matches for the Ferris State University volleyball team (15-6 overall and 8-3 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) as it takes part in a big regional event in Lansing.

The Bulldogs will be among a number of teams from the GLIAC and the Great Lakes Valley Conference participating in the 2009 Asics GLIAC/GLVC Crossover Volleyball Tournament at Aim High Complex in Lansing. Last year, the event proved a big hit among regional participants and even drew some national attention as it brought so many quality Division II teams together for good on-court action.

Here is Ferris' lineup for the crossover regional tournament:

2009 Asics GLIAC/GLVC Crossover Volleyball Tournament

vs. Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
Friday, Oct. 16 - 11 a.m.
Aim High Complex - Lansing
vs. Missouri-St. Louis Tritons
Friday, Oct. 16 - 4 p.m.
Aim High Complex - Lansing
vs. Lewis Flyers
Saturday, Oct. 17 - 12:30 p.m.
Aim High Complex - Lansing

Here is the scouting report compiled by the Ferris State University Athletics Communications Department on the Bulldogs opponents this weekend:

SOUTHERN INDIANA: Ferris State holds a 6-3 advantage over Southern Indiana in their all-time series. The Bulldogs are 4-3 against the Screaming Eagles in road/neutral site matchups. FSU suffered a 3-2 loss to USI in a 2004 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament match (11/19) at Allendale, Mich. Southern Indiana, which is coached by fifth-year head coach Leah Mercer, is presently 10-10 overall and 4-4 in the GLVC this season following a 3-2 home conference loss to St. Joseph's (Ind.) last Saturday (10/10) in Evansville, Ind. USI sports a 5-5 mark in neutral site outings this fall. Tia Brandel-Wilhelm vs. USI - 2-3.

MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS: Ferris State has a 4-0 lead against Missouri-St. Louis in an all-time series, which includes a 4-0 road/neutral site mark. The Bulldogs claimed a 3-1 triumph over UMSL last season (10/17) in a 2008 Asics GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Tournament contest in Indianapolis, Ind. The Tritons extended their current winning string to three straight with a 3-1 home conference triumph over Rockhurst last Saturday (10/10) in St. Louis, Mo. The victory improved UMSL's overall record to 15-7 and 6-2 in the GLVC this campaign to date under second-year head coach Trent Jones. UMSL, which has won seven of its last nine matches, has compiled a 6-2 ledger in neutral site encounters this season. Tia Brandel-Wilhelm
vs. UMSL - 2-0.

LEWIS: Ferris State leads 22-6 in its all-time series versus Lewis and is 11-6 in away/neutral site against the Flyers. Lewis registered a 3-1 victory over the Bulldogs a season ago (10/18) at the 2008 Asics GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind. The Flyers, under third-year head coach Lorelee Smith, won their 15th consecutive match to date this season with a 3-1 conference decision versus Northern Kentucky last Saturday (10/10) at Highland Heights, Ky. Lewis, which is currently 18-3 overall and 8-0 in GLVC play, has produced a 5-2 ledger in neutral site outings this fall. The Flyers remained ranked 13th place in the latest (Oct. 12) American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coaches Top 25 Poll with 420 points. Tia Brandel-Wilhelm vs. LU - 3-0.

This will be a big-time and important weekend for the Bulldog volleyball team to perform well on this regional stage. Competition will be fierce for regional NCAA bids so these matches can be a big help.

Check out more information on the event by visiting the Ferris Athletics Web site at: http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sports/wvball/2009-10/releases/09notes-matches22-24

VOLLEYBALL: Arielle Goodson Excels; Earns Weekly GLIAC Honor

BIG RAPIDS - Congratulations are in order to Ferris State University junior middle hitter Arielle Goodson, who has been named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week for her efforts in victories over Tiffin and Ashland.

The 6-foot-2 native of Grand Rapids, who has quietly (perhaps) has now become one of the better players in the GLIAC, finished with 36 kills, an attack percentage of .403 and enjoyed 11 blocks at the net during the two matches over the weekend.

For the full press release from Athletics Communications, visit the Ferris Web site at http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sports/wvball/2009-10/releases/Goodsongliacpow

FOOTBALL: Detroit News Profiles Wayne State's Joique Bell ... Ferris' Opponent This Weekend

Ferris State University's defensive game plan, coming into this weekend's game, likely will have a central focus: Joique Bell.

If you know much about Division II college football you've heard of this guy.

Wayne State University's 6-foot-1, 223-pound Joique Bell is one of the top running backs in the nation in Division II, and there are some who think he could hold his own at the major Division I level.

In fact, there are some who think the 23-year-old Bell will soon go from playing football on Saturdays (in college) to playing ball on Sundays (in the National Football League).

With that as the backdrop, the Detroit News wrote a nice feature story on Bell who has been tearing up the competition this year in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Here is an excerpt from the Detroit News article:

"Michigan State wanted me as a running back and Michigan as a safety," Bell said of being recruited. "My grades were good, but my ACT score was low and I had to get a four-point my last semester to be eligible for a scholarship. I guess Michigan State didn't think I'd get it so they pulled it. I did get the four-point, though. Coach (Paul) Winters said he'd give me a full scholarship no matter what and I decided to take it. And, I'm glad I did. I'm very happy here."

Bell has 5,914 career rushing yards, just 646 behind Adrian Peterson (Division I-AA Georgia Southern, now with the Chicago Bears) for 10th place in all collegiate divisions.

Winters, in his sixth year as Wayne State's head coach, knows Bell has the ability to play in the NFL. Winters was an outstanding running back for Akron in the late '70s and was running backs coach at Wisconsin.

"I have no doubts," Winters said. "Put it this way, I coached at Wisconsin when Terrell Fletcher was there, and he played many years in the NFL (1995-2002
with San Diego) and Joique's a better back.

"Joique's very strong. He has quick feet in the way he changes direction. He has great acceleration and great vision. He anticipates where the hole is. He studies and understands the offense. Has great hand-eye coordination. He's the total package.

"There's usually something that holds you back, some physical or mental ability that holds you back. But, like I said before, he's the total package. He can catch and be a third-down guy or block and be the third-down guy. He can carry the ball 30 times and be an every-down back. The NFL scouts come in and say that they don't know about his burst. They come back and take multiple looks and are more impressed the more they see him. They say he needs to get to the Combine and run a fast time."

That is high praise indeed, but the praise seems warranted as Bell is having a monster season on the football field this fall. In a game against Ashland, Bell rushed the football 32 times for 272 yards and five touchdowns. And, for good measure, he also had a touchdown reception of 45 yards for a six-TD performance on Oct. 3 as the Warriors upset nationally-ranked Ashland 47-40 at Adams Field in Detroit.

Ferris State University will be in Detroit to take on Wayne State University with kickoff scheduled for noon from Adams Field on the WSU campus.

The Bulldogs will have their hands full against one of the best to ever play in the GLIAC.

Check out the article on Bell: http://www.detnews.com/article/20091013/SPORTS0203/910130341/1004/SPORTS/Wayne-State-RB-Joique-Bell-looks-to-make-transition-to-NFL-Sundays

HOCKEY: A Big 10 Conference For Hockey? Hmm...

BIG RAPIDS - In this region, it's difficult to have a discussion of college hockey for a long time and not have a discussion of the Big 10 Conference sponsoring the sport.

For many Big 10 fans, the prospect of having Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Minnesota and Wisconsin all in the same league fires some people up. This rather popular topic of discussion is hardly a new one. In fact, the topic frequently comes up on a variety of message boards and in some blogs as Big 10 fans ponder the possibilities of these rivalries on full display, but with league championships potentially hanging in the balance.

But, this is not football nor is it men's basketball (high-profile, big-budget sports).

Here is a quote from former Miami University coach Mark Mazzoleni, who once said, "College hockey is a very close fraternity. It has survived and elevated itself in status because it has not taken an elitist attitude."

That is quite an intriguing statement.

College hockey is a different animal and part of the backbone of college hockey is the presence of the smaller Division II-type schools that sponsor Division I hockey programs that are part of the foundation of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

In college hockey, the tale David vs. Goliath frequently is played out in rinks all over the United States of America as the sport has carved a unique position in the landscape of intercollegiate athletics. Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Minnesota and Wisconsin are among the Goliaths. The Davids are Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University, Northern Michigan University, St. Cloud State University, Colorado College Bemidji State University, Mercyhurst College and others.

On the http://www.spartantailgate.com/ message board the topic has fired back up.

Here is one comment as an example:

Why would the Big Ten teams even consider this???? Great, let's put together a 6 team conference where at best 2 teams would make the NCAA tournament as they would beat the crap out of each other all season long. The current way of seeding and filling the NCAA hockey tournament makes this a terrible idea. Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Michigan State all regularly make the NCAA tournament because they are able to control their conferences.

In the CCHA, Michigan and Michigan State are the Big 2. Everyone else in the league feeds off them and there's no denying that. While the other schools in the league pop up with good seasons here and there (or multiple good seasons in a row), no one has is consistently as good as these two schools. Leaving a league like that would be dumb for both of them. Also, the travels costs for both teams are relatively cheap. Playing in a conference where all the schools are contained within a 3 start area (except for Alaska, which the team benefits from by being able to schedule two more games if they make the trip to Alaska) is a huge bonus for a sport that struggles to break even every year. Multiple trips to places like Wisconsin and Minnesota (and Penn State or Iowa or Illinois if any or all were to make the jump to Division 1) would put a large financial damper on the sport.

In the WCHA, Wisconsin and Minnesota do have significantly more travel requirements as they go to Colorado College and Denver. They also travel to North Dakota and Alaska (and soon Nebraska as UNO moves to the WCHA). Also, while Michigan and Michigan State have had major control over the CCHA, Wisconsin and Minnesota have faced stiffer competition in the WCHA as North Dakota is a perennial power and both Colorado College and Denver have been extremely competitive in recent years (with Denver winning 2 NCAA championships in the last 5 years) Wisconsin and Minnesota, while two of the top programs in NCAA history, they also feed off the lower competition in the WCHA. Schools like Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State, etc are capable of having great teams and great seasons, but are not annually top teams in the country.

I still don't see a problem with the Big Ten Network showing games between Big Ten teams and non-Big Ten teams. They do it all the time for football early in the season. What's wrong with showing MSU vs. Northern Michigan? Minnesota vs. North Dakota? Wisconsin vs. Michigan Tech? Michigan vs. Notre Dame?

All and all, Unless some other teams jump up to division 1 so we could have a 8-10 team conference, I think a Big Ten Conference would hurt the Big Ten programs a lot more than it would help.

This poster offers interesting comments (thought provoking to say the very least). The Division I college-hockey ranks simply are too small (fewer than 60 schools) to sustain such a league. And, a Big 10 Conference for hockey could prove devastating to smaller schools who are part of the lifeblood of college hockey today.

WARNING: Be careful visiting this site as it contains some small-college bashing and snobbish talk of academic standards while belittling schools some posters feel are beneath them.

HOCKEY: Bulldogs Have A Split Decision At Canisius

BUFFALO, N.Y. - It was a bit of a feast-or-famine weekend for Ferris State University on the ice in hockey action to open the 2009-10 campaign.

Head coach Bob Daniels and the Bulldogs opened the floodgates on Friday with a 5-1 win over Canisius, but found the path to the back of the net far more obstructed one night later in a 1-0 loss to the Griffins. After winning the opening game of the season-opening series there is little doubt Ferris would love to have earned a road sweep returning home to face Connecticut in a two-game set in Ewigleben Ice Arena.

The good news for the Bulldogs, so far, have been the play of freshmen Eric Alexander (pictured top), Kyle Bonis (pictured bottom), Travis Ouellette and others who are paying early dividends on the ice. Alexander has a goal and an assist, Bonis has a goal and an assist and Ouellette has a lamplighter. The rookies are off to a solid start so far and showing a lot of promise as part of what is looking like a strong, albeit small in terms of numbers, recruiting class.

The Bulldogs are hopeful of continued production from the young players and have the veterans step up and get back to form.

Ferris still has to work to cut down on the number of penalties, but the Bulldogs still surrendered just two goals (solid play in the net from Taylor Nelson and Pat Nagle) in two games in spite of a 1-1 record.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Ferris Adds Mark DeNoyelles And Rachel Folcik To Coaching Staff

BIG RAPIDS - Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but college basketball season is fast approaching here at Ferris State University.

The women's basketball program has some shoes to fill due to the departure of Crystal Harris, who took an assistant job at the Division I level at Cal_State Fullerton back in her home state. With Harris gone from the staff, the Bulldogs have turned to a familiar face in the program as volunteer assistant Mark DeNoyelles will step up and fill in Harris' shoes beginning this season as the beginning of the campaign fast approaches. DeNoyelles has a proven track record of success at the levels he has coached at during his career and made a nice transition to the college level with Ferris.

"I'm thrilled that Coach DeNoyelles was so eager to accept the responsibilities of becoming a full-time coach on our staff," Ferris women's basketball head coach Tracey Dorow said. "He brings a wealth of experience and a passion for helping others maximize their potential. In the short time he has been at Ferris State, he has already made a major impact in our program."

In addition to DeNoyelles, Ferris will be getting student assistant help from former Bulldog honorable mention All-American player Rachel Folcik.

"It's great to have Rachel back with us," said Dorow, who applauded the hard work Folcik put in as the program searched for a full-time assistant to replace Harris. "She has already done so many little things to improve the quality of our program. Rachel had an outstanding playing career and is now sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with her successors. She was a dominant player and is also one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country. She is an invaluable addition to our staff."

Having two coaches with experience filling out the coaching staff should be a positive for Dorow's program this season.

For the full press release about DeNoyelles and Folcik visit the Ferris Athletics Web site: http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sports/wbkb/2009-10/releases/coachingstaff