SOFTBALL: Ferris Drops Two Games To No. 14 Saginaw Valley

Ferris State's Amanda Harrington slides into third base during Wednesday afternoon's game against No. 14 Saginaw Valley State University at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS - The box scores for Wednesday afternoon's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball games show nine hits in two games for Ferris State University against No. 14 Saginaw Valley State University.

But, the Bulldogs of head coach Keri Becker had a hard time stringing together hits to put runs on the scoreboard against the visiting Cardinals and ultimately were swept by scores of 2-0 and 4-1 at the FSU Softball Field in the GLIAC openers for both teams. Throughout the game, Becker encouraged her team to be a little more selective at the plate, to wait on good pitches and then drive them to spots on the field. But, Ferris had a tough time stringing those hits together against Saginaw Valley's pitchers.

In the first game of the afternoon, the Bulldogs were held scoreless on four hits against SVSU pitcher Jade Fulton (7-1 on the season), who was superb with seven strikeouts and only one walk. Accounting for the Ferris hits were freshman left fielder Morgan Kramerich, junior shortstop Lynsay Weaver, sophomore third baseman Makenzi Peterson and senior second baseman Amanda Harrington.

In the circle, senior pitcher Kayle Stevenson took the loss for the Bulldogs as she dropped to 3-5 on the season. Stevenson threw all seven innings, allowed nine hits, two runs (both earned), walked one and struck out one. The run support was not there for Stevenson, who surrendered just the two runs (both of which were scored in the third inning).

In game two, the Bulldogs drew first blood as Rhea Flores picked up an RBI as she grounded out to score Kramerich (who reached on a single up the middle).

The Cardinals, however, responded with two runs in the bottom of the second and two more in the bottom of the fourth to take command of the game.

Freshman pitcher Dana Bowler took the loss for the Bulldogs as her record fell to 3-4 on the season. She threw six innings, allowed six hits, four runs (all earned), two walks, struck out three and was charged with two wild pitches. Kari Bowlby earned the win for SVSU as she improved to 6-0 on the season.

Again, the Bulldogs had trouble mustering run support. Ferris had five hits (three of which were from Kramerich, who had a solid afternoon). Flores and Peterson had the other two hits.

Ferris, now 9-9 on the season, hosts Lake Superior Sate University on Friday in a doubleheader with the first game to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Game one box score
Game two box score

VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs To Host Central Michigan On Friday In Scrimmage Action

BIG RAPIDS - The spring season is underway in volleyball and the Ferris State University team will be on its home court to host Division I Central Michigan University in scrimmage action on Friday (April 2) in Ewigleben Sports Arena.

The Bulldogs and Chippewas will play from 3 to 5 p.m. and again from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the FSU campus. Admission to the scrimmages is free.

The scrimmages will be a nice opportunity to see high-level college volleyball and to get a chance to meet and interact with the Bulldog volleyball student-athletes and members of the FSU coaching staff.

Ferris finished with a record of 19-12 last season and earned a bid to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament at the University of Indianapolis.

GENERAL ATHLETICS: Ferris To Lose Its Popular Pep Band Conductor Jason Workman

BIG RAPIDS - The Ferris State University Athletics Department will lose the services of a valuable team member as current FSU Athletic Pep Band student conductor Jason Workman is slated to graduate this spring.

Workman, who has served in the role of student conductor for the past two seasons, recently worked one of his final performances as a pep band member in the Bulldog Hockey team's trip to Joe Louis Arena for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Championships last weekend (March 19-20). The trip not only included performing at two games inside the storied venue, but also an appearance at the CCHA Fan Fest event held at the Detroit Renaissance Center.

"Jason has been great to work with and we're going to miss his professionalism," said FSU Associate Athletics Director Jon Coles. "He's been open-minded to new ideas as the student conductor and a valuable member in helping us generate excitement.

"The pep band helps provide a great atmosphere and tremendous home advantage for us and he's been an important part of those efforts," Coles added.

In his four-year tenure with the FSU Athletic Pep Band, Workman has recorded a perfect attendance mark for all rehearsals and has attended virtually every Bulldog home hockey, football along with men's and women's basketball game. In fact, he's missed only one performance over the course of his four years.

Prior to beginning his term as student conductor in the fall of 2008, Workman spent a year as the pep band's associate student conductor. He was a pep band woodwind section leader in 2006 and began his pep band career as a clarinetist.

"We've implemented some new things with the pep band under Jason's direction and he's been an outstanding help," said Coles. "In his time, we've changed the way we enter games from the Bulldog, added sing-along tunes and utilized theme nights, all of which are things where we've asked the pep band to help play key roles."

The four-year athletics pep band member has also been a member of the FSU Symphony Band in his time at Ferris. The Bridgman, Mich., native, who was his high school class valedictorian, plans to graduate magna cum laude from FSU in May with a bachelor's degree in biotechnology.

A FSU Dean's List honoree, Workman has been active in several other campus organizations in addition to the pep band. He's compiled over 105 hours of volunteer work as part of the FSU Honors Program and serves as president of the Delta Nu Alpha Biotech Fraternity. Additionally, he's also currently a lab assistant in the biochemistry lab at Ferris State.

Workman, who's a former volunteer librarian at the Big Rapids Public Library, has worked as a volunteer tutor in anatomy/physiology along with mathematics as a Ferris student. He was also a volunteer lab technician at FSU in the summer of 2009.

The former recipient of the FSU Athletic Pep Band Mentor Award was chosen as an Outstanding Biology Graduate Finalist this year and has also been a Rising Star Award nominee. He's received numerous scholarships during his college years, including the Woodbridge N. Ferris President's Scholarship, Kelso Battle Scholarship, Mittal Steel Legacy Foundation Scholarship, Resident Life Scholarship along with the FSU Dean's Ability Scholarship for both biotechnology and music.

The FSU Athletic Pep Band regularly performs for all home football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and hockey games under the guidance of faculty director and visiting assistant professor of music Dr. Dale Skornia. Band members conduct themselves in a spirited manner that promotes the goals of education, ambassadorship and community at all rehearsals, performances and band social events.

The Athletic Pep Band is not an academic class. but its members can qualify for ability-based scholarships. Members strive to exhibit the highest levels of both musicianship and school spirit. Overall membership is open to any FSU student and at the sole discretion of the Faculty Director.

For more information on the FSU Athletic Pep Band, please visit its official website at this link:
http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/colleges/artsands/link_desc.cfm?LinkID=79


SOURCE: Ferris State University Athletics Communications

SOCCER: Bulldogs Add Ratz And Rapson To Roster For 2010

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University women's soccer head coach Neathan Gibson made moves to strengthen his midfield and to add some size at forward with his two latest roster additions: Courtney Ratz, of Naperville, Ill., and Laurel Rapson, of Bay City.

Ratz, who is being penciled in to strengthen the Bulldogs midfield, prepped at Neugua Valley High School where she was a four-year starter. As a junior, in 2009, she totaled 15 points on four goals with seven assists and helped her team to a record of 21-3-1 overall. Ratz could have the potential to come in and be a player who can help facilitate scoring opportunities for teammates and also have the ability to put the ball in the net herself.

Rapson, a 5-foot-9 forward, is a three-time All-Saginaw Valley Conference selection and twice has been named to the Bay City Times Dream Team. Considering the competition in that area, it would seem to bode well that Gibson has been able to attract a player who has been seasoned against solid opponents. She has enjoyed a distinguished career (with more to come) and has shown an ability put her teammates in good positions to be able to score.

Coach Gibson on Courtney Ratz: Courtney is a dynamic player with a vibrant personality. Courtney has a wonderful sense for the game and technical ability. She will be giving our program added strength and quality to compete at a higher level within our conference.

Coach Gibson on Laurel Rapson: Laurel is a versatile player who will give us with more options in her ability to play multiple positions and play them well. Laurel is a strong player particularly in the air. I'm confident with her size and ability that she will play a significant role in our team's success this upcoming season and in the future.

SOCCER: Bulldogs Add McCollum And VanderSloot To Roster For 2010

BIG RAPIDS - It's that time of the year and the Ferris State University women's soccer program is loading up with some more talent to fill out its roster for the 2010 fall season.

Fifth-year head coach Neathan Gibson has added goalkeeper Rachel McCollum, a native of Grand Blanc; and midfielder Cassie VanderSloot, a native of Portage, who prepped at Northern High School. Gibson continues to work the recruiting circuit in an effort to attract and retain the kinds of players he feels will help Ferris (3-13-2 overall last season) be successful in a very competitive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

McCollum was a first-team All-Big Nine Conference member as well as an all-district pick in 2009 during her junior season at Grand Blanc High School. Coach Gibson will be hoping for yet another successful of prep soccer. She was 11-3 in net and recorded 12 shutouts, a .846 saves percentage and led her team to a record of 14-3-5.

VanderSloot is coming off a season in which she was All-Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference and an all-district choice in 2008 and 2009. Heading into the 2010 season, VanderSloot will serve as the team's captain and leading the team to a 16-6-1 overall record.

Coach Gibson on Rachel McCollum: I'm excited to have Rachel join us as she will bring a piece of the game we have been missing for some time now. Her ability to read the game added with her wonderful technique will most definitely give the players the confidence to play their game knowing everything is taken care of anywhere inside the 18-yard box. I'm excited to see her play.

Coach Gibson on Cassie VanderSloot: Cassie will bring an added physical presence to our midfield giving us depth we need to compete at a high level week in and out. I'm excited to see Cassie do well for us the next four years.

FOOTBALL: WZZM Talks About Ferris' Annual Lift-A-Thon

BIG RAPIDS - Grand Rapids-based television station WZZM-13 did a feature to preview Friday night's annual Lift-A-Thon fundraiser, sponsored by the Ferris State Gridiron Club, in Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids for the Ferris State University football team.

Check it out, it's a cool feature with some nice interviews with players like Jacob Moreno, Muneer Bawayeh and head coach Jeff Pierce.

"Everybody gets to see what we do on the field," Moreno said in the WZZM-13 video. "But they don't get to see the improvements that we make in the weight room. So it's a chance to show our families it's not just athletic abilities we have. We put a lot of hard work into it."

The fundraiser generates in the neighborhood of $20,000 to $30,000 for the Bulldog football program.

Nice job by WZZM-13 to show Ferris a little love with a nice feature on the Lift-A-Thon.

HOCKEY: Chupp Signs Pro Deal For Tryout With AHL's Texas Stars

BIG RAPIDS - It's bittersweet to see Ferris State University's Cody Chupp (pictured) move on and start a new chapter in his hockey career.

Bulldog fans have been blessed to have the captain where the "C" and dress in the No. 8 jersey for so many years. But, the time has come for Chupp to move on after the Bulldogs missed out on NCAA Tournament play in spite of finishing 21-13-6 overall, in third place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings and into the national rankings for a majority of the 2009-10 season.

Chupp, a native of Big Rapids, signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. The announcement was made in a release put out by the organization. Chupp ranked third on the Bulldogs this past season in scoring with 30 points on nine goals with 21 assists as he broke through for a banner season of college hockey. The former prep standout at Big Rapids High School bounced back from his junior season and enjoyed one of his best campaigns ever in the crimson and gold.

During his playing career with the Bulldogs (144 games), Chupp totaled 95 points on 35 goals with 60 assists for head coach Bob Daniels.

No shortage of Bulldog fans will be wishing Chupp the best of luck as he begins this next chapter in his hockey career (transitioning from college to the pros).

For more information on Chupp's signing, visit the Ferris Athletics Communications Web site:
http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sports/mice/2009-10/releases/Chuppprofessional

SOFTBALL: Ferris Knows It Has Tough Competition Ahead In GLIAC

BIG RAPIDS - If the National Fastpitch Coaches Association is accurate, Ferris State University can expect its biggest competition for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship will be Wayne State University and Saginaw Valley State University.

In the current poll (March 24), Wayne is fifth in the national while Saginaw Valley is 13th in the country as GLIAC competition looms on the horizon. The next poll is going to be coming out on March 31. But, for now, the Warriors and Cardinals look like the early front runners for the league title. Wayne returns one of the top pitchers in the nation (and a lot to go with her) while Saginaw Valley returns some solid players who contributed to championship-level teams during the last two seasons.

But, if history is any indication, Ferris head coach Keri Becker will have her team competing with those top teams for conference supremacy. The Bulldogs have experienced players back in the crimson and gold this spring, but they also have newcomers they are relying on (such as outfielder Morgan Kramerich and pitcher Dana Bowler).

Becker also knows she has experienced players like Kayle Stevenson, Rhea Flores, Rachel Mueller, Rachel Wade, Lynsay Weaver and others who will have to set the tone.

Wade is the Bulldogs leading hitter at .320 while Kramerich also is batting .306 as the other FSU player hitting above .300.

The Bulldogs will need all hands on deck (veterans and newbies alike) to compete with the upper-echelon teams in the GLIAC this spring.

MEN'S TENNIS: Bulldogs Getting Back On Track

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University figured to have some tough times on its spring break trip through the midsection of the United States - where some tough Division II men's tennis teams are located.

Coach Alex Palladino's Bulldogs finished 1-4 in Kansas and Missouri before turning to Michigan and dropping a 7-0 (March 15) decision to Division I Western Michigan University.

Since the loss to Western, however, Ferris has rattled off three straight wins topping Lake Superior State University, 6-3, March 20; Michigan Tech University, 8-1, on March 21; and Albion, 9-0, on March 23.

The Bulldogs are 6-5 overall and 2-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with those wins over Tech and Lake State.

Kyle Revall (pictured) is 5-4 overall and at No. 1 singles competition so far this spring. Steven Roberts is 8-2 this season (including 6-1 at No. 5 singles).

Expect those individual records to improve in GLIAC competition. Some of the singles records reflect some seriously tough competition the Bulldogs faced in Kansas and Missouri.

FOOTBALL: Boden, McGraw Join Ferris Football Coaching Staff

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University head coach Jeff Pierce has nothing but rave reviews for his two new assistant football coaches hired to fill out his staff for this spring and the fall campaign.

Although the hiring process takes time, Ferris moved relatively quickly to fill the offensive coordinator and defensive backs coach positions in time for the start of spring drills. The Bulldogs have added Chris Boden (pictured top), who will assume the role of offensive coordinator, and Gary McGraw (pictured bottom), who will step in as the new defensive backs coach. Boden steps in to fill the shoes of former offensive coordinator Matt McCarthy, who was not retained after the 2009 season, while McGraw replaces Chris Reese, who elected not to return to the Bulldog football program after the conclusion of last season.

It's not so much how quick you hire, but how well you hire.

“I’m excited about having both of these guys join our staff,” Pierce said in a statement made at the announcement. “Both have valuable experience and are high-energy coaches whom I’m sure our players will respond to and learn from as we move forward.”

Prior to his arrival at Ferris, Boden spent five seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division II Northern State (S.D.) located in Aberdeen, S.D. It's a nice break for the Bulldogs to be able to add a coordinator with head coaching experience.

“Chris is an established coach who’s invested his time and has head coaching experience at the Division II level,” Pierce said. “We’re excited about what he brings to the table in terms of his offensive philosophy and along with his past experience. He’ll be a valuable asset to our staff.”

Boden also has been the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Division II Texas A&M Commerce and before that spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at Division II Valdosta State University, a premier national program based in Georgia. Pierce cited the accomplishments and experience of Boden as great assets for the Bulldog football program. The Ferris head coach was confident that the offensive system Boden is going to orchestrate will fit in nicely with the personnel Ferris has in its program currently while also being able to attack more down the field with the passing game.

Boden worked at Valdosta State under the legendary head coach Hal Mumme and alongside former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach in the 1990s.

“With Chris’ knowledge and system, we’ll continue to utilize a spread-type offense, but with less option than we’ve had in the past,” Pierce said of Boden, who is a 1990 graduate of Saginaw Valley State University and a former video coordinator at Central Michigan University (where he earned his master's degree). “It will be similar to what Mike Leach used at Texas Tech although we’ll be able to adapt the offensive schemes to the talent and personnel within our program.”

A Michigan native, Boden and his wife Jennifer have three children (Lynn, Ty and Brett). The family is expected to move to Big Rapids by sometime this summer.

"I'm excited about this opportunity at Ferris State and it is a coming home for me as I was born and raised in Michigan," Boden said. "I'm looking forward to working with our offensive unit and helping the Bulldogs win games this fall."

Like Boden, McGraw also comes to Ferris with strong college coaching background. Most recently, he was at Quincy (Ill.) University where he served as defensive backs coach, special teams coordinator and co-linebackers coach. In his last two seasons at Quincy, McGraw was the defensive coordinator. His experience, having been a defensive coordinator should make him a valued addition to the Ferris coaching staff.

“Gary’s had significant coaching experience on the defensive side of the ball and will be a nice addition to our staff,” Pierce said of McGraw, who played Division I college football as a safety at the University of Oregon and led the Ducks to back-to-back Pac-10 Conference championships. “He's had an excellent playing and coaching career and is well-prepared to lead our secondary.”

McGraw, who will work with defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Duane Wilson, graduated from Oregon in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. He is wrapping up his master's degree in Educational Leadership at Quincy.

"This is an exciting opportunity for me to coach in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) against many of the traditional powerhouses at the Division II level," McGraw said.

There will not be a whole lot of time for the two new guys to ease into their new positions at Ferris. With spring football just around the corner, the new coaches will have to hit the ground running.

FOOTBALL: Lift-A-Thon Adds A Little Excitement To The Usual Plan

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University's 28th annual Lift-A-Thon is set to take place this Friday evening (March 26) inside Jim Wink Arena and has some new wrinkles that should create even more fun for the student-athletes, coaches and fans.

This year's Lift-A-Thon will also serve as host to the "Bulldog Challenge" beginning at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Fans, parents, alumni, faculty, staff and all others are encouraged to attend. The "Bulldog Challenge" is a competition that consists of events that include the bench press, pro shuttle run, 20-yard sprint, tug of war along with a talent and entertainment show. A points system has been designed to help determine the winning group. It should add a nice dose of competitiveness to an event that already is competitive for the student-athletes who are involved. For additional details, visit the Ferris State University Athletics Web site, here.

Additionally, Buffalo Wild Wings will help sponsor this year's "Bulldog Challenge" with fans receiving coupons for "Four Free Wings". The Buffalo Wild Wings mascot will also be on hand and compete in a mascot challenge against FSU's Brutus the Bulldog. All fans are also invited to attend a post-event gathering at Buffalo Wild Wings on Friday night in Big Rapids.

"This year's event gives us an opportunity to see how well our guys have prepared in the off-season for next fall," said Ferris head coach Jeff Pierce. "At the same time, we've changed a few things this year by adding the Bulldog Challenge in an effort to help attract and bring together our fans for this enjoyable evening."

The Lift-A-Thon is an event I've generally enjoyed attending over the years. It is a sort of introduction to the team just prior to the start of the spring season. For college football fans, the spring time is a special season in no small part due to spring football. At Ferris, the Lift-A-Thon sort of kicks off the spring campaign.

Check out the Gridiron Club Web site at: http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sports/fball/gridironclub

FOOTBALL: Butch Jones Returns To Ferris With Messages Of Inspiration

BIG RAPIDS - Tuesday (March 23), one of Ferris State University's favorite sons and most famous alums returned to campus for the first time in more than a decade.

Butch Jones, a 1990 graduate of Ferris, returned to Big Rapids to speak to students in the College of Business as well as faculty and administrative staff delivering powerful messages of personal responsibility, hard work, being progressive and refusing to settle for anything but the best. Jones, who on Dec. 16, 2009 was named the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, has come a long way since his days in the late 1980s as an undergraduate at Ferris, as a Bulldog football player and assistant coach.

Returning to campus, for the first time in more than 12 years, tripped a flood of emotions for Jones who also stopped in nearby Mount Pleasant, at Central Michigan University, where he served as head coach prior to taking the job at Cincinnati.

"It feels great to be back and you have so have so many fond memories of this place and the opportunities that it presented for me from an educational standpoint, a personal standpoint and a growth standpoint," said Jones, whose return to Ferris was led largely by the efforts of Stacey Issette, an advancement officer in the College of Business, who knows Jones from their days as undergraduates at FSU. "Ferris established a lot of foundations for me and for my family in general."

The Small Town Kid From Saugatuck Starts From Scratch

Jones, 42, was a two-year football letterwinner at Ferris before a knee injury prematurely ended his playing career. While still working on his undergraduate education, Jones had an opportunity to break in as an intern for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (1987-89) and enjoyed the kind of experience that is second to none. After graduation, Jones got a position as an as an assistant coach at Rutgers University and two years later he became offensive coordinator at Division III Wilkes University (where the team advanced to the playoffs).

Jones returned to his alma mater in 1995 and became offensive coordinator for three seasons (under current FSU head coach Jeff Pierce) on Bulldog teams that won conference titles and made runs in the NCAA Tournament.

"It was a great opportunity at a relatively young age to be a part of some great championship football teams and some great memories and better than that some relationships that have lasted this long and will continue to last a lifetime," said Jones, a family man who along with his wife, Barbara, has three sons (Alex, Adam and Andrew).

Moving Back Up To The Division I Level

From 1998-2001, Jones held various position coaching positions at Central Michigan before he became offensive coordinator of the Chippewas (2002-04). For two seasons, Jones was wide receivers coach at West Virginia (2005-06) before he finally got his big break as he was named the head football coach at CMU in 2007. He served as head coach at Central until he resigned in 2009 to become head coach at Cincinnati.

Through his rise to the top, however, Jones still reflects fondly on his Ferris. Returning to his alma mater was an opportunity to inspire students and encourage them to create a vision statement for themselves, unleash the passion to be successful and refuse to be held back.

"I am going to talk about a vision and a passion for what you're doing," Jones said. "I wanted them to understand why some achieve some success while some struggle."

The Inspirational Story Of The Will To Succeed

The Butch Jones Story is an inspirational one. He is the first to confess that he did have the best standardized test scores coming out of college. But, he is proud to say he achieved a grade point average of 3.47.

"I have my Ferris State transcript laminated on my desk so when a kid comes in and tells me he hates school and school is not for him and I know he is smart I pull that out and show him anybody can do it," Jones said. "If I got less than an 'A' I was ticked off."

"Everything I've done I have had to work from ground zero and work my way up," added Jones, who always at worked had conversations with former University of Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, current University of Florida coach Urban Meyer and former CMU head coach and athletics director Herb Deromedi. "It doesn't matter where you're at or where you're coming from. If you keep your eyes on what your vision and goals are you can accomplish anything you put your mind to accomplishing."

Jones Proves You Can Always Come Home

But, he was not big timing anyone during his return to Ferris. He returned with fond memories and a lot of smiles as he appreciated a campus that is reinventing itself through the modernization of classroom and new facilities.

"This place has meant so much to me and I am proud to say that I am a Ferris grad and I am an alumnus of Ferris State," Jones said. "Being back on campus I see growth, I see a vision, I see a premise of always continuing to improve. It makes me proud as an alumnus to see the growth the University is making."
Photos by Ed Hyde, FSU Photographic Services

HOCKEY: Snubbed By The NCAA, Ferris Forced To Say Bye To Its Seniors Prematurely

Ferris seniors (left to right) Blair Riley, Aaron Lewicki, Jordan Barber, Matt Case, Cody Chupp and Casey Haines are shown here on Senior Day in Big Rapids at Ewigleben Ice Arena. (Photo/Ed Hyde, FSU Photographic Services)

BIG RAPIDS - Sunday's bad news means the college ice hockey careers of Ferris State University ice hockey seniors forward and team captain Cody Chupp, forward Blair Riley, forward Casey Haines, forward Aaron Lewicki and goaltender Jordan Barber.

The Bulldogs were excluded from 16-team field coming off a pair of tough losses in the semifinals and third-place game of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament in Detroit. The official pairings were announced during the selection show that was aired late Sunday morning on ESPN2. Over the weekend, Ferris dropped a 5-4 OT loss to Northern Michigan University (on Friday) followed by a 2-1 setback against second-ranked Miami University on Saturday (in the third-place game) at Joe Louis Arena.

"I'm really disappointed right now and I think my feeling really mirrors the feeling of the players on our team," Daniels said on Sunday afternoon from his office inside the Ewigleben Sports Complex in Big Rapids. "I am most disappointed for our players because I really feel that the selections for the NCAA Tournament did not do us justice."

Daniels conceded that the sting of this loss will not feel better any time soon.

"Eventually, we're going to have to turn the page and begin to embrace all that we accomplished this season," he said of an FSU team that finished 21-13-6, was third in the CCHA during the regular season and was ranked eighth in the nation last week. Somehow, it all fell apart for the Bulldogs, who had an impressive body of work during the course of the regular season only to be left out of the field of 16 at the 11th hour.

These Bulldog seniors deserved a far better fate than they got from the NCAA.

For more of my analysis of the NCAA bracket selections and Ferris' snub, visit the Crimson and Gold Report, here.

HOCKEY: No. 2 Miami 2, No. 8 Ferris 1 (CCHA Tournament Third-Place Game)

DETROIT - In most sports it is almost unthinkable that a team could go from ranked eighth in the country (prior to its conference tournament) to completely out of the NCAA Tournament field by selection day (a few days later).

Ferris State University still has an outside shot at earning its first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but its chances were severely damaged by Saturday afternoon's 2-1 loss to No. 2 Miami University in the third-place game of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament at Joe Louis Arena. The loss drops FSU to 21-13-6 and now in need of a minor miracle to make the NCAA Tournament following back to back one-goal losses to Northern Michigan University (5-4 in overtime on Friday) and Miami.

"Tough loss for us. We came out tentative and played tentative until Miami scored its first goal," Ferris head coach Bob Daniels said. "Then, I think we shifted gears from being nervous about winning to playing to win."

Ferris' latest setback came at the hands of the RedHawks in a game in which Ferris was so close to salvaging a tie that might have bolstered its case for more post-season play.

Miami got the scoring started at 4:44 of the second period as Steve Mason scored (assisted by Chris Wideman and Dane Hetland) for a 1-0 lead.

Late in the same period, at 14:49, Ferris made good on a power play as Casey Haines scored (assisted by Blair Riley and Zach Redmond) to tie the score at 1-1. The goal was reviewed as one of the referees appeared to indicate that he thought Haines might have kicked the puck into the Miami net. Upon review, however, the call was reversed and Ferris was awarded the game-tying goal.

In the third period, just as it appeared the Bulldogs might force a tie, the RedHawks secured the lead as Jarod Palmer delivered a dagger as he scored his 18th goal of the season (assisted by Wideman and Andy Miele) to put Miami in the lead with a little more than four minutes to play. Worn down, perhaps in part by penalties (14 penalties for 28 minutes), the Bulldogs might have run out of gas in the late portion of the third.

"In the third period, our issues were the number of penalties we took," Daniels said. "That was a lot of kills. Give our team credit for a lot of kills. But that is time were spending wearing out our top players. The penalties in the third period were what I thought really hurt us."

The Bulldogs pulled out all the stops.

Ferris used its time out and pulled its goalie (Pat Nagle) for an extra skater, but was unable to drive one more goal past Miami netminder Connor Knapp.

It was a tough game for the Bulldogs who not only had a hard time scoring, but only mustered 13 shots on goal against Knapp and the RedHawks. At times, the Bulldogs looked a bit tentative, but at other times the Miami defense looked very tough on Ferris. On the flip side, however, the RedHawks registered 30 shots against Nagle and made good twice (all it needed) to earn the win.

"We weren't worried about who was in net," Ferris' Casey Haines said when asked about the change in goal for Miami that had Knapp between the pipes. "We wanted to get pucks to the net. I don't think we got as many quality chances."

Riley didn't think the team was necessarily tired, but conceded the penalties did make things tough on the team as Ferris took seven penalties in the second period and three in the third.

"I don't think we were winded. We came out to push the pace," Riley said. "In the third period we have a couple of unfortunate penalty calls, but we gave it everything we had."

Ferris State now awaits to hear about its NCAA Tournament hopes when the NCAA Hockey Selection Show airs Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2.

Photo by Ed Hyde, FSU Photographic Services

HOCKEY: Northern Tops Ferris; Ends Bulldogs Quest For Mason Cup

DETROIT – Trailing 4-2, Ferris State University pulled off a comeback for the ages in the late stages of the third period to tie the score and force an overtime session.

But, during that bonus hockey time, it was Northern Michigan University which ended dreams of an FSU comeback win as Greger Hanson lit the lamp at 1:07 of the overtime period to propel the Wildcats to a 5-4 win in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament semifinals round, in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, and into Saturday night’s championship game.

The Bulldogs, ranked eighth in the nation, battled back in the third period thanks to a goal by Mike Embach (assisted by Matt Case and Pat Nagle), at 13:06, and one from Matthew Kirzinger (assisted by Zach Redmond and Casey Haines), at 14:07 to knot the score at 4-4 and to ultimately force the game into overtime. In spite of the efforts of Embach, Kirzinger and others, anything can happen in overtime and that proved true as Hanson’s extra-period goal ended Ferris’ dreams of winning the Mason Cup for the first time in school history.

With the loss, Ferris dips to 21-12-6 as its NCAA Tournament hopes took a little bit of a body blow against a Northern team (20-11-8) that is ranked 12th in the nation and is fighting for its NCAA lives (in addition to battling now for the Mason Cup) like FSU.

“Obviously, this is a very tough loss for the team,” Ferris head coach Bob Daniels said in the post-game press conference at Joe Louis Arena while flanked by a pair of his players (Case and team captain Cody Chupp). “We’re disappointed losing in overtime, but certainly not disappointed in the effort of our players.”

Ferris took a 1-0 lead at 17:31 of the first period as Todd Pococke lit the lamp (off a rebound) for the fifth time this season as he was assisted on the score by Jordie Johnston and Nate Hennig. The Bulldogs, though outshot 13-12 in the first period, held a 1-0 lead entering the second.

In the second, Ferris ran into a hockey version of a buzzsaw. Northern set a CCHA Tournament record with three goals scored in just one minute and two seconds to take a 3-1 lead over the Bulldogs. Ray Kaunisto scored the first at the 11-minute mark, Andrew Cherniwchan found the back of the net at 11:41 and Kaunisto scored his second of the game at 12:02.

The stunned Bulldogs elected to burn their time out to stop the bleeding.

“I didn’t say a whole lot. We were just trying to slow it down,” Daniels said. “We were probably in a state of shock. That (sequence) probably transpired in less than a minute or slightly over. We just had to stop and collect ourselves, slow things down and try to regroup.

“All season long our seniors have led this team and they calmed our team,” he added about the team’s on-ice leadership.

“It just happened so fast and everyone was just trying to get their head back on straight after the time out and get back into it,” Case said.

Ferris responded late in the second on a sweet unassisted goal scored by Chupp, at 17:29. Chupp’s goal pulled FSU to within one by the end of a painful period for the Bulldogs.

“The goal was just something we talked about trying to get bodies and pucks in front of the net,” said Chupp, who had one goal on three shots. “We got a breakout and I was able to jump on it. I just kind of spun around and tried to get it on net and was fortunate that it went in. … That was our game plan to get as many pucks on the net as possible.”

In the third period, NMU built its lead back to two as Tyler Gron smacked a shot past Ferris goaltender Pat Nagle, at 8:04, to put the Wildcats up 4-2.

But, just as things looked darkest for the Bulldogs, Northern goalie Brian Stewart let past a bit of a soft goal to Embach at 13:06. Embach’s score made it a 4-3 game in favor of NMU. As it turns out, that goal was just the opening the Bulldogs needed. Kirzinger scored the game-tying goal to make it 4-4 at 14:07 of the third. Kirzinger was assisted by Redmond and Haines on a goal that forced the game into overtime.

In OT, Hanson put the Wildcats in the championship game as he scored off an assist from Erik Gustafasson to end FSU’s quest for the Mason Cup, at 1:07 of the extra session, to lift NMU to the victory.

For the Bulldogs, Nagle saved 25 of 30 shots aimed at him while Stewart stopped 35 of the 39 he faced for the victorious Wildcats.

Ferris faces Miami at 3:30 p.m. on the third-place game at the CCHA Tournament at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

Photo by Ed Hyde, FSU Photographic Services

HOCKEY: Daniels still likes Ferris' NCAA chances in spite of loss to NMU in CCHA semifinals

DETROIT – Ferris State University’s hockey team entered this weekend’s Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament semifinals contest ranked eighth in the nationally and seemingly in a strong position to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Suffering a disappointing 5-4 in overtime to Northern Michigan University was a large and tough pill for the Bulldogs to swallow in Joe Louis Arena Friday evening. The loss knocked Ferris out of contention for the Mason Cup and might have inflicted a little damage on the team’s credentials for earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

How the bids will shake out remains to be seen.

“I don’t know,” Ferris head coach Bob Daniels said when asked how this loss to Northern might impact the team’s chances for earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. “That is an interesting question. I feel we probably would have a strong chance of getting in tomorrow even without a win, however, I would like to obviously win tomorrow and I think that would ensure things.”

Ferris’ body of work is still pretty solid and reflected as such in the national rankings and in the PairWise rankings entering this weekend.

“I think we’re still a real strong candidate to get in, but why leave it to chance,” said Daniels, whose team is now 21-12-6 overall after the loss to 12th-ranked Northern Michigan in Detroit. Let’s go out and win that game tomorrow and put it to bed.”

Ferris has not played in the NCAA Tournament since it earned an at-large bid to the event during the 2002-03 season.

Photo by Ed Hyde, FSU Photographic Services

FOOTBALL: Bulldogs Looking Ahead To Start Of Spring Practice 2010

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University is building toward what it hopes is a stronger 2010 campaign on the gridiron in the fall to erase the memories of last season's tough year.

Having finished 1-10 last season, the Bulldogs are focused as they wrap up winter workouts; get ready for the Lift-A-Thon and the start of spring football drills on March 31. Under head coach Jeff Pierce, who is entering his 16th season in that capacity, the Bulldogs have several issues that still need to be addressed before the fall. Currently, the team is finalizing its hiring of an offensive coordinator (to replace Matt McCarthy) and a defensive backs coach (to fill the shoes of Chris Reese) for the upcoming 2010 fall season. It appears Ferris is very close to filling both of those positions and possibly before the start of spring practice.

While those issues are settled, Pierce, his staff and players are set to take the field in less than two weeks to begin spring football practice in Big Rapids.

"Spring ball gives us a great opportunity to measure the progress we've made in our off-season strength and conditioning program," said Pierce, who will have his team participate in the NCAA-allowed total of 15 practices punctuated by the Crimson and Gold Spring Game which will be held Friday, April 23, at Top Taggart Field. Opening kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. "It will also enable us to evaluate the talent we have in our program and help us develop younger players.

"We've excited about this spring and the potential to improve our squad in all phases of the game," he added.

Ferris State University's 2010 spring practice schedule:

Practice 1 - Tuesday, March 30, 10 a.m.
Practice 2 - Thursday, April 1, TBA
Practice 3 - Thursday, April 1, TBA
Practice 4 - Friday, April 2, TBA
Practice 5 - Tuesday, April 6, 10 a.m.
Practice 6 - Thursday, April 8, 10 a.m.
Practice 7 - Friday, April 9, 3 p.m.
Practice 8 - Saturday, April 10, 8 a.m. (Scrimmage at Top Taggart Field)
Practice 9 - Tuesday, April 13, 10 a.m.
Practice 10 - Thursday, April 15, 10 a.m.
Practice 11 - Friday, April 16, 3 p.m.
Practice 12 - Saturday, April 17, 11 a.m. (Scrimmage at Top Taggart Field)
Practice 13 - Tuesday, April 20, 10 a.m.
Practice 14 - Thursday, April 22, 10 a.m.
Practice 15 - Friday, April 23, 6 p.m. (Annual Crimson and Gold Spring Game)

HOCKEY: CCHA semifinals games and championship contest to be streamed on Fox Sports Net Detroit

BIG RAPIDS - Fans of Ferris State University's hockey team that can't make it to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit this weekend will still have an opportunity to follow the Bulldogs in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament.

Fox Sports Net Detroit, in addition to its scheduled live television broadcast of Friday's 4:35 p.m. game between Ferris and Northern Michigan University (in the semifinals of the CCHA Tournament this weekend in the Motor City), will be streaming three of this weekend's four games via the Internet. The second semifinal game, which pits Miami (Ohio) against Michigan, is scheduled to begin at 8:05 p.m. and will be televised by the Big Ten Network. Saturday's championship game will be televised by FSN Detroit and is scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m. There is no television or Internet coverage planned for the consolation game on Saturday.

The CCHA's two semifinals games and the championship game will be streamed on the Web and can be accessed here: http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/pages/main

The second semifinal game this Friday will be played at 8:05 p.m. (EDT) as league regular-season champion Miami (Ohio) takes on Michigan in a Big Ten Network televised contest.

FSN-Detroit is available on DirecTV channel 663, DISH Network channel 430, Charter Cable channel 33 (HD-channel 791), and Comcast Cable channel 30 (HD-channel 201).

HOCKEY: Ohio State Opts Not To Renew John Markell's Contract

Well, the number of Central Collegiate Hockey Association head coach openings just increased by one on Tuesday (March 16).

John Markell, the head coach of the Ohio State University Buckeyes hockey team the last 15 seasons, was informed that his contract will not be renewed and his coaching career at OSU essentially is over. It was not all that long ago that Western Michigan University announced that it was severing ties with long-time head coach Jim Culhane.

Naturally, Ohio State plans to conduct a nationwide search to find the right person to launch its hockey program into the class of perennial CCHA contenders such as Miami, Michigan, Michigan State and (since the hiring of Jeff Jackson as head coach) and Notre Dame. It appears that OSU is raising the bar for its programs and expects (demands) to compete with the aforementioned on a more regular basis.

Markell was 280-267-56 in his career as head coach of the Buckeyes. Included in those numbers are the fact that he led OSU to six NCAA tournament appearances, including the program’s first Frozen Four appearance in 1998, and to a CCHA tournament championship in 2004.

That's good, but not good enough these days for a school as competitive as Ohio State.

Here is a statement from a press release posted on the CCHA's Web site:

Chris Schneider, associate athletics director for sport administration, oversees the men’s hockey program at Ohio State.

"We will immediately begin the process to conduct a national search," Schneider said. "We will take the appropriate time to find our next head coach."

HOCKEY: Ferris now tied for eighth in PairWise Rankings

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University has moved up to tied for eighth (with Cornell) in the latest edition of the PairWise Rankings.

Team captain Cody Chupp (pictured) and the Bulldogs improved to 21-11-6 overall on the season after sweeping Nebraska-Omaha in two games in last weekend's Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament quarterfinals.

By virtue of two wins last weekend over UNO, Ferris moves into a stronger position in its bid to earn an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since the 2002-03 season. The Bulldogs are not yet a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but are in a far better position thanks to last weekend's sweep of the Mavericks at Ewigleben Ice Arena in Big Rapids.

From the CCHA, Miami is second in PairWise, Ferris is tied for eighth, Northern Michigan is tied for 11th, Alaska is 13th, Michigan is 16th, Michigan State is tied for 17th and Nebraska-Omaha is tied for 22nd.

Head coach Bob Daniels' Bulldogs face Northern Michigan University in the CCHA semifinals Friday at 4:35 p.m. in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Ferris' bid to the NCAA Tournament could almost be solidified with a good win over NMU in Motown.

HOCKEY: Casey Haines Is Interviewed By Media Following Win Over Nebraska-Omaha On Saturday

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University senior forward Casey Haines speaks to the media following his game-winning goal to lift the Bulldogs to a 3-2 overtime win over Nebraska-Omaha in the quarterfinals round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament.

The Bulldogs, with the win, advance to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit for the semifinals.

HOCKEY: No. 13 Ferris State 3, No. 18 Nebraska-Omaha 2 (OT)

BIG RAPIDS - As Nebraska-Omaha defenders flocked around Ferris State University senior forward Blair Riley, senior teammate Casey Haines almost felt as if he alone on an island.

What quickly unfolded, however, was a single shining moment that will take a prominent position in the annals of Bulldog hockey history.

"I saw Blair with the puck and realized that they had three guys on him. I kind of felt no pressure on me so I was screaming at him and he threw it to me and I was just trying to get it on net. I never saw it go in," said Haines, who scored 23 seconds into overtime to lift No. 13 Ferris State University to a 3-2 win over the University of Nebraska-Omaha to win the best-of-three Central Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinals round series 2-0. "Then, I saw the students jump and then I took off for a little dive at center ice."

Haines' celebratory dive was part of a victory that propels the Bulldogs (21-11-6) to the CCHA Tournament semifinals on Friday at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

"It's excitement going to the Joe," Haines remarked when asked about what was going through his mind after scoring the goal as a representative of a senior class that has been a driving force for this team throughout the season and previous years. "It kind of feels like we've worked for four years to get to this point and it's finally paying off."

Ferris head coach Bob Daniels has been careful to keep his team focused on each goal in the proper order. He wanted his Bulldogs less concerned about NCAA Tournament possibilities and more focused on the conference tournament and the road to Joe Louis Arena. Saturday, thanks to a thrilling 3-2 overtime win, it was mission accomplished and Daniels was finally ready to show flashes of enthusiasm before he looked ahead to the next goal.

"I'm not holding back at all. ... This win guarantees us, obviously, Joe Louis and puts us in the driver's seat for an NCAA bid," Daniels said. "Our main driving force is we want to go down to Joe Louis and see if we can win a playoff title. Our goal is to come back (from Detroit) with a playoff championship."

The Bulldogs drew first blood in the opening period, against Nebraska-Omaha, as Riley scored his 18th goal of the season (assisted by team captain Cody Chupp and Haines) at 3:21.

Then, for the first time in the series, Ferris faced real adversity. UNO scored twice in a span of 16 seconds. Nick Von Bokern scored at 13:15 before Dan Swanson lit the lamp at 13:31 to put Nebraska-Omaha up 2-1.

"They scored two goals on us in one shift and we were back on our heels," Daniels said. "I could sense we were tight on the bench and we were tight in the locker room and guys were down."

It took almost a full period, but Ferris picked itself back up and tied the score at 2-2 as Aaron Lewicki scored a power-play goal at 13:35 of the second (assisted by Justin Menke and Riley).

After a scoreless first period, Haines wasted little time closing the door on Nebraska-Omaha as his goal ignited a raucous celebration in Ewigleben Ice Arena as the Bulldogs secured their trip to Detroit for the CCHA Tournament semifinals.

Goaltender Pat Nagle picked up the win as he stopped 33 of 35 shots for the Bulldogs.

Along with the Bulldogs, Michigan and Northern Michigan advanced to the semifinals. Ohio State tied the series at 1-1 with Miami and will play a winner-take-all game for the right to go to Joe Louis Arena on Sunday.

HOCKEY: Crowd Issues Turn Munn Into Yost West

Ferris State University drew fewer than 1,000 fans on Friday night in Ewigleben Ice Arena for game one of its best-of-three Central Collegiate Hockey Association series against the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

But, Ferris (hampered by spring break for students) was not the only school that had issues with attendance on Friday evening. In East Lansing at Munn Ice Arena, Michigan State University hosted rival University of Michigan in game one. According to one blog, MSU drew just 3,188 in a facility that holds 6,470 - less than 50 percent capacity.

As a result, a sizable group of Michigan fans invaded the facility and practically took over as the visiting Wolverines rolled to a stunningly decisive 5-1 win over the Spartans (whose attendance likely was hurt by the fact that Coach Tom Izzo's ever-popular Michigan State basketball team was playing in the Big 10 Tournament in a nationally-televised contest.

Here is a blog entry that talks about the fans of U-of-M taking over. It's one more reason why it is a good thing Ferris dodged a meeting with Michigan.

Like MSU, Ferris also hopes to draw a larger crowd for Saturday night's game. While the Spartans are trying to force a third winner-takes-all contest, the the Bulldogs are seeking to eliminate UNO and move on to the CCHA semifinals in Joe Louis Arena.

Ewigleben Ice Arena, by the way, seats 2,493.

HOCKEY: Pat Nagle Interviewed By The Media

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University junior goaltender Pat Nagle is interviewed by media after the No. 13 Bulldogs defeated No. 18 Nebraska-Omaha 3-1 in the second-round, best-of-three Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament series.

(I know the video screen is black, but just click on the play button)

HOCKEY: No. 13 Ferris 3, No. 18 Nebraska-Omaha 1

Ferris State's Mike Embach celebrates his first goal of the game in the second period at Ewigleben Ice Arena in the second round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS - The backbone of successful college hockey teams is a combination of top-notch defense and high-quality goaltending.

Pat Nagle was the last line of defense as the 13th-ranked Ferris State University Bulldogs hosted 18th-ranked Nebraska-Omaha in the second round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament in Big Rapids at Ewigleben Ice Arena. But, when your last line of defense is like a brick wall you are in good shape. Nagle, a junior goalie, was nothing short of superb as he stopped 33 of 34 shots to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-1 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

"It's always tough coming off that week off. Obviously, you want to come out hard in that first period because you know the other team played (last week) and they're ready to go especially coming into your barn," said Nagle, who helped the Bulldogs improve to 20-11-6 overall. "You see a 5-on-3, but we were able to get through it and after that we got our legs under us. They had a close post that fortunately didn't go in and a couple of blocked shots."

Ferris head coach Bob Daniels saluted the play of Nagle for standing strong with some big saves when the team needed them.

"I thought Nagle obviously performed very well. In that sequence there they had a number of good opportunities. They hit the pipe early in that sequence," Daniels said. "We were fortunate that they had a couple that just missed the net. Really, Nagle deserves a lot of credit."

Like any great teammate, however, Nagle saluted his defenseman and back-checking forwards. Guys like Zach Redmond, Chad Billins, Brett Wysopal, Matt Case, Michael Trebish and Aaron Schmit are the guys immediately in front of Nagle, who played tough. Redmond, in particular, was strong for the Bulldogs even while scoreless in the contest. Nagle credited his teammates who were part of a complete defensive effort.

"Our defense made the difference and they made my job a lot easier. They took away half the scoring chances with huge blocks as well as our forwards getting back and back checking," Nagle said. "They did a great job in kind of forcing (Nebraska-Omaha) to take the wide-angle shots to make my life a little easier."

After a scoreless first period, Ferris' Mike Embach scored at even strength with assists credited to Wysopal and Aaron Lewicki at 7:16 of the second. At 14:42, Lewicki scored a power-play goal with an assisted awarded to Justin Menke. In the third period on the power play, at 8:31, Menke and Wysopal picked up each picked up a second assist and Embach earned a second goal of the game to put the Bulldogs up 3-0.

At 18:37, John Kemp scored off assists from Eric Olimb and Kyle Ensign to make it a 3-1 game and generate a little late interest. The Mavericks pulled their goalie in the final minute, but could not drive another shot past Nagle as the Bulldogs held on for the win.

Game two of the series takes place Saturday night (March 13) in Ewigleben Ice Arena beginning at 7:05 p.m.

Ferris can win the series with one more victory.

HOCKEY: Inside College Hockey Writer Makes Good Point About FSU Penalties

BIG RAPIDS - Writer James V. Dowd analyzes the Central Collegiate Hockey Association best-of-three series between Ferris State University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and makes a good point about one of the Bulldogs' keys to success.

Dowd suggests that it will be important for Ferris to avoid bad penalties, and I think he is on the money with that one.

He also writes that Ferris will need to feed off the crowd. That, however, could prove a challenge as FSU students are at the tail end of spring break and the student section could be less intense as it usually is during this time of the year.

Ferris' Athletics Department has made a strong push to rally the community around the hockey team in its run toward a conference championship.

But, if attendance only hovers around 1,000 or so, then the hockey team might need to generate its own energy.

The Bulldogs and Mavericks open their CCHA Tournament series tonight at 7:05 p.m.

Inside College Hockey:
http://insidecollegehockey.com/inch/2010/03/12/ccha-playoffs/

HOCKEY: Community Rallies Around Bulldog Hockey In A Big Way

BIG RAPIDS - During the course of a long regular season, Ferris State University relies heavily on one of the best and most loyal student sections in all of college hockey.

This week, as Ferris commences Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament action, FSU's student population, which packs the "Dawg Pound," is wrapping up spring break and slowly returning to campus in Big Rapids. While officials in the Ferris Athletics Department are hopeful many students will return a little early from break, it also recognizes that efforts must be made to reach out even more to the local community. The Bulldogs will need a true home-ice edge as 13th-ranked Ferris takes on 18th-ranked Nebraska-Omaha in Ewigleben Ice Arena on Friday night at 7:05 p.m., Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and (if necessary) on Sunday at 7:05 p.m.

Take a trip around Big Rapids, and it is apparent that local businesses and fans are taking lead roles in rallying around the hometown Bulldogs of long-time head coach Bob Daniels.

The outpouring of support has been nothing short of refreshing to see so many local businesses and citizens filled with pride for Bulldog hockey as it attempts to blaze a trail to famed Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002-03.

The buzz is in the air and Ewigleben Ice Arena seems destined to have a good dose of students, faculty and staff (as usual). But, it's reasonable to expect the facility might welcome students from several local schools who have been invited to fill the Dawg Pound.

It's great to see Ferris State University's Athletics Department making this significant reach out to local communities inside Mecosta County and beyond.

Small towns can accomplish BIG things.

Here are some of the local businesses showing their support for the Ferris State University hockey team through signs placed prominently:

Wesco Gas Station/Beer Cave – Good Luck In The Playoffs Bulldog Hockey
Isabella Bank – Good Luck Ferris State Hockey!!!!
Independent Bank – Good Luck FSU Hockey Bulldogs
Meijer – Sandwich Board in front of entrances
The Gate Bar and Grill – Go FSU Beat Nebraska Omaha
Currie’s Gas Station – Go Bulldog Hockey in Playoffs!!
Wendy’s – Go Bulldawgs Hockey Team
Walgreens – Good Luck FSU Hockey Team!
Buffalo Wild Wings – Go Dawgs
Quality Inn – Go Bulldogs
South Park Homes – Bulldog Hockey Playoffs this Fri., Sat., & Sun

The community is poised to rally around Ferris State University Bulldog Hockey. Now, many hope that the community and hockey team will deliver this weekend on the ice as this round of the CCHA Tournament commences.

A special thanks to Dominic Hennig, the play-by-play voice of Bulldog hockey on local radio, for information he supplied to contribute to this story.

SOFTBALL: Ferris' Contests Rained Out At Rebel Spring Games

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Ferris State University's games scheduled for Thursday (March 11), at the Rebel Spring Games were canceled due to rain in central Florida.

The Bulldogs of head coach Keri Becker were slated to play the University of Minnesota-Duluth and Slippery Rock University at the Rebel Games.

Rain, however, had other ideas and the games had to be canceled.

Ferris is scheduled to resume competition on Friday (March 12) against St. Cloud State University and the University of Southern Indiana.

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Keenan Named All-Region By Daktronics

BIG RAPIDS - The honors continue rolling in for Ferris State University junior men's basketball standout Justin Keenan.

Keenan, the 2009-2010 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, was named to the 2009-10 Daktronics All-Midwest Region First Team selection. As a result of being named to the all-region team first team, Keenan becomes eligible for the Daktronics All-America recognition. Keenan, a native of Grand Rapids who prepped at the city's Ottawa Hills High School, led the GLIAC in scoring at 21.1 points in league competition and 20.1 overall in his third campaign at Ferris.

As a team, head coach Bill Sall's Bulldogs did an excellent job of feeding off of what Keenan did and Keenan did a good job of feeding off teammates like Darien Gay, Austin Randel, Josh Young and Jon Yeazel. What those guys did, with their shooting and other methods of scoring, helped divert attention from teams eager to double down on Keenan.

Keenan, who continues to develop as a go-to player for the Bulldogs on the hardwood, did more than simply lead the league in scoring. He nearly made history by scoring 465 points in GLIAC contests. The single-season scoring record for the conference is set at 471 courtesy of Saginaw Valley State University's Michael Williams during the 1993-94 season.

For Ferris State University's press release, visit: http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/releases/keenan-daktronics

SOFTBALL: Ferris Scores Two More Wins Beating Shippensburg, California (Pa.)

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -Ferris State University picked up a pair of really nice softball wins on Wednesday as it resumed play at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla.

The Bulldogs scored a 6-0 win over Shippensburg (Pa.) and then closed out the day with a thrilling 2-1 win over California (Pa.). Ferris is now 9-5 overall, and 7-1 in Florida. The Bulldogs are riding a seven-game winning streak.

In its opener of the day, Ferris busted out its hitting sticks and scored three times in the first inning and three more times in third to grab control early and never slow down against Shippensburg. Freshman outfielder Morgan Kramerich continues to excel as she finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and a run driven in. Freshman catcher Liz Hamming batted 2-for-3 with a run scored and a pair of runs driven in. Redshirt freshman Allison Webber, playing third base, had two hits in three trips to the plate with a run scored. Senior center fielder Rachel Wade had a hit, an RBI and a run scored and sophomore first baseman Chelsea Morris (pictured) recorded a hit for the Bulldogs.

Kayle Stevenson improved to 3-3 on the season as she pitched seven innings, allowed five hits and struck out three.

In game two of the day, the Bulldogs went right down to the end and used a pair of passed balls to push across a seventh-inning run to knock off traditionally one of the better Division II teams in the nation: California (Pa.). Wade had two hits, Rachel Mueller had a hit and an RBI while Colleen Roney had a hit and a run scored.

Freshman Dana Bowler picked up the win and improved to 3-2 on the season as she threw seven innings and allowed four hits, one run (earned) and struck out seven.

It has been great to see a lot of freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores making strong contributions to Ferris' cause so early in the season. The Bulldogs know they will need their young ones to step up and so far they're doing the job.

HOCKEY: Scouting Nebraska-Omaha For The CCHA Tournament

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University, ranked 13th in the nation under head coach Bob Daniels, knows it will have its hands full battling 18th-ranked University of Nebraska-Omaha.

As many people are aware, UNO is in its final year in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and already has announced it will join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association beginning with the 2010-11season. So, the Mavericks probably would love nothing better than to leave for the WCHA with a nice run in the CCHA Tournament (with their eyes fixed on a spot in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit next week.

The Mavericks enter this series on a roll while the Bulldogs are looking to get back to the high-level play they enjoyed earlier in the season when they were the talk of college hockey. Both teams have a lot at stake. In addition to the CCHA championship, both teams still have NCAA Tournament hopes riding on their tournament performances.

Now, we take a look at this weekend's opponent: The University of Nebraska-Omaha

THE BREAKDOWN: Nebraska-Omaha is 20-14-6 this season overall and placed sixth in the CCHA with a record of 13-12-3-2 under head coach Dean Blais, who is in his first season with the Mavericks after a long and successful stint as head coach of the University of North Dakota (winning national championships in 1997 and 2000). The career record for Blais is 281-128-37. An interesting tidbit is that he is 3-3-0 in his career against Ferris (0-2 while at Nebraska-Omaha).

UNO is ranked 18th in the nation by U.S. College Hockey Online and 19th in the Inside College Hockey Power Rankings.

Of concern for the Bulldogs is that Nebraska-Omaha is playing some of its best hockey of the season having won seven of its last 10 games (including sweeping Bowling Green State University in last weekend's CCHA Tournament opening-round, best-of-three series).

Nebraska-Omaha has balanced scoring up and down a lineup that includes three players with 27-plus points this season in senior defenseman Eddie Del Grosso (seven goals and 23 assists for 30 points), junior forward Rich Purslow (14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points) and sophomore forward John Kemp (seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points).

Between the pipes, freshman John Faulkner and Jeremie Dupont are the two who have earned the majority of the playing time. Faulkner is 13-9-4 with a 2.59 goals against average and a .905 saves percentage while Dupont is 7-5-2 overall with a 2.71 goals against average and a saves percentage of .893.

ANALYSIS: UNO is a solid team and could lock Ferris into some close games this weekend in Ewigleben Ice Arena. In the two previous meetings (both in Big Rapids Dec. 4-5), the Bulldogs won 2-0 and 3-1. The numbers don't lie: Ferris was superb, defensively, in that series (and will need to be again). But, don't expect UNO to be held to one goal in this series. Ferris needs a strong start (which also will get the crowd into the games) to force the Mavericks to have to play from behind and score with pressure. If the Bulldogs fall behind and Nebraska-Omaha is able to lock down defensively (the Mavericks are very good on the penalty kill) Ferris could be in trouble.

UPDATED: Correction made on the record of Dean Blais against Ferris.

SOFTBALL: Bulldogs' Winning Streak Now At Five Games

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Ferris State University's softball team is streaking and that actually is a good thing right now.

Head coach Keri Becker's Bulldogs won two more games on Tuesday to extend their Sunshine State winning streak to five. The stretch of success started

March 6 with an 8-3 win over Mary (N.D.). On March 7, Ferris posted wins over Philadelphia Sciences, 4-0; and Truman State University, 2-0; and today, March 8, Ferris earned victories over Minnesota State, 2-0; and Southwest Minnesota State, 3-1, to improve to 7-5 overall this season.

Freshman outfielder Morgan Kramerich is off to a red-hot start batting .371 with 13 hits, a double and four runs batted in; Rachel Wade (pictured), a senior outfielder, is batting .351 with 13 hits, one triple and three RBI; and junior Rachel Mueller also has emerged this season as a catcher and power hitter in the lineup. Mueller is batting .306 with 11 hits, five doubles and six RBI. Sophomore utility player Makenzi Peterson, in eight games, has five hits, is batting .294 and has two RBI.

In the circle, Rhea Flores is 3-0 with a 1.81 earned run average and eight strikeouts; Dana Bowler, a freshman, has a 2.31 ERA, a 2-2 record, two shutout wins and 25 strikeouts; and Kayle Stevenson, a senior, is 2-3 this season with a 2.94 ERA, one shutout victory and 25 strikeouts.

The Bulldogs get a day off, Tuesday, before resuming softball action Wednesday (March 10) against Shippensburg (Pa.) and California (Pa.). Traditionally, those are two tough opponents. So, Ferris knows it should be tested.

It's great to see the team having this kind of success early in the season against some solid competition to get ready for Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: End-Season Analysis

BIG RAPIDS - Record-wise, Ferris State University's women's basketball team would love to put its 2009-10 season comfortably in its rear-view mirror.

The Bulldogs ended their season with back-to-back wins over Northwood University and Wayne State University to finish the campaign on a high note. Head coach Tracey Dorow expressed a great deal how proud she was of her team for continuing to fight and battle even as adversity (mostly in the form of a seemingly never-ending stream of injuries and illness) took a heavy toll on her ladies.

Ferris State finished the season with a record of 8-19 overall and 7-15 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (including wins in its final two games).

Injuries robbed players like Andrea Clancy, Stephanie DeNoyelles, Amy Joostberns and others during the course of the season. Some injury issues wiped out games (as was the case with DeNoyelles and Joostberns). Other injury issues were far more serious and wiped out the entire season of Clancy, who is coming back for the 2010-11 campaign after missing what was supposed to be her senior season this past winter.

Time to handle out some post-season hardware:

TEAM MVP: I am splitting the MVP award between Tiara Adams and Tricia Principe. What Adams did on the boards and with scoring was phenomenal this season. She as rightly rewarded with All-GLIAC North Division Second-Team recognition and GLIAC All-Defensive Team recognition. Her ability to rebound and run the floor gave Ferris luxuries it has rarely had during the long history of the women's basketball program. Principe emerged as an almost automatic shooter from the perimeter and outside of the 3-point line. She turned into the go-to scorer for the Bulldogs with her unflappable demeanor on the court. In many ways, it is difficult to separate the significance of what both contributed as leaders of the team.

ROOKIES OF THE YEAR: I am splitting this award too. Kylie Muntz and Katy Fox were the top newcomers for the Bulldogs this season. Both, due largely to injuries to Stephanie DeNoyelles and Clancy, had to play far more minutes than they might otherwise have had to play this past season. Both, particularly under the circumstances, performed well. Muntz did a fine job backing up Becci Houdek and handling the basketball in a lot of important situations. She also hit the big game-winning 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs a spectacular home win over Saginaw Valley State University on Jan. 9 in Jim Wink Arena. Fox played the post against some big and experienced players inside and outside of the GLIAC and handled herself well. Both Muntz and Fox appear to have bright futures at Ferris.

HARDEST WORKER: Principe won the award last year and it's hard to believe she has not done enough to retain such a style. She gives it everything she has and is a relentless competitor. She is exactly the way Coach Dorow described Principe before she ever stepped foot on the FSU campus for her freshman season. Even as a guard, Principe works hard on the glass to rebound the basketball, plays tough and hard-nosed defense and runs the floor with reckless abandon.

SIXTH WOMAN OF THE YEAR: This award goes to the hard-working Lindsey Pettit, who has evolved into a consistent player, who is dependable for Dorow. Pettit, a lefty, gets the job done for the Bulldogs and has often provided a nice spark off the bench for Ferris. Pettit played in all 27 games and averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds during her sophomore season on the hardwood.

It looks like the best could be ahead for the Bulldogs who graduate no players and gets back Clancy who was looking strong in the preseason prior to her injury. Coming in next season, FSU has Nikki Arner, a 6-foot-2 post player from Ludington; Ashley Rando, a 5-foot-9 guard from Jackson; and Sarah DeShone, a 5-foot-7 guard from Elkhart, Ind.

Ferris also is blessed with talented players like Kelsey DeNoyelles, who continues to get better and better with each game. As a junior, next season looks like it has the potential to be a breakthrough one for the 5-foot-9 Mount Pleasant native. Houdek will be a senior and took on leadership responsibilities this past season on the hardwood.

Coach Dorow indicated that she wants her team to get to work to be the best conditioned teams in the GLIAC during the 2010-11 season. That will be a point of emphasis during this off season as Ferris wants to be the team that wears down its opponents in the second half and not vice versa. The Bulldogs will become more experienced inside with the strides taken by younger post players, the return of Clancy, the return of 6-foot-2 redshirt freshman Felicia Standley and the addition of Arner.

Strengthened by experience, Houdek and Clancy will be the experienced players who must lead the way for the Bulldogs during the 2009-10 season.

Photo by Ed Hyde, FSU Photographic Services