Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

[HckyDoc]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Sounds(reads) like this was a good game for tOSU. Any Ferris fans with a firsthand account? Tons of shots. I saw some of the DU vs UND game on the tube last night, anyone know if Ferris OSU game tonight is televised?

[DominicHennig]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Hey Guys,

If you missed the game, post game video highlights courtesy of the Big Ten network, and a post game audio clip of Ferris State Hockey Head Coach Bob Daniels is on our website -

http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/s...20100129ntjyx5

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

A loss last night followed by taking the extra point in the skills competition following OT tonight. 0-1-1 isn't exactly going to work wonders for the PWR. The only thing keeping us from dropping is the fact that somehow, someway, we're not at 10 games vs. TUCs. There's 2-3 teams right below the TUC cliff that we've played, and I've got to believe that at least 1-2 of them are going to find their way into the top 25 in the RPI.

We've just got to start winning games against teams like this, plain and simple.

[ferrisfan1]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

I saw both games on the Big Ten Network live feed. The video was good as was the commentating. The only qualms I have with it is that the camera was often behind the play and they put up stupid graphics at the worst times (20 seconds into a powerplay, they would put up their power play graphic) so I was listening to the commentator talk about near goals while watching the Michelin Man dancing on top of the word ATTACK. But other than those minor things, it was like watching it on tv.

I already posted what I thought of last nights game. Tonight Ferris again allowed too many good scoring opportunities, although not as many as last night. They allowed OSU players to set up shop right in front of Nelson on several occasions. When OSU had a rush up the ice, we failed to mark up on the weak side attacker. There were just way too many goals scored from inside 10 feet this weekend. I think Wietecha's absense is having a huge effect on this team. The guys who are taking his place are taking bad penalties and allowing good puck handlers like Dalpe and Albert to skate right through them.

Ferris owned OSU in the faceoff department. I have no idea what the faceoff statistics were but there are certain faceoffs that are more important than others (when you're on a 5 on 3 penalty kill). Ferris won nearly every faceoff they had to win. Daniels always has good faceoff teams and it is nice to have.

Penalties kept this game from having any flow. It seemed to me that OSU falls down quite easily which is great strategy if it works for you. I don't think the reffing was too bad this weekend, just a lot of bad penalties from both teams.

The first 2 Ferris goals were gifts from the OSU goalie. He seemed uninterested in trying to move with any quickness. Nelson was also underwhelming but as I said before, his defense didn't exactly help him out.

I enjoyed seeing my first shootout. Chupp's goal was soooo close to being lights out. He just snuck it in there. Nelson recovered very well after the Albert goal. He looks so comfortable out there.

I don't like to think of it as 2 points on the weekend but 8 points against the buckeyes this season. I'll take that any year. The 2 points mean that we have locked up a top 11 finish in the CCHA and we're only 2 points away from locking top 10. Hey, one step at a time.

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Also, the two points tonight keep us 7 ahead of LSSU. An LSSU sweep alone will not pull them even with us, and that's important because they're holding the #4 slot right now.

[totalx]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Lake Superior has a pretty tough schedule from here on out. I could easily see them slipping a few spots even though they have been playing pretty well as of late. Michigan State has to head up to Alaska (which is always a tough place to play) and has a home and home with Ferris, which is most likely going to be a big series. Notre Dame has two series against the bottom dwellers of the CCHA, so they could make a strong push for 3rd. From 4th-10th, it is very, very tight. Alot of things could happen.

Gotta love hockey!

[UMICHhockeyRULZ]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

And more...

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/new...oaltending.php

After Taylor Nelson and Pat Nagle split Ferris State’s goaltending duties last season, coach Bob Daniels told them he wanted to settle on a No. 1 this year. They responded by making that choice difficult.

So much so that they’re still sharing the job.

Nelson and Nagle have pushed each other all season, in the process developing into a top-flight goaltending tandem.

“Anytime you’re in a position where you’re splitting time ... it helps a goalie to compete,” Nelson said. “When you always feel like you have to outdo the other one, do a little better, it helps you become a better goalie.

“At the same time, a guy wants to carry the load. But as long as we’re wining and keep going the way we are, it’s not a problem. It’s making me and Pat better goalies, and in the end, it’s making the team better.”

With two netminders who have been tough to beat and one of the stingiest defenses in the country playing in front of them, the Bulldogs (17-8-3, 11-6-3 CCHA) are enjoying their best season since Chris Kunitz’s days in Big Rapids.

Ferris State won 12 games last year, finished ninth in the CCHA and bowed out of the conference playoffs in the first round. The Bulldogs’ best record in the last five years was just above .500.

So Nelson said there’s a whole different atmosphere around the team this year. The Bulldogs are full of confidence and eying the postseason.

“The goal set out right from the get-go is to win it all, right?” Nelson said. “We want to make that tournament, win it all. No one’s making goals that we want to get to the second round of the playoffs.”

The Bulldogs started this season at an even better clip than in 2002-03, when Kunitz led them to the program’s only conference title and lone NCAA tournament bid. Their best first half in 30 years included a 10-game unbeaten streak and a perfect record at home. The team cooled off in January — when it played 7-of-10 games away from Ewigleben Ice Arena — dropping three straight at one point and totaling more losses (5) than in the whole first semester (3).

But Ferris State is still third in the CCHA standings and ranked 11th nationally.

The Bulldogs’ play in their own zone has been key all season. Their 2.25 goals against per game ranks second in the conference and fifth in the country.

Nelson and Nagle have been a staunch last line of defense.

Nagle, a junior from Bloomfield, Mich., is seventh in the country with a 2.10 GAA, and his .926 save percentage ranks eighth. He has posted an 8-6-1 record.

Nelson, a sophomore, is 9-2-2. The Regina, Saskatchewan native is in the top 20 in both GAA (2.36) and save percentage (.920).

“When you have two goalies playing how they have been and both getting along well — they don’t mind splitting; they’re the first people to congratulate each other after a good game — that’s maybe been the biggest part of our success right now,” junior defenseman Zach Redmond said.

“They’re definitely keeping us happy.”

Nelson played both games one weekend in December, and Nagle has had the edge the last month, backstopping the Bulldogs to a pair of wins over Notre Dame and a split with Michigan. But they were back to alternating last weekend, with Nelson in net for a shootout win over Ohio State.

Nelson said the two play similar styles, and they’re comfortable pointing out things they notice in each other’s game.

“We have a good relationship,” Nelson said. “You might be on teams where you’re not a big fan of the other guy, and that makes it awkward almost. But when you have a guy you like working with, it makes a world of difference.”

Redmond said the blueliners’ confidence has been boosted by knowing they’re consistently getting solid goaltending behind them.

“It gives you as a defenseman a level of comfort knowing there’s someone back there who can bail you out, knowing you can take a chance that might pay off and lead to a goal,” he said.

Nelson said one thing the Bulldogs have really worked on is goalie-to-defenseman transitions, and they’ve been breaking the puck out quickly.

Ferris State was seventh in the conference in scoring defense last year but has been near the top all this season.

“We’ve always had a pretty good defensive scheme; it’s just a matter of staying disciplined and everybody buying into the system,” Redmond said. “This year everybody seems really responsible in the defensive zone.

“It started working early on, and then it became contagious almost, because the better we were in the D zone, the more we won.”

The defensive unit had little turnover this season — it lost senior Evan Case and gained sophomore transfer Brett Wysopal. So while the Bulldogs skated four freshmen last season, all of this year’s blueliners have at least a year of experience.

Just as the goalies have given the blueliners confidence, Nelson said the sound defense has bolstered his play.

“Even last year I had confidence in the defensive corps,” Nelson said. “But the fact that they’ve been together a couple years really instills a little more confidence in your own play when you know you have guys who are going to bail you out.

“And it’s not just the defensemen; it’s everyone. It’s the forwards coming back and backchecking with a purpose. Everyone sets out to win games.”

At the other end, the Bulldogs have been almost as strong.

Ferris State is currently the second-highest scoring team in the the CCHA with a 3.21 goals-per-game average. Senior winger Blair Riley leads the team with a 17-13-30 scoring line, and senior forwards Cody Chupp and Casey Haines are next with 24 and 23 points, respectively. Redmond (5-16-21) and Wysopal (3-13-16) are also right there in the scoring mix.

“Going into every game, usually we have the thought process of ‘Take care of our zone first. If we’re patient, we’ll get chances on offense, but take care of our zone,’ ” Redmond said. “We have a couple lines really buzzing up front, too. So we’re just trying to stay disciplined back there.”

With eight games left, Ferris State sits 12 points behind Miami and just two back of Michigan State — and the Bulldogs and Spartans still have to meet in a home-and-home series later this month.

After hurting for wins in the last three weeks, the Bulldogs will try to get back on track before they head into the playoffs, where they’re looking to make some noise.

“We definitely have our eyes on the tournament right now,” Redmond said. “We definitely want to make it to (Joe Louis Arena, which hosts the CCHA semifinals and final); we haven’t been there in way too long. And I think this is only the second time we’ve been ranked since I’ve been here, so we’d like to stay ranked.

“And we’d like to make a name for our school, even, because it’s been a while since we’ve been on the map. And we want to be taken seriously.”

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Tie game. Blown opportunity. Again. Lost the shootout, but that's secondary at the moment.

Ferris outplayed Northern for a majority of the game. Nelson let in an absolutely awful goal in the last minute of the 1st and took away all momentum we could have had going into the first intermission. About 167 shots missed the net. Casey Haines takes an incredibly idiotic penalty in front of the goal, while Riley had the puck and was getting ready to shoot on a power play. That penalty was so stupid it reminded me of the crap that Matt York used to do.

Ferris should have won this game. They've only got themselves to blame for not doing so.

[totalx]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Agreed, Hammer. Something wasn't right tonight. The fans were lethargic (very small crowd), students weren't at all into the game, and Ferris just did not play well. I think they dominated play in the first period (it was something like 19-4 for the SOG after 1) but Northern came out in the second and played with much more energy.

Nelson gives up some weak, weak goals. The one at the end of the first was just plain stupid, and Kaunisto's goal looked like again Nelson wasn't prepared for a shot. He also made some fantastic saves, but he seems to let in the ones that he's expected to stop.

Ah well...gotta come out tomorrow with more energy. Northern is a team that Ferris is supposed to beat. Can't head out of Big Rapids with no wins for the second straight week and hit the road to play a tough Lake State squad.

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Tonight's game looms larger and larger the more I think about it. Sure, we're only a point out of 2nd, but had we taken care of business last night, we would have 2nd to ourselves.

Don't look now, but Michigan is in 4th, just 6 points behind. That's the equivalent of 2 games. Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.

[Thebigbadwolf]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

to me the team has not been right since all 4 freshman have not been in the lineup at one time.If you look back either the team peaked when they were in or ??? don't know. There stats don't indicate big contributions but I am trying to put my finger on what has happened to the team. Our shot total was high last night but how many good scoring chances did we have??

Plain and simple these are games were suppose to win.Do some guys want it enough??? Only they can answer that.I'm just hoping now we get to the tournament.

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

I thought we had plenty of scoring chances, it's just that we really, really needed to put them on net. We missed the net more often than Dontrelle Willis misses the strike zone. The score at the end of the first could very easily have been 3-0. That's why I got so angry on the Score Update thread. We let a game slip right through our fingers. The problem was staring right back at us when we looked in the mirror. We've got no one to blame but ourselves for last night's tie. Stewart gave up huge rebounds all night, and we should have buried him.

Wietecha's return, whenever that happens, is going to be huge for us as well, and I think that's much more important than the freshmen. He's got a cannon for a shot on the blue line and is one of our top 3 d-men in my mind.

[Thebigbadwolf]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

my angle is the psykie of the team has and needs to change

Hammer's point about the D-man is very true

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

I guess my response to the psyche of the team is that the freshmen need to prove in practice that they each deserve a sweater instead of a suit on game night. And when I use the term "prove", I mean "let there be no doubt".

The best 12 forwards have to play. We can speculate about how we determine the best 12, but on Friday morning Coach Daniels has to decide who will dress, and the freshmen need to earn their time, and leave no doubt that they should be on the ice.

[ferrisfan1]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Wietecha is definitely what's missing. It has been obvious since his first day gone. It's not only that he is that good but more importantly the guys that have been asked to step up, are in over their heads. Ferris isn't Minnesota or Michigan; we don't have the next great thing sitting on the bench waiting for his turn. Case should be playing on the second line and Billins should be playing the third. Not to mention Schmit and Hill who have hurt more than they have helped IMO. Wietecha's absense has caused a series of unfortunate events. With him, we had depth. Without him, our lack of depth is evident.

Let's not go overboard about the recent collapse to Earth either. We're looking at 3rd place (at worst) in the middle of February. Offer me that in October and beers on me. We get to talk about and hope for and expect a bid to the tournament this year when our season was all but over on Jan 1 last year. Just sit back, enjoy the ride, and support your team.