November 30, 1996
Ferris State Vaults Past Notre Dame, 6-2, To Sweep Season Series
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- Junior goaltender Jeff Blashill came
up with 22 saves and Ferris State scored on four of its first
nine shots as the Bulldogs posted a 6-2 victory over visiting
Notre Dame in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action
Saturday at the Ewigleben Ice Arena.
The win vaults FSU (7-10-1, 4-8-0 CCHA) into fifth place in
the CCHA standings, after the Bulldogs had entered the week in a
three-way tie for last place in the 10-team league. Saturday's
result gives Ferris State its first three-game season sweep of
Notre Dame since the Irish rejoined the CCHA in 1992 (FSU won
5-1 at Notre Dame on Nov. 15 before posting a 3-2 comeback win
at home over the Irish on Friday).
Notre Dame (4-8-1, 3-6-1) suffered its fourth straight
loss while falling into a tie for sixth in the CCHA standings
with Western Michigan (3-4-1) and Bowling Green (3-7-1), which
posted a 10-4 win at home Saturday over Ohio State.
Ferris State scored twice in the first eight minutes of
the game and tallied twice more vs. sophomore goaltender Forrest
Karr for a 4-0 lead at the first intermission. Junior Matt
Eisler took over in the net for the Irish but the Bulldogs
stretched their lead to 6-0 midway through the second period
before Notre Dame cut into the deficit behind powerplay goals
from a pair of defensemen--senior Brian McCarthy and freshman
Tyson Fraser.
McCarthy netted his second goal of the season at the
10:56 mark, blasting home a slapshot from the left point.
Minutes later, the Irish converted a 5-on-3 opportunity after
sophomore left wing Aniket Dhadphale skated in from the right
and pushed the puck into the crease. Senior center Terry Lorenz
sent a point-blank shot on net that was saved by Blashill but
Fraser was on hand at the left side of the crease to score on a
low rebound shot.
Notre Dame had a chance to cut the lead to three goals
but could not convert on two other powerplay chances in the
second period. The Irish then had three more powerplay chances
in the final period but could not make up any more ground in
what was a sluggish offensive period (with the Irish attempting
five shots on goal while FSU had six.
In a game that featured a combined 31 penalties, Notre
Dame finished 2-for-11 on the powerplay while the hosts were
2-for-10. Just two of the game's eight goals were scored at full
strength for both teams.
The Bulldogs raced to a 4-0 lead after converting a
powerplay goal and shorthanded score in the opening eight
minutes before adding two even-strength goals in the final six
minutes of the first period.
FSU jumped ahead six minutes into the game when junior
defenseman Brett Colborne scored on the powerplay, off an assist
from sophomore right wing Ed Kowalski. Less than two minutes
later, freshman center Brent Wishart--who scored the
game-winning goal in FSU's 3-2 win over the Irish on Friday
night--converted a timely shorthanded goal, stealing the puck in
his defensive end and skating down the left side before
whistling a slapshot from the left point by Notre Dame sophomore
goaltender Forrest Karr.
FSU stretched to a 3-0 lead at the 13:16 mark of the
first period when sophomore right wing Joel Irwin tapped in a
shot at the right side of the crease after classmate Geoff
Bennetts sent a pass from behind the net to the left circle for
sophomore defenseman J.P. Tessier, who then one-touched a pass
across the crease for Irwin.
The hosts added to their lead in the closing moments of
the first period, when senior center Gordy Hunt converted on a
2-on-1 break, and the Bulldogs went on to a 6-0 lead after a
4--on-4 goal by sophomore right wing Jason Hodel (3:33) and a
powerplay score from Hunt (9:17).
NOTRE DAME 0 2 0 - 2
FERRIS STATE 4 2 0 - 6
SCORING
1st period - FS 1. Colborne (Kowalski) PP 6:10; FS 2. Wishart
(Bennetts, Muldoon) SH 7:50; FS 3. Irwin (Tessier, Bennetts)
13:16; FS 4. Hunt (McCullough, Kowalski) 18:46.
2nd period - FS 5. Hodel (Bennetts, Roach) 4-4, 3:33; FS 6. -
Hunt (Colborne, Steinmetz) PP 9:17; ND 1. McCarthy (Dhadphale,
Andrusiak) PP 10:56; ND 2. - Fraser (Lorenz, Dhadphale) 5-3 PP,
13:02. 3rd - No scoring.
Shots on goal: ND 8-11-5/24, FS 10-13-6/29.
Saves: ND (Karr) 6-x-x/6, ND (Eisler) x-11-6/17, FS (Blashill) 8-9-5/22.
Powerplay: ND 2-for-11, FS 2-for-10.
Penalties: ND 15 for 30:00, FS 16 for 32:00.
