Michigan
15-5-2, 12-3-1CCHA
Ferris State
11-7-3, 10-5-2CCHA
Wolverines Drown in Big Rapids, Fall 4-0 to Bulldogs
1/15/1999 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Ferris State (11-7-3, 10-5-2 CCHA) set the tone for the game in the opening minutes as U-M's Josh Langfeld (Coon Rapids, Minn.) was checked into the opposition's bench on a solid hip check. The Bulldogs used the momentum they gained to force a power-play goal 13:11 into the period when Ferris State's Kenzie Homer caught a waist-high pass, set the puck down and fired it into the net past Josh Blackburn (Choctaw, Okla.).
Michigan (15-5-2, 12-3-1 CCHA) turned up the heat in the second period with 21 shots, including a pair of one-on-one chances by Geoff Koch (Exeter, N.H.) and Greg Crozier (Williamsville, N.Y.). However, Michigan's best chance in the game was stopped when Dale Rominski (Farmington Hills, Mich.) took the puck on a short-handed attempt and drove around the back of the net from the right to the left. In the process, he pulled Vince Owen out of the crease and left himself an empty net, but Rominski's shot landed in the netting on the short side. Blackburn also did his part in keeping the game close, stopping a short-handed one-on-one attempt by Ferris State halfway though the period.
Despite the 1-0 score entering the final period, Ferris's momentum took the game out of reach for the Wolverines after the Bulldogs scored a second power-play goal four minutes in. FSU added two more goals less than three minutes apart, at 13:46 and 16:24, to close the score at 4-0.
Althouth there was no scoring the game's final 16 minutes, there was plenty of action. Michigan's frustrations came to a boil with 1:36 left in the game when Andrew Merrick (Syosset, N.Y.) pushed into Owen and was subsequently mobbed by Ferris State players against the boards. In the ensuing melee, Crozier and FSU's Scott Lewis fought in one of the face-off circles as Owen and Jeff Jillson (North Smithfield, R.I.) dropped the gloves in the crease.
Merrick, Jillson and Crozier were all handed five-minute fighting penalties and game disqualifications, making them ineligible for the next game. Langfeld was issued a 10-minute misconduct. Following an incident with the referee, Mike Van Ryn (London, Ontario) was also sent to the locker room with a 10-minute misconduct, leaving Michigan with 11 of its 18 skaters on the bench for the remainder of the game.
In the loss, Blackburn made 27 saves to Owen's 28 saves. Blackburn's record now stands at 15-4-2 on the season.
Michigan returns to action Saturday (Jan. 16) at Yost Ice Arena, hosting the Western Michigan Broncos for their first meeting of the season. Game time is 7 p.m.
GAME SUMMARY
| Goals By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferris State | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
1st period
1, FSU, Kevin Swider 9 (Brent Wishart, Jim Dube) 13:11 (pp).
3rd period
2, FSU, Brian McCullough 7 (Jim Dube, Ed Kowalski) 04:07 (pp).
3, FSU, Casey Harris 3 (Jim Dube, J.P. Tessier) 13:46.
4, FSU, Kevin Swider 10 (Jason Hodel, Jason Basile) 16:24 (4x4).
Shots on goal: MICH 6-16-6-28; FSU 8-11-12-31.
Power plays: MICH 0 of 4; FSU 2 of 8.
Goalies: MICH, Josh Blackburn (31 shots-27 saves); FSU, Vince Owen (28-28).
Referee: Steve Piotrowski
Linesmen: Paul Tunison, Kevin Langseth
Attendance: 2,641
Time: NA
NOTES
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
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