November 29, 1996

Ferris State Hands Irish Tough Loss

Big Rapids, Mich. (11/29/96) — Freshman center Brent Wishart one-touched a slapshot into the net with seven minutes remaining, lifting Ferris State to a 3-2 comeback victory over visiting Notre Dame in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action Friday at the Ewiglebgen Ice Arena.

Notre Dame (4-8-1), 3-6-1 CCHA) — which has lost four of its last five games by one goal — raced to a 2-0 lead but missed out on a chance to move into sole possession of fifth place in the league standings while losing to FSU for the second time this season. The Irish remain tied in points with Western Michigan (3-4-1), which was playing a non-conference game at Providence on Friday.

Ferris State (6-10-1, 3-8-0) moved past idle Bowling Green (2-7-1) into sole possession of seventh in the CCHA standings, just a point back of Notre Dame and WMU. The Irish and Bulldogs will wrap up their season series Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Ewigleben Ice Arena.

The defeat was the latest in a series of frustrating games in which the Irish have outshot the opposition yet failed to post a victory. Notre Dame lit the lamp just twice Friday, despite outshooting FSU by a margin of 39-24.

The Irish jumped ahead when sophomores Aniket Dhadphale and Brian Urick hooked up six minutes into the game. Dhadphale battled behind the net on the left side before emerging with the puck and sliding a centering pass between the circles for Urick, who one-timed a high shot past Ferris freshman goaltender Mike Szodzinski, giving Urick his fifth goal in the last four games.

Notre Dame went ahead 2-0 four mintues later, at the end of a rare 3-on-3 situation. Just as a fourth skater was releasing for each team, Notre Dame sophomore defenseman Benoit Cotnoir whistled his patented slapshot from the right point for his fourth goal of the season.

FSU tied the game with a pair of scores in the second period. Sophomore right wing Ed Kowalski converted on a powerplay at the 8:14 mark of the second period, taking a centering pass from behind the net by junior defenseman Brett Colborne and blasting a shot past Notre Dame sophomore goaltender Forrest Karr.

The Bulldogs netted the equalizer five minutes later, when freshman left wing Brian McCullough made the Irish pay for a turnover in their own zone, sending home a pass from sophomore right wing Geoff Bennetts to tie the game with 6:22 left in the priod.

Wishart scored the game-winner at the 13:04 mark of the third period after a pass from the right boards by senior left wing Brett Severson sailed untouched through the slot and banged off the left boards. Wishhart alertly latched onto the puck and fired a low shot from the left circle that ricocheted past Karr for the 3-2 FSU lead.

Notre Dame’s two first-period goals give the Irish five goals in the first period during the past four games, after the Irish had managed to score just twice in the first period of the first nine games of the season.

Game Summary

CCHA HOCKEY (11/29/96) at Ferris State's Ewigleben Ice ArenaNOTRE DAME        2    0    0    -    2FERRIS STATE      0    2    1    -    31st: ND 1 - Urick (Dhadphale, McCarthy) 5:51; ND 2 - Cotnoir (Fraser, Nelsen) 4-4, 9:49.2nd: FS 1 - Kowalski (Colborne, Roach) PP, 8:14; FS 2 - McCullough (Bennetts, Hunt) 13:38.3rd: FS 3 - Wishart (Sverson, Roach) 13:04.SHOTS ON GOAL: ND 12-11-16/39; FS 8-10-6/24.SAVES:          ND (Karr) 8-8-5/21; FS (Szkodinski) 8-x-x/8, (Blashill) 2-11-16/29.PENALTIES:     ND 0-for-2, FS 1-for-4.POWERPLAY:     ND 7-for-17; FS 5-for-10