November 30, 1996

Ferris State Vaults Past Notre Dame, 6-2, To Sweep Season Series

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Junior goaltender Jeff Blashill cameup with 22 saves and Ferris State scored on four of its firstnine shots as the Bulldogs posted a 6-2 victory over visitingNotre Dame in Central Collegiate Hockey Association actionSaturday at the Ewigleben Ice Arena.

The win vaults FSU (7-10-1, 4-8-0 CCHA) into fifth place inthe CCHA standings, after the Bulldogs had entered the week in athree-way tie for last place in the 10-team league. Saturday’sresult gives Ferris State its first three-game season sweep ofNotre Dame since the Irish rejoined the CCHA in 1992 (FSU won5-1 at Notre Dame on Nov. 15 before posting a 3-2 comeback winat home over the Irish on Friday).

Notre Dame (4-8-1, 3-6-1) suffered its fourth straightloss while falling into a tie for sixth in the CCHA standingswith Western Michigan (3-4-1) and Bowling Green (3-7-1), whichposted a 10-4 win at home Saturday over Ohio State.

Ferris State scored twice in the first eight minutes ofthe game and tallied twice more vs. sophomore goaltender ForrestKarr for a 4-0 lead at the first intermission. Junior MattEisler took over in the net for the Irish but the Bulldogsstretched their lead to 6-0 midway through the second periodbefore Notre Dame cut into the deficit behind powerplay goalsfrom a pair of defensemen–senior Brian McCarthy and freshmanTyson Fraser.

McCarthy netted his second goal of the season at the10:56 mark, blasting home a slapshot from the left point.Minutes later, the Irish converted a 5-on-3 opportunity aftersophomore left wing Aniket Dhadphale skated in from the rightand pushed the puck into the crease. Senior center Terry Lorenzsent a point-blank shot on net that was saved by Blashill butFraser was on hand at the left side of the crease to score on alow rebound shot.

Notre Dame had a chance to cut the lead to three goalsbut could not convert on two other powerplay chances in thesecond period. The Irish then had three more powerplay chancesin the final period but could not make up any more ground inwhat was a sluggish offensive period (with the Irish attemptingfive shots on goal while FSU had six.

In a game that featured a combined 31 penalties, NotreDame finished 2-for-11 on the powerplay while the hosts were2-for-10. Just two of the game’s eight goals were scored at fullstrength for both teams.

The Bulldogs raced to a 4-0 lead after converting apowerplay goal and shorthanded score in the opening eightminutes before adding two even-strength goals in the final sixminutes of the first period.

FSU jumped ahead six minutes into the game when juniordefenseman Brett Colborne scored on the powerplay, off an assistfrom sophomore right wing Ed Kowalski. Less than two minuteslater, freshman center Brent Wishart–who scored thegame-winning goal in FSU’s 3-2 win over the Irish on Fridaynight–converted a timely shorthanded goal, stealing the puck inhis defensive end and skating down the left side beforewhistling a slapshot from the left point by Notre Dame sophomoregoaltender Forrest Karr.

FSU stretched to a 3-0 lead at the 13:16 mark of thefirst period when sophomore right wing Joel Irwin tapped in ashot at the right side of the crease after classmate GeoffBennetts sent a pass from behind the net to the left circle forsophomore defenseman J.P. Tessier, who then one-touched a passacross the crease for Irwin.

The hosts added to their lead in the closing moments ofthe first period, when senior center Gordy Hunt converted on a2-on-1 break, and the Bulldogs went on to a 6-0 lead after a4–on-4 goal by sophomore right wing Jason Hodel (3:33) and apowerplay score from Hunt (9:17).

NOTRE DAME      0   2   0   -   2FERRIS STATE    4   2   0   -   6SCORING1st 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.