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| (above) Ferris State players board the bus on campus yesterday on campus bound for Green Bay |
“After watching tape on DU, we realize we have to be careful with turnovers. They’re a team I think, full of predators. They have so much skill up front that any type of turnover, could be very dangerous. We’re going to turn pucks over, but we want to make sure we’re very careful where they occur.”From: WZZM Channel 13
- Ferris State Head Coach Bob Daniels
by Tom Clyde
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - The Ferris State hockey team's dream season continues in Wisconsin.
The Bulldogs left campus in Big Rapids at 1 PM Wednesday afternoon on about an eight hour bus ride to Green Bay for the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs' Friday evening game with the University of Denver marks just the second appearance ever in the NCAA Tournament for FSU. With two wins this weekend, the team would qualify for the Frozen Four in Tampa for the first time ever.
It's already been a special season for Ferris State. The program recorded its first-ever number one national ranking and won the CCHA regular season championship. "I really think this team has come together right from the start of the year," senior goaltender Taylor Nelson told WZZM Wednesday. "This team is a team. We don't have one superstar. We have a lot of great players on this team. I think that's something people will remember us by."
The Bulldogs don't have the NCAA Tournament pedigree of some of the more nationally successful programs like Michigan and Michigan State but they are eager to compete for college hockey's biggest prize. "When we go into this, rather than be nervous we're excited," says head coach Bob Daniels. "We're excited about the opportunity. We're going in there to win but we're certainly not nervous."
The Bulldogs are one of four Michigan schools represented in the sixteen team NCAA Tournament. Western Michigan, Michigan and Michigan State also all received bids.
13 comments:
They play in the CCHA, they should be used to long bus rides.
Remember RIT Friday.
That is the great thing about college hockey. Just look at Air Force and Ferris State. With great hustle and good coaching you can advance against more skilled teams.
That is the same reason we have a chance this weekend with all our injuries. If we get good games in goal, hustle, and take advantage of opportunities we will give ourselves a chance.
I think this is a chance for the Coach Gwoz and the players to make up from some of the recent early exits.
DU has already beaten NCAA tourney teams BC, North Dakota, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Union, and Air Force this year, so most of the basic elements are in place for a tourney run. With the injuries, DU will need to reach down deep to find that extra effort. If DU plays as well as they can, they have a good chance to emerge in Tampa. Other teams should be fearing us.
On the other hand, if DU plays flat or undisciplined, we'll be home golfing soon.
It's all up to them.
With nine players unable to practice this week on Tuesday, I think DU is in a world of hurt that we don't even really know about. While injuries are part of hockey, I have a feeling this team has been mostly robbed of its potency to be a Frozen Four team this year.
DU is a very good, ninth-ranked team this year. Can they be more than that? Perhaps. DU can beat any team in the country if they play as well as they can. But they can just as easily lose if they don't play well, as evidenced by the Alabama-Huntsville game.
The team played well in the second half to get into the tourney, but we all should have some have doubts about what might be left in the tank.
Goaltending has been very good, but not great - none of the three have really stolen a game for us.
The defense is so banged-up right now that they are talking about playing two forwards on the backline. That's can't be good.
And DU's scoring comes and goes. Some nights it's great, other nights, they can't finish.
Prediction? DU might squeeze by Ferris, but I don't see them beating Michigan.
This will be another year of "If only Bennett and Makowski were able to play...."
We get to fly private and Ferris takes an 8hr bus ride. DU is so awesome!!
From the injury updates a month or so ago, I thought there was a fairly good chance that Beau would return by the time the NCAA's rolled around. Either someone was being overly optomistic or his healing has been slower than first diagnosed.
Knowlton's injury has been kept quiet. It would be nice to have him back Friday.
If we play our game we can and do beat anybody. If we don't anybody can and does beat us. It's all on the team, the opponent doesn't make that much difference. A good example of playing our game would be that second game against North Da Goona a few weeks ago.
Tampa awaits!
I love how you refer to UND as North Da Goona, but DU averages more panalty minutes per game. Your analysis was so insightful. Let me guess..if we score more goals, we can and do beat anyone. Tech, Tech, UAH, Ferris State.
Listen we don't ask much of the ND trolls who insist on posting here. Either learn how to spell or at least learn how to use "spell check".
Its penalty no panalty.
....but no rebuttal to the point? Figures.
No sense arguing penalty minutes because it is apples and oranges and very situational. The fact that DU has had a ton of injuries and guys playing out of position accounts for some of the penalties. There are also 'good penalties' where the intention is not to hurt other player but is committed during the flow of the game. Then there is the chippy stuff -- how UND plays.
The reality is that UND is a dirty team but they win a lot. Accept it as part of the 'deal with the devil' you take when you root for those guys.
Robbie Bina disagrees.
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