Box Score
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - Western Michigan's hockey team fell to host Ferris State 4-0 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action at Ewigleben Arena tonight. The Broncos fall to 4-9-0 overall (2-7-0 CCHA) while FSU improves to 6-6-1 (5-4-0 CCHA).
“I thought we played pretty well through the second and the last 40 minutes. It's not the way we wanted to start it, but the adversity was in front of us. We battled through it and we're fighting the puck a little bit to score some goals,” head coach Jim Culhane said. “We had some chances, but we're just squeezing a little hard or whatever and it's not going in for us.”
Ferris State opened the scoring just 53 seconds into the first period when Matt Case's shot from the blueline found the back of the net. Justin Menke earned an assist on the play, holding the puck in on a clearing attempt and passing to Case. The Bulldogs had a chance to extend the lead to 2-0 at the seven-minute mark when Casey Haines stole the puck along the blueline and drove to the net, firing a shot that sophomore netminder Riley Gill turned aside and sophomore Trevor Ludwig subsequently cleared the puck from the crease to avert the threat.
Scott Wietecha pushed the Bulldogs' advantage to 2-0 with a shot from the blueline that beat Gill through the five hole at 17:55. Zach Redmond and Cody Chupp garnered the assists.
The Bulldogs extended their edge to 3-0 at 6:28 of the second when Mike Embach slid a pass to Adam Miller breaking up the left side. Miller was covered and unable to get a shot away before reaching the goal line, but passed to Evan Case on the far post, who tapped the puck into the empty net for his first goal of the year.
Evan Case netted his second goal of the night on the power play, deflecting an Aaron Lewicki shot from the point out in front to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead at 7:56 of the third.
Gill finished the game with 33 saves, while Ferris State's Mitch O'Keefe turned aside 29 shots to earn his second shut out of the season. Western Michigan was scoreless in three power-play opportunities while the Bulldogs converted one of eight chances.
WMU and Ferris State conclude the home-home series tomorrow night at Lawson Arena at 7:35 p.m.
