Re: Ferris State Hockey '10-11-Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the penalty box
Re: Ferris State Hockey '10-11-Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the penalty box
BR Pioneer's season preview...
COLLEGE HOCKEY: Bulldogs abuzz
By Zeke Jennings
Pioneer Sports Editor
Published: Tuesday, October 5, 2010 11:10 PM EDT
BIG RAPIDS — What can the Ferris State hockey team do to top what was the program’s best season in better than half a decade?
“We had a great season last year, but last year is last year. It ended with a bitter taste and we want to come back and do the same thing and extra,” Ferris State junior goaltender Taylor Nelson said. “Our goal is to get back to the Joe and win at the Joe and move on to the NCAA Tournament.”
The “bitter taste” Nelson spoke of is Ferris State losing in both the Central Collegiate Hockey Association tournament semifinals and consolation game at Joe Louis Arena and failing to make the NCAA Tournament after going 21-13-6.
Twenty-plus wins and a third-place CCHA finish has a buzz around a program that suffered some key losses to graduation but returns many of the players who made up last year’s team, including both goaltenders — Nelson and Pat Nagle — and seven of the team’s eight defensemen, led by All-American candidate Zach Redmond.
Season ticket sales are up over 30 percent, including 55 percent among students, and the Bulldogs drew nearly 1,300 fans for an exhibition game against the Ontario Institute Technology over the weekend.
Add in the fact that Ferris State will host Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Western Michigan two times apiece, and it makes for a good recipe for excitement in Big Rapids.
Ferris State coach Bob Daniels, now in his 19th season, said that’s evident around the campus and around town, but no where is it more evident than within his locker room.
“I think we’ve got some excitement and a buzz. I think that’s justifiable in coming off the season we had last year and the really, really positive schedule we have this year,” he said. “but there is a lot excitement beyond the community and the campus. There is a lot of excitement on this team to finally get the season going.”
So what can we expect from the 2010-11 Bulldogs?
On paper, the back end looks to be stout with so much experience back from successful defensive and goaltending units.
The pre-eminent question is: Who’s going to score the goals?
Ironically, that was the same question the Bulldogs faced at this time last year. They responded with breakout seasons from the all-senior line of Cody Chupp, Casey Haines and Blair Riley, which combined for 42 of the team’s 118 goals.
That trio is gone, as is Aaron Lewicki, who added nine goals, which tied for fourth on the team with Mike Embach, now a senior, and Matt Kirzinger, who is now a sophomore.
The Bulldogs feel they have the same kind of breakout ability as last year, it’s going to be a matter of getting it done.
FORWARDS
Daniels feels he has perhaps the deepest group of forwards in terms of ability and talent in the CCHA. He questions whether or not he has a top-tier frontline, like the one Chupp, Haines and Riley comprised last year.
“I think we have quality depth at forward,” Daniels said. “I don’t know that we have a CCHA first line at this moment — we need to find one. To win, you have to have a top-notch first line.
“I don’t know there is a team in our league with better depth in lines one through five.”
The most likely candidates to take the next step offensively are seniors, Justin Menke (eight goals, 10 assists), a key three-year contributor, Embach and sophomores Kirzinger and Travis Ouellette (seven goals).
Some under-the-radar candidates to provide more scoring could be senior Todd Pococke (five goals, seven assists), whom Daniels praised for his versatility, and freshmen Cory Kane and Garrett Thompson.
Daniels was complimentary of his freshmen forwards, which includes Justin DeMartino and Andy Huff, but feels Kane and Thompson are the furthest along in terms of being ready to contribute.
“All four, including DeMartino and Andy Huff, I like their size and all four have the ability to score goals,” Daniels said. “They could potentially be like having four Blair Rileys. If we do the right job developing and they listen and work hard, we have a lot of opportunity for some pretty good forwards.”
Daniels likes the potential of hard-hitting sophomore Eric Alexander and skilled skater Jordie Johnston, a junior, but said both have work to do to become key contributors.
On Johnston: “He’s got to embrace understanding the system completely in order to be the player we all hope him to be. What’s lacking in his game right now is that he wants to freelance too much,” Daniels said.
On Alexander: “Like Johnston, he’s got the skill level, but he needs to work on learning the system and he’s got work to do in terms of conditioning.”
Seniors Nate Hennig and speedy Mike Fillinger provide experience, while sophomore Kyle Bonis will look to make an increased contribution.
The role of Derek Graham, a junior, is currently up in the air. Daniels said Graham is currently playing at the blue line as an experiment.
DEFENSE
The only loss is a big one — Matt Case, who was perhaps the Bulldogs’ best two-way player at the blue line.
Other than that, the defense returns intact, led by Redmond, who assumes the role of team captain this season. The senior says he feels there is an increased sense of knowing what’s necessary to win after last year.
“I would say there is a bit of a difference in the locker room because most of the guys here made it down to the Joe last year and that was the first time for all of us,” he said. “I think we all realized last year what it took and I think we’re all ready to step right back in and do that again.”
Redmond’s classmate and former defensive partner Scott Wietecha is back for his senior season after missing significant parts of the past two seasons with injuries.
Brett Wysopal (jr.) and Chad Billins (jr.) were among the team’s top-six defensemen last year and figure to play key roles once again.
Daniels spoke highly of freshman defenseman Scott Czarnowczan, who is the only newcomer at the blue line.
“I think Scott Czarnowczan could be a top-four defenseman,” Daniels said. “Anytime you can look at somebody and say ‘He could be in our top-five D for four years,’ that’s getting a lot of mileage. I’m very excited about what he brings.”
Third-year players Tommy Hill, Michael Trebish and Aaron Schmit, along with possibly Graham, will be fighting for playing time at the blue line.
With so much experience back on defense and a lack of proven scoring threats at forward, Daniels is concerned that the defensemen will worry too much about creating offense instead of just doing their jobs.
“My worry right now is that with the one (exhibition) game, the defensemen could get to the point where they think they have to overhelp on offense and leave us susceptible,” Daniels said. “I think if our defense can just do their role, help create some offense but do it by doing their job and getting the puck up ice to the forwards, I’m very confident that we’re going to score the goals.”
GOALTENDING
The Bulldogs have the luxury of having two talented and experienced goaltenders in Nagle and Nelson.
Nagle ranked among the top 10 in the country in both save percentage (.923) and goals-against average (2.13), while Nelson ranked in the top 25 in each of those categories.
If forced to pick, Daniels said he would take solid defense and goaltending over proven scoring.
“With our defense and goaltending, it should keep us in a lot of games,” he said.
Rob Granett has joined the team as a walk-on and replaces Jordan Barber as the team’s third-string goaltender.
SCHEDULE
Ferris State is in a scheduling cluster with Alaska, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State, which means the Bulldogs will play each of those teams four times, including two apiece home and away.
Seven of Ferris State’s first 10 games and nine of the first 14 are at home.
A non-conference highlight will be Minnesota’s Dodge Holiday Classic tournament, where the Bulldogs will face Bemidji State on New Year’s Eve and then host Minnesota, both of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, on New Year’s Day.
Ferris State opens at Alabama-Huntsville, the lone Division I hockey team without a conference, for games Thursday and Friday. The Bulldogs will later host UAH for a two-game series in Big Rapids in February.
-- Ferris State was ranked 24th in the first U.S. College Hockey Online poll. Other CCHA teams that received votes were Miami (third), Michigan (fifth), Alaska (12th), Michigan State (16th), Notre Dame (17th), Northern Michigan (23rd) and Ohio State (31st).
Defending national champion Boston College was the overwhelming preseason choice for No. 1.
-- The university has eliminated 5:05 p.m. starts for Saturday games after scheduling exclusively 5:05 starts on Saturdays last year, with the exception of games moved for television broadcasts. The athletic department had experimented with some earlier start times in previous seasons.
Currently all home games are scheduled for 7:05 p.m., with the exception of Jan. 27 vs. Michigan State, which will be televised by Fox Sports Detroit.
