PREVIEW: Bulldog Hockey Squares Off With Alaska In WCHA Home Action This Weekend

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team resumes Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) action in Big Rapids this weekend as the Bulldogs host the Alaska Nanooks.

The Bulldogs and Nanooks will square off this weekend with puck drop set for 7:07 p.m. (ET) both nights in the nation's #5 college hockey city.

Fans can purchase advance tickets for all Bulldog home hockey games to guarantee a seat and save over the normal gameday rates by visiting the FSU Athletics Ticket Office located inside the Ewigleben Sports Complex. Bulldog fans can also purchase all regular-priced tickets in advance 24 hours a day, seven days a week online at StarTickets.com or by calling 1-800-585-3737.

Both games will be aired live on Sunny 97.3 FM and the Bulldog Sports Network along with live video coverage at WCHA.TV. 

Bulldogs Bounce Seawolves in Shootout, Following 2-2 Deadlock
A total of 65 minutes of hockey wasn't enough to decide the Ferris State University men's ice hockey squad's deadlock against the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on Saturday (Jan. 7) as the two teams battled to a 2-2 overtime tie before the Bulldogs won the shootout to gain two points in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) standings. Ferris State freshman defenseman Cameron Clarke scored his first collegiate goal to open the scoring for Ferris State. Sophomore forward Corey Mackin also found the net, for his 8th of the year. 

Killins Nets First Goal of Campaign, but Bulldogs Fall to UAA
The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team fell by a final score of 4-1 to the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage on Friday (Jan. 7) night as the two squads opened a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) weekend series. Sophomore forward Ryker Killins netted Ferris State's lone goal, his first of the season in the game. Freshman forward Jason Tackett was behind the net to UAA goaltender Olivier Mantha's right, and fed it across the cage to the front of the net where a driving Killins wired it over Mantha's glove hand. The goal was the third of Killins' career, as the Wawa, Ont. native returned to defense for the second time of the calendar year, after spending much of the season at forward for Ferris State.

McDonald is Lovin' It vs. UAF
Senior forward and alternate captain Chad McDonald found the notes last week as a player who had great success in his career vs. the other Alaska School (UAA) but has had nearly as much against UAF. As a junior, McDonald posted a three point weekend with a goal and two assists in a weekend sweep of the Nanooks in Fairbanks last February. McDonald has four points in his last three games vs. the Nanooks, as he scored as well in a 3-3 tie on Nov. 21, 2015 in Big Rapids. McDonald also had a three point weekend against Alaska Fairbanks as a freshman in Nov. 2013, posting a goal and two assists in that weekend sweep of the Nanooks at the Ewigleben Ice Arena as well. McDonald has 15 career points vs. Alaska schools in his collegiate career, accounting for 20.8 percent of his career scoring in a Bulldog uniform.

Bulldogs Stay Perfect in Shootouts in Conference Play
Though Ferris State has only two ties in conference play, their shootout skills have remained sharp. The Bulldogs have yet to see an overtime game in 2016-17 end in the five-on-five or three-on-three sessions, and have gone to a shootout following all of their ties this year. Ferris State has taken three shots in WCHA shootouts this season and has scored on all three. Back in late October, redshirt freshman forward Craig Pefley scored to top Northern Michigan in the skills contest. Ferris State's Jan. 7 contest with Alaska Anchorage when to a second round of shots, as senior forward Gerald Mayhew scored on the first. Freshman forward Jason Tackett ended the shootout in the second round, giving Ferris State a 2-0 record in shootouts in the WCHA, and a 3-3 goals to shootout attempts ratio this season in the WCHA. This means that of Ferris State's two shootout wins, both were won by freshmen skaters by the Bulldogs.

Clarke Nets No. 1, Szajner Finds the Score Sheet
No freshman on Ferris State's roster has taken more shots than Cameron Clarke, yet he dressed as the only freshman skater without a goal headed into Saturday's contest at UAA. Clarke, the 136th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft (BOS), finally jumped into the goal column, swatting a rebound past UAA goaltender Olivier Mantha for his first collegiate goal. Junior forward Zack Szajner earned an assist on the goal as the final skater on Ferris State's roster to register a point this season. Every Bulldog skater on the active roster has at least one point, and only four are without a single goal. Now, sophomore goaltender Darren Smith remains the only player on Ferris State's active roster without a point, as freshman goaltender Justin Kapelmaster earned two assists in a weekend series back during the first half of the season against Lake Superior State.

Kapelmaster Strong Over Last Two Starts
Highlighted by his 58 save work of art vs. then No. 6 Boston College, Kapelmaster earned his first start of 2017 and dipped his goals against average to 1.99 on the season. Kapelmaster has a .963 save percentage since his outing vs. BC, and has played 130 minutes of hockey officially, with a five minute three-on-three sessions and two shootouts as well.