College Hockey Update:  In today’s early game in St. Paul, MN., Ferris State scored early in the first period, kept up a steady offensive charge, and delivered a tenacious and sticky defense that stymied St. Cloud for most of the game.

Mitch Maloney made it 1-0 for Ferris State only three minutes into the first period, but it looked as though there was no cause for concern for the #2 Huskies, when they responded only fifteen seconds later when Jacob Benson scored for St. Cloud State to tie it at one apiece.  As the period came to a close, Jared Van Wormer found the net with only twenty-five seconds remaining, to give Ferris State the surprising 2-1 lead at the end of the first.  St. Cloud had a 10-9 shot advantage in the first.

In the second, it was more of the Ferris State game plan, gumming up the works in the neutral zone for St. Cloud State, and frustrating them from getting any offensive charges down the ice. Kenny Babinski scored for Ferris State only a minute into the second frame, and again St. Cloud had a timely response when Mikey Eyssimont scored on a power play to keep the margin at one goal, with the score 3-2.  But with about eight minutes left in the period, Gerald Mayhew scored for Ferris State, and the Bulldogs frustrated the Huskies for the remainder of the second and took a surprising 4-2 lead into the locker room at the break.  St. Cloud State had a 13-9 shot advantage in the second.  Ferris State was very efficient in each of the two opening periods, getting two goals on only nine shots in each frame.

In the third St. Cloud State knew it was time to rise and shine, and they did.  Their pace was quicker, and their game was much sharper.  Mikey Eyssimont again scored on a power play about five minutes into the period to make it a close contest at 4-3.  And then with about nine minutes left, Joey Benik scored to tie it up at four apiece.  The last nine minutes were frenetic as each team fought for control, and Ferris State woke up to the alarm and was able to gain control of large stretches of the game but could not convert, and regulation ended in a 4-4 tie.

In the OT period it was a pure lightning strike as Jared Van Wormer scored again, only eighteen seconds into the period, to give Ferris State the unlikely 5-4 OT win over #2 ranked St. Cloud State.  This game result is a major upset in our pool as only three entries out of 48 picked Ferris State to win this game.  Ferris State advanced to play the winner of today’s late game between Boston University and the University of Denver, tomorrow in St. Paul at 2:00pm Pacific Time on ESPNU.

Quinnipiac Blanks Rochester Institute of Technology

In the first game in Albany, NY, spectators and fans were treated to a game that saw plenty of action from both teams; Quinnipiac was able to bend but not break, and behind the steady goaltending of Michael Garteig, they dominated the scoreboard and took home a shutout win. The Bobcats scored on a Travis St. Denis power play goal with five minutes remaining in the first period, and took the 1-0 lead into the locker room at the break.  RIT mounted good offensive pressure of their own, and they were only outshot 10-9 in the first.

The second period could not have been any more even as the teams held each other in check for a scoreless period and were even in shots at nine apiece.  But the third belonged to Quinnipiac.  Scott Davidson scored two minutes into the period to give the Bobcats the lead at 2-0, and then with about eight minutes remaining, Steve Jonzzon scored to extend the lead to 3-0.  The teams again were pretty even in shots, with Quinnipiac holding a 9-8 advantage in the third.  RIT added an extra attacker with about three minutes left, but Steve Jonzzon very quickly found the empty net, about ten seconds later, to make it 4-0, which was the final score. This game was not an upset in our pool as none of the 48 entries had picked RIT to win.

Quinnipiac advanced to play the winner of the late game between Mass-Lowell and Yale, on Sunday in Albany at 4:30pm on ESPNU.