The Ferris State Bulldogs split a two game series with the Northern Michigan Wildcats this past weekend.

Sophomore winger Cody Chupp, freshman center Justin Menke and sophomore winger Blair Riley started against the top line for the Wildcats as the first period opened up with a physical tone to it.

The Bulldogs were close to drawing first blood against the Wildcats early in the first period but after a nice pass through the neutral zone the puck bounced of the post.

Ferris managed to control the game early by playing keep away with the puck as the Wildcats were unable to record a shot in the first 10 minutes.

The Bulldogs received a power play opportunity halfway through the first but were unable to get a shot on net throughout the two minute advantage. The Bulldogs defense had to step up shortly after that, holding the Wildcats to one shot after freshman left wing Mike Embach took an elbowing penalty with a little under 10 minutes left in the period.

In the first 10 seconds of the second period, Chupp and Riley came down two on two with the puck on Chupp's stick as he raced down the right wing. Chupp crossed the blue line, deked around the defenseman and threw the puck at the net, where it bounced off the stick of Riley and into the open net, giving the Bulldogs the first goal of the game.

“We were fortunate to get one early,” Head Coach Bob Daniels said.

The goal also tied Riley with junior left wing Brendan Connolly for the most goals scored this season for the Bulldogs.

The Wildcats fired back less than a minute later as they were able to put the puck past junior goaltender Mitch O’Keefe and tie the game at one.

Then, senior center man Adam Miller recorded a beautiful goal as he sped down the left wing, broke through the Wildcat defense, wrapped around the goaltender and slid the puck into the open net putting the Bulldogs ahead by one.

“I saw the guy coming up the ice, I turned the corner, put on the wheels, caught the goalie with a fake shot and hammered it home,” Miller said.

A little later Chupp had a great opportunity in front of the Wildcats net but sophomore goaltender Brian Stewart was able to slide across the net and make the save.

A few minutes later the Bulldogs were given a power play opportunity as the Wildcats were called for an interference penalty.

Under a minute into the penalty, the Bulldogs scored as a pass came across the ice from Miller onto the stick of Connolly, who hammered it home, giving the Bulldogs a two goal lead.

The second period ended with a two goal cushion for the Bulldogs as they out shot the Wildcats 28 to 10.

An opportunity early in the third period almost produced another goal for the Bulldogs, but Stewart was able to scoop up the puck before the Bulldogs could knock it into the open net.

With a little under ten minutes left in the third period the Wildcats were able to slip one past O’Keefe to cut the Bulldogs lead to one as the puck bounced off O’Keefe and onto the stick of right winger Phil Fox, who shot it into the open net.

The rest of the game was a nail biter as the final minute showed the Wildcats prowling around the Bulldogs net looking for that tying goal as precious seconds ticked off the clock.

O’Keefe and the Bulldogs were able to hang on as the buzzer sounded and they recorded the first win of the series.

“Overall the guys played pretty well,” Daniels said. “Northern really played well in the third and I feel fortunate to come away with a win. I predicted before the game it would be a one goal game or a tie.”

The next night proved worse for the Bulldogs as they were defeated by the Wildcats by three goals.

Blair Riley opened up the scoring for the Bulldogs in the second period on a power play opportunity. Northern tied the game shortly after as they were able to shoot the puck behind O’Keefe. The Wildcats were able to put another one in the net before the second period was out, giving them a one goal lead heading into the third.

The third period proved fatal for the Bulldogs as the Wildcats were able to notch two more goals throughout the 20 minutes and take down the Bulldogs 4-1.

The Bulldogs play a home and home series next weekend against the Western Michigan Broncos, playing Friday night in Kalamazoo and Saturday in Big Rapids.

After the Lady Bulldogs recorded their first loss to the Northwood Timberwolves, 68-64, since Feb. 25, 1995, they took it out on the visiting Gannon Golden Knights, 76-61, on Thursday and came back from a first half deficit to defeat the visiting Mercyhurst Lakers.

The night before the Bulldogs took on the Golden Knights, the Bulldogs practiced without a scoreboard. According to Head Coach Tracey Dorrow, she wanted her team to play as hard as they could without focusing on the score.

The Bulldogs were down by as much as nine in the first half, but the Bulldogs continued to play hard.

With 3:36 left in the first half, junior guard Teghan Thelen rebounded the ball after the Golden Knight’s Tiffany Crocker missed her three point jumper, and hooked up with senior forward Sam Johns on a fast break.

The ball was slightly overthrown, causing Johns to throw the ball back inbound as she crashed into the band. Senior center Rachel Folcik was there to grab the save and she passed the ball to senior guard Katie Loosevelt, who was fouled on the shot. That sent her to the free throw line to bring the Bulldogs within five, 28-23.

“The Northwood game wasn’t fun for anybody, we came out like other games with a mindset for Grand Valley,” Johns said.

The Golden Knights would go up by seven after making a pair of free throws, but the Bulldogs clawed back, and Johns brought the Bulldogs within two, 30-28, with a three point jump shot from the corner with 1:03 left to play.

Sophomore center Andrea Clancy responded to the Golden Knights jumper with less than a second remaining in the half to send the Bulldogs into the locker room down by two, 32-30.

“We had a big spurt, and showed what we were capable of doing. The girls became aware of the run they [Gannon] wanted to run, but the big girls didn’t. We had to rebound first , and the confidence spark came,” Dorrow said.

The second half began with a Bulldog charge, as they grabbed the momentum and forced the Golden Knights to perform.

“We switched to a zone defense, and stalled their [Gannon] offense, they began settling for threes and couldn’t knock them down, and were not penetrating as much,” Dorow said about the biggest difference between the first and second halves.

The Bulldogs quickly gained control of the game and the players fought for every loose ball and rebound which set a tempo.

With 13:36 remaining in the game, junior guard Teghan Thelen recorded a three pointer to put the Bulldogs up by 10. The Golden Knights’ Allison Rothlisberger’s jumper brought them within four, 57-53, with 10:56 remaining.

The Bulldogs didn’t allow them to come any closer than eight points for the remainder of the half.

The Bulldogs were led by Johns with 15 points, and Folcik scored 12 points and recorded her 1,500th point in her career. Thelen and junior forward Jenna Guay both added 10 points apiece.

The Bulldogs continued their pursuit of first place in the GLIAC north division beating the visiting Lakers, 81-70 on Saturday.

The Lakers couldn’t stop Folcik as she posted 36 points in the Bulldog victory.

The Bulldogs went into half time down by five, 40-35, after being down by as much as nine in the first half. The Bulldogs chipped away at the Lakers but could never capture the lead after Folcik’s jumper in the paint, tying the score at 29 all with 4:40 left in the first half.

The Lakers quickly responded by forcing a turnover and regained the lead with a lay-up, and quickly went up by seven after the Lakers’ Samantha Loadman recorded a three point jumper.

Ferris’ freshman guard/forward Tiara Adams made a pair of free throws to cut the Lakers' lead to five going into halftime.

The Bulldogs had their usual box of halftime Wheaties and came out in the second half firing on all cylinders.

After Folcik made a pair of free throws, and a lay-up followed by Houdek’s fastbreak lay-up, the Bulldogs cut the Lakers’ lead to one, 42-41.

Folcik put the Bulldogs on top, 46-45, with 16:37 remaining for the first time all game with a layup. The Lakers quickly regrouped and took back the lead but the Bulldogs weren’t in a hurry to give it up.

After jockeying for the lead, the Bulldogs were able to reclaim the lead with 4:31 remaining in the game, and kept it as they rolled to their second win over the visitors this week.

The Bulldogs were also led by Johns’ 10 points, and junior forward/ center Ashley Fleming posted a career high and game best 14 rebounds, along with contributing six points.

The Bulldogs travel up to the U.P. to take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. The Wildcats have posted a 2-6 record in the GLIAC and 7-9 overall. Then to Michigan Tech to take on the Huskies on Saturday. The Huskies lead the GLIAC north with an 8-1 GLIAC record and 15-3 overall.

After losing two games early, the Ferris State men’s basketball team showed some inner resolve on the weekend and came from behind to post their lone win of the week. Ferris State ended a two game skid 63-58 victory over Mercyhurst College at Wink Arena on Saturday, Jan. 19.

The Lakers led the Bulldogs at halftime by 12 points but Ferris State rallied back and pulled away for the win.

“We came out flat in the first half with no emotion and no intensity,” said Ferris State Head Coach Bill Sall. “We challenged them at half time, started with the ball and came out doing things right and responded very well.”

The Lakers built up a 13 point lead late in the first half by shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 75 percent from the stripe. Ferris State shot 33.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from the free throw line.

Starting off strong in the second half, the Bulldogs closed the gap. Ferris State went on a 12-0 run to tie the game four minutes in. The Lakers came from behind to tie the game half way through the second half. Ferris closed out the game by building up an eight point lead and making their free throws. The Bulldogs shot 54.2 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line while scoring 26 points in the paint.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs were their freshmen; center Justin Keenan, forward Lou Williams, guard DeJuan Wright and guard Bryan Pasciak. Pasciak played 36 minutes along with four assists while controlling the offense. Keenan finished the game with 20 points, 14 rebounds, 34 minutes and 90 percent from the stripe.

Lou Williams and DeJuan Wright helped the Bulldogs out by throwing down a couple dunks. Williams scored 13 points, 5 rebounds and shot 66 percent from the field. Wright shot 80 percent from the field, scoring nine points and four rebounds. Senior forward C.J. Van Wieren snagged nine boards to help the Bulldogs dominate in the rebounding category 46-23.

Mercyhurst College was led by guards T.J Mathis and Brian McTear. The tandem scored 20 points a piece. Twenty-three of the Lakers 58 points came off of Ferris State turnovers.

Ferris State fell to Gannon University which is ranked 13th in the country 75-61 Thursday, Jan. 17. The Golden Knights built up a 16 point lead mid way through the first half. The Bulldogs went on a 27-14 run to close the gap down to a three point lead. The Golden Knights came out running in the second half building up a 17 point lead and not looking back.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs were Keenan, Pasciak and guard Darien Gay. Keenan put up 22 points, 10 rebounds, 100 percent from the stripe and 64 percent from the field. Pasciak played 30 minutes, scoring 12 points and four rebounds. Gay scored nine points, three assists and a bucket from behind the arc.

Northwood University knocked off Ferris State for the second time this season on Jan. 14, 77-62. The Bulldogs kept it close throughout the first half. The Timberwolves built up a four point lead heading into half time. Northwood came out in the second half building up a 17 point lead. The Timberwolves kept the pressure on throughout while keeping a double digit lead.

Ferris State’s next four conference games are on the road. The Bulldogs will not return home until Feb. 7, when they host Northern Michigan University at 8 p.m.

Intramural sports have always been a favorite past time for college students on campuses across the country. It’s an activity that everyone can relate to and everyone can play, regardless of skill.

Whether its Saturday afternoon softball or flag football under the Friday night lights, there’s never a shortage of students who sign up every semester to play.

Whether you’ve played before or you’re a first timer, there’s always a spot on the team for anyone who wants to sign up. Sometimes this can cause problems because there's always that one team that’s stacked with pros and decimate the competition. But all intramural sports need a team like that. It helps drive the others to be better, and if you beat that team, it makes victory that much sweeter.

It’s a place for former players to showcase their talents or for newbies to pick up a new hobby. There’s a place for everyone on the team. Whether you’re that all-star high school player who decided to go to college or that guy on the team who has no idea what he’s doing but loves to do it anyway. Everyone’s welcome in intramurals, that’s the point.

My favorite aspect of intramurals is that you actually have fun whether you win or lose. Since half the time, whatever team you’re on is absolutely terrible, you learn that losing isn’t all that bad. There is always laughing and joking around after the game whether you’ve won or lost. It’s a attitude that I wished I would have learned earlier in my life.

Growing up we were always told that winning doesn’t matter but we were driven to compete and to win. In intramurals it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, because you always head back to the bar anyway to celebrate a well played game.

At Ferris State, there’s always the prospect of winning that U-Rec Intramural Champion t-shirt. Anyone who’s played an intramural sport at this school knows what I’m talking about. No trophies or medals at Ferris State, but a bright yellow t-shirt that anyone would have a hard time pulling off in public. But yet teams sign up every semester in hopes of walking away with possibly the ugliest shirt in history.

Some teams take it more seriously than others. This past semester, a Flag Football team called Alpha High recently won the championship and received their yellow U-Rec t-shirt. The thing is, this team had been to the championship four times in a row but had been unable to put a check in their win column. So this year when they won, it meant a little more than a regular championship.

“It’s about time we won it,” junior defensive tackle Andrew Klumpp said. “I’ve only been on the team for two years but there’s guys who’ve been on it for all four years.”

It’s always great to win, but there’s a lot that goes into that competition. With every new team there are always new friends. People you may have never met or talked to, but you’re having a beer with them for the first time because you’re both playing on the same team.

There’s no better thing in intramural sports than when your team heads to the bar together to celebrate a win or loss while wearing your uniforms. It always feels good to be part of a team and that’s what the activity is about. Not whether you win, but how much fun you have doing it with your teammates.

So whatever sport you’re planning on playing in this semester, whether it is hockey, basketball or broom ball, enjoy yourself. Remember that it’s just a game. Don’t take it too seriously and always have fun.

Something happened yesterday that doesn’t happen too often. It happened, despite 81 percent of people thinking it wouldn’t happen, according to an espn.com poll. It happened, despite every football instinct within me telling me it wouldn’t happen. Yes, Brett Favre lost at home in sub-freezing temperatures.

But what surprised me the most is the complete role reversal of quarterbacks Favre and Eli Manning. Manning, who completed slightly more than half of his passes for no touchdowns or interceptions, put the Giants in place to open up the run game. Favre also went about 50 percent with two touchdowns and two picks, one of which led to the game-winning field goal by kicker Lawrence Tynes. This was the kind of mistake usually reserved for Manning in close games.

With the Packers’ seasons coming to such an abrupt halt, we can only wait as we sink into the usual routine of wondering whether or not this is going to be Favre’s final season. The debate will rage on and I’m willing to bet Favre will fuel the flames by not making a comment until the very last possible second. But I digress.

The Patriots remain unbeaten by trumping San Diego’s defense with a solid defensive performance, New England style. They held the Chargers to four field goals and no visits to the end zone.

The Chargers secondary was able to pick apart Brady just like they have every other quarterback this year. But when Brady ‘struggled’ (I put it in quotes because it was much of a struggle), Laurence Maroney stepped in and opened up the rushing game, which apparently the Patriots have in their arsenal as well.

Both winning teams looked stellar this weekend, but looks look forward to Feb. 3.

New York Giants/New England Patriots at Glendale, Az.
I found an interesting stat on espn.com pertaining to this rematch. This is the 12th time that two teams that met in the regular season squared off in the Super Bowl. The team that won the regular season meeting has gone 5-6 in the rematch. Not very indicative of this year’s winner, but overall interesting.

I hate to reference destiny when making picks (especially when its about the Patriots because they were caught cheating), but its hard not to when a team is 17-0 going into the final game. It’s even harder when Tom Brady fails to break even the smallest sweat even in pressure cooker situations.

Enter: a peaking Giants team.

Manning is playing the best football of his life and with players like Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Burress behind him, they have a chance to make this game close. But what will really be the difference maker is the Giants defensive line with Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyora. If they can get to Brady, he might lose some of that lacking sweat on his brow. The game IS in Arizona.

Even so, I’m taking the easy way out with my final pick of the year.

My Pick: New England 31, New York 17

Editor’s note: espn.com was used as a reference.

The Detroit Red Wings lost some big names from last season’s semifinal playoff run. Those departures have not stopped the Motor City express; however, as three key new faces are helping keep the Red Wings ahead of last year’s championship pace.

Detroit defeated the Calgary Flames four games to two in the first round of the playoffs. In the second round, the Red Wings overcame the hype of the San Jose Sharks and defeated them four games to two also.

The Wings ran into goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere and the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference semifinals. The Ducks defeated Detroit four games to two and moved on to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Four high producing scorers from the 2006/2007 season left the Wings before entering the current season. Robert Lang signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. Lang is second in points for the Blackhawks with 16 goals, 20 assists and five power play goals.

Kyle Calder was picked up from Chicago last season to help the Wings make their playoff run. This season, a center for the Los Angeles Kings, Calder has six goals, eight assist and three power play goals.

Detroit signed Mathieu Schneider, from the Kings, four seasons ago. Schneider helped the Wings to four divisional championships and two President’s Trophies.

Leaving Detroit for free agency, the Anaheim Ducks picked up Schneider to fill a defensive spot. “We would love to have him back, but I expect him to hit the market and I don’t blame him,” Detroit’s GM Ken Holland told the Canadian Press.

“He’s 38 years old, so he doesn’t have a lot of chances to really take advantage of free agency.”

This season, Schneider has helped out with five goals, 15 assists and three power play goals. Todd Bertuzzi also signed with the Anaheim Ducks over the off season. Bertuzzi is fifth on the team in points with nine goals, 15 assists and three power play goals.

The Detroit Red Wings entered the 2007/2008 NHL season with a bull’s-eye on their back. The Wings signed defenseman Brian Rafalski, winger Dallas Drake and winger Aaron Downey to fill their roster.

Heading into the All Star break, the Red Wings are already ahead of last year's team. At the break, Detroit is leading the way for the President’s Trophy with 72 points, eight points ahead of Ottawa and 14 points ahead of Western Conference rival Anaheim.

With 34 wins, 10 losses and 4 overtime losses, the Red Wings are atop the leader board in many categories. The Wings are first with 102 goals, third with 47 power play goals, third with 21.86 power play percentage and sixth with 85.05 penalty killing percentage.

Without the four players that left before the season, Detroit has made significant changes in their lines to accommodate. In doing so, Detroit is sending four players to the All Star game this season in Atlanta, Ga. Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Nicklas Lidstrom are starting for the Western Conference and Chris Osgood was selected as a goaltender reserve.

Osgood and Dominik Hasek have stepped up for Detroit this season while running their two goalie system. Osgood is eight overall with 19 wins, fifth overall with a .922 save percentage, first overall with 1.95 goals against average and 1,448 minutes played.

Hasek returned to Detroit mid way through the first half of the season after an irritated hip injury. Dom is 21st overall with 15 wins, seventh overall with 2.13 goals against average, ninth overall with three shutouts and 1,466 minutes played.

With a year of leading the Red Wings under his belt, Captain Nicklas Lidstrom is leading the NHL with plus 34 goal differentials. Detroit’s scoring tandem of Zetterberg and Datsyuk are also atop the NHL leader boards. Brian Rafalski, signed from New Jersey, is third on the team with power play goals while manning the point with Lidstrom.

At the break, Zetterberg is leading the Red Wings with 27 goals, 31 assists and 11 power play goals. Zetterberg, sixth in NHL points, Henrik has also had a 17 game scoring streak snapped and a 27 game home scoring streak snapped this season.

His line mate Pavel Datsyuk, tenth in NHL points is second overall for the Wings. Datsyuk’s finesse has helped him pile up 17 goals, 38 assists and five power play goals. Datsyuk had a five game goal streak and a nine game scoring streak snapped earlier this season.

Lidstrom and Rafalski are third and fourth in points for the Wings and both have played in all 48 games. Lidstrom is currently leading all NHL defensemen in points with his four goals, 37 assists and one power play goal. Rafalski has contributed with eight goals, six coming off the power play and 30 assists.

Detroit will be represented on the Western Conference team in the NHL All Star game on Sunday, Jan. 27. The Red Wings will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 30 after the All Star break to host the Phoenix Coyotes. My information came from nhl.com and the Red Wings' official site, detroitredwings.com.

With the Super Bowl a couple weeks away, NHL and NBA in full swing and the MLB trying to recover from a steroid debacle, I’ve put together some creative pep talks for those that are a little down after a disappointing loss.

Peyton Manning
Well at least critics can’t say you choked under pressure. If you think about it, your defense allowed season high points, yards, and couldn’t keep the Chargers out of the end zone. Sure, the head coach you’ve bonded with might be leaving, but you call your own game.

You could be coached by Eli’s gerbil and still be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, well besides Tom Brady.

Alex Rodriguez
Congratulations, you went from being hated by all of New York, to being one of the prized Bronx Bombers, then you left, and now you’re back, that shows real grit, or stupidity.

You had a great season, with a disappointing ending. Sure, you struggled but you showed that no crazy New Yorker is going to run you out, good for you. Now get out there and don’t make a fool of yourself.

Tony Romo
All right, you struggled in the playoffs, again. I hope gallivanting in Mexico with Jessica Simpson the week leading into playoffs was worth it.

Sure the state of Texas is bummed but it’s not like the entire state is armed and out hunting you, because you cost Dallas another playoff game? Well it is Texas…

Andrew Miller
You’re pulled up from the minors and quickly turn into Detroit’s favorite pitcher. Sure, you had a couple rough innings, you’re young, you’re talented, and when you give up five runs in an inning you can only get better.

Keep your head up champ, get more pitches in your arsenal and perfect what you have. No worries kid, you’ll get your ERA down and be a star, if you’re not rocked by alleged steroid users.

Marion Jones
You’re the best female track star in the world, sure you had to give back your medals, but it’s not like you really earned them. Five medals in the 2000 summer Olympic games, incredible.

Granted you were using performance enhancers and were called out in court and are now in jail, but at least you have the speed to out run anyone that pulls a shiv, or something.

John Beilein
No worries about Michigan basketball having the worst start in a couple decades, and the fact you can’t keep players and are looking for tight ends to fill in the missing spots.

Don’t worry about the NCAA tournament, since your team will have to win out to get there, focus on the NIT, after all NIT champs are just as respected as the NCAA champs. Who won the NIT last year?

Note to the reader; before you get upset about me making fun of different athletes and coaches, this was done in fun, and not to be taken seriously.

You made a New Year resolution to lose weight, look good, and fit in those jeans! Excellent! Before you decide to become active, change eating habits, and commit to losing weight I’m required to tell you to talk to your doctor to make sure you don’t get sick in the process.

My old gym teacher, who turned into my personal trainer in high school, was very clear: it is not a diet, it’s a life plan. Diets don’t work because they require you to cut out something your body needs to survive.

While you don’t have to go to extremes to eat healthy, like cutting out soda, candy, and other high sugar and high fat foods, because when you finally give into the craving, you binge and then feel sick.

It’s limiting what you take in, instead of having a large burger and fry from a fast food place, order the children’s meal. Same food, same taste, smaller size, less calories. Amazing, I know, and you also get a new toy.

When you’re hungry, eat. Don’t starve yourself, you’re not Paris Hilton, normal people need food. Instead of grabbing a candy bar or having a fourth meal to satisfy your hunger, have an apple, yogurt or carrots. Healthy foods that satisfy your hunger and you feel better.

Get active, you don’t have to join a gym and lift weights, and run a million miles and feel exhausted by Friday, but take the stairs, walk to class instead of driving. Yes, I know it’s cold, but cold air builds up the thick skin layers in your nose and keep you from getting sick.

If you want to join a gym or become a regular at the URec, excellent. Do what you’re comfortable with and listen to your body. Take it easy because a torn or sore muscle group isn’t any fun.

If you feel self conscious about going to the gym, don’t worry. Everyone is more concerned on what they have to do then what someone else is doing.

You can also bring a friend to workout with. I know I’m more apt to work out if I’m meeting a friend there than if I’m going alone.

It takes about 40 days for actions to become habits, you go to the gym at 3 p.m. for 40 days, by the 41st day, you won’t think anything of it.

If you want to add one of those “magical weight loss pills” that allow you to lose weight in a week, go ahead, but talk to a doctor so you don’t die from some reaction the container didn’t tell you about.

Like I said before, these are just some ideas on how to lose weight. Talk to a doctor and good luck with your New Year's resolution.