Ferris State Bulldogs proved they are a top contender in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association after completing a series sweep this past weekend over nationally second-ranked Miami (Ohio) Redhawks.

The Bulldogs were able to notch six goals Friday night as they skated away with a 6-5 victory.

“We’ve proven we can beat anyone in the country,” head coach Bob Daniels said. “But I’ve always said that there’s no team in the country that couldn’t beat us. I’m really proud of our guys. Tonight we were full measured defensively and Pat Nagle was great in the net.”

The first period showcased three goals for the Bulldogs as sophomore right wing Cody Chupp and sophomore left winger Blair Riley both scored for their team.

Sophomore center Aaron Lewicki added a short-handed goal to the Bulldogs tally after junior Matt Frank took an elbowing penalty.

The Redhawks opted to pull starting goalie Charlie Effinger for junior Jeff Zatkoff halfway through the first period. The Bulldogs defense was able to hold the Redhawks, who are ranked first in the nation in both offensive and defensive scoring, to a scoreless first period as junior goaltender Mitch O’Keefe was able to stop all eleven shots.

The Redhawks came out firing the second period as they were able to record two goals inside five minutes of each other to pull back within one.

The Bulldogs were able to take advantage of a powerplay opportunity a few minutes later as Chupp was able to put one in the net and extend the Bulldogs lead.

Less than two minutes later, junior rightwing Justin Lewandowski was able to give the Bulldogs another three goal cushion as he notched a powerplay goal of his own.

The Redhawks were able to pull back within two however as senior centerman Ryan Jones recorded his second goal of the night.

Junior left wing Justin Mercier scored again for the Redhawks in the third to close the gap and bring his team within one.

But with less than six minutes left in the game the Bulldogs were given a 5-3 powerplay and senior centerman Adam Miller took full advantage. He scored his sixth goal of the season off of a rebound in front of the Miami net.

Jones would score again with a few seconds left in the game, completing his hat trick, but the goal came too late as the clock ran out with the Bulldogs ahead by one.

The Bulldogs were able to outshoot the Redhawks 41-34 in the game as O’Keefe recorded his 28th win of his career stopping 29 shots and moving into ninth place among Ferris' career victories leaders.

The game breaks a six-game series losing streak for the Bulldogs against the Redhawks.

“Sometimes with big losses, new leadership emerges,” Daniels said. “In this case, these guys stepped up and elevated their play.”

Ferris State took the ice the next night and proved the first game wasn’t a fluke as they defeated the Redhawks 3-1 to complete the sweep.

Freshman defenseman Scott Wietecha was the hero of the game as he scored with under four minutes left to play in the third to break a one-one tie and boost the Bulldogs over the Redhawks.

Junior right wing Justin Lewandowski picked up the puck in the offensive zone and turned around the side of the net and then slid the puck back to Wietecha who launched it 60 feet from the blueline past Zatkoff.

Chupp put the nail in the Redhawks coffin with 11 seconds left as he intercepted a pass along the boards where he shot and scored an empty net shot to give his team a two goal lead.

Freshman goalie Patrick Nagle was another star of the game as he held the top scoring team in the nation to one goal throughout three periods of play stopping 36 shots.

“I’ve just been working hard in practice getting my confidence back,” Nagle said. “It was a blast. I had a great time, our guys worked really hard.”

Freshman left wing Mike Fillinger opened up the scoring as he picked it up and blew down the ice, deked right, then brought the puck back to his forehand and threw it over Zatkoff’s stickside.

The rest of the game was a defensive battle with both teams having multiple powerplay opportunities throughout the game.

The Bulldogs faced two 4-3 penalty kills in the third period with the Redhawks offense banging at the door trying to get their first goal of the game.

Despite killing off both penalties the Redhawks were able to notch a goal after the puck came loose near the blueline where junior centerman Alexandre Lacombe picked it up and moved in all alone and shot it over Nagle’s right pad to score his team’s only goal of the night.

The sweep improves the Bulldogs record to 13-12-5 overall and 10-10-4 in CCHA play and extends their unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2).

The Bulldogs leave town next weekend to take on the Bowling Green State Falcons in a twogame CCHA set in Bowling Green, Ohio.

It was all about the Bulldogs in the women’s basketball game on Saturday as the Lady Bulldogs outscored the visiting Lake Superior State Lakers 104- 78, rebounding from their 83-71 loss to the Hillsdale Chargers, ranked 22 in the nation and second in the region.

“HC [Hillsdale] is a good team - no one disputes that. They are ranked number two in the region so that loss only hurts our egos, not our chances to be in the playoffs. We are locked into the GLIAC tournament. Now we need to finish strong and know that when we play with passion, we can beat anyone in the country,” head coach Tracey Dorow said.

Saturday’s game began with the Bulldogs setting the tempo and ended with the Bulldogs in control.

The Lady “Dawgs” began the game with a 10-0 run, and the Lakers were unable to answer with anything to catch up to them. Junior guard Teghan Thelen closed the door on anything the Lakers had with a field goal to put Ferris up 14, 20-6.

Senior guard Sam Johns put the Bulldogs up by 17 with a field goal of her own, and the Lakers were unable to answer with anything as the Bulldogs went up by as much as 25 in the first half after freshman guard Stephanie DeNoyelles made a two-point jumper.

The Bulldogs rolled into half time with a 24 point lead, 58-34.

The Lakers began the second half with a two-point jumper from Katherine LaPrairie, but the Bulldogs quickly stopped the visiting Lakers after going up 33 (72-39) after freshman guard Tiara Adams made a fast break layup.

It quickly turned into a Bulldogs highlight reel, as they dominated the Lakers, serving the Lakers their sixth GLIAC loss. Ferris showed the Lakers that the Bulldogs are on the hunt for another quality post-season.

The Lady Bulldogs were led by five different double-digit-scorers. Freshman guard Becci Houdek led the way with a career-high 15 points. Senior center Rachel Folcik added 14 points in only 12 minutes.

Johns posted 13 points, while junior forward/center Jenna Guay had 12 points and Thelen recorded 11 points.

Thursday night, however, was a heart breaker for the Lady Dawgs, as they fell to Hillsdale on the road.

The first half began with the Bulldogs and Chargers battling for the lead. It looked like the Bulldogs had the momentum going up 18-12 off Johns’ three point jump shot, but the Chargers were able to tie the score.

The Bulldogs reclaimed the lead off Folcik’s free throws and went up by as much as six with 7:46 remaining in the half, after Folcik took control in the paint.

The Chargers quickly regrouped and went on a 20-11 run to end the half as the Chargers sent the Bulldogs into halftime down 48-33.

“Hillsdale had great ball movement and our offense stalled. They were able to penetrate and find open people for easy lay-ups and they also hit some shots in transition when we didn’t talk and match up. Hillsdale played super for that stretch and we didn’t,” Dorow said.

The second half began with the Chargers’ Brooke Knight making a three point field goal and it was down hill from there for the Bulldogs, as the Chargers went up by as much as 21, after Kara McCormick’s fast break layup.

The Bulldogs were able to work the Chargers to cut the deficit to nine after junior forward Ashley Fleming’s layup. The Chargers responded with a field goal, but Johns quickly answered by cutting the deficit back down to nine, 74-65, with 4:09 remaining.

The Chargers quickly stopped the Bulldog surge and took the win. The Bulldogs were led by Folcik with 24 points, and Johns with 12. Freshman guard Becci Houdek had 11 points and junior guard Teghan Thelen contributed 10 points.

The Bulldogs travel to Saginaw Valley on Thursday and are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. and will end the regular season on Saturday at 1 p.m. against arch rival Grand Valley State when all fans are encouraged to wear white and set an attendance record.

Shooting percentages while toeing the line made the difference in both of the Ferris State men’s basketball games last week. Poor free throw shooting doomed the Bulldogs in their first game while a remarkable success rate from the three point line by their opponents did in Ferris State on Saturday.

On Thursday, Feb. 14, Ferris State men’s basketball team traveled south to Hillsdale, Mich. to tip off with conference rival Hillsdale College. Hillsdale kept the pressure up and defeated the Bulldogs 86-63. Ferris State struggled, shooting 42 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three point line and 69 percent from the free throw line while the Chargers hit only 47 percent from the field but 82 percent from the free throw line.

Hillsdale was able to build up a 14 point lead half way through the first half but the Bulldogs battled back closing the gap to six right before half time. Ferris State managed to cut the lead to just one in the first five minutes of the second half. The Chargers pulled away midway through the period, however, and wound up winning by 23.

The Chargers converted 18 points off Ferris State turnovers and 14 fast break points. The Bulldogs countered with 22 points in the paint, 14 bench points and 13 second chance points.

Ferris State was led by freshman guard Bryan Pasciak and freshman forward DeJuan Wright. Pasciak hit five of nine from the field, three of four from the free throw line and three of four from the three point line. Pasciak’s 16 points and 36 minutes led the Bulldogs in both categories. Wright came off the bench to score 10 points and grab four rebounds. Wright was four for 10 from the field and two for five from the free throw line in 25 minutes.

Hillsdale was led by guard Keith MacKenzie, center Tony Gugino and forward Tim Homan. Gugino led the Chargers with 19 points and seven rebounds. While only shooting 30 percent from the field, Gugino shot 13 of 14 from the free throw line. MacKenzie scored 18 points, 50 percent from the three point line and six of 11 from the field while playing 36 minutes. Homan scored 14 points while playing 35 minutes. Homan grabbed seven rebounds and shot four of seven from the three point line.

On Saturday, Feb. 16, Ferris State entertained Lake Superior State at home in Wink Arena. The Bulldogs worked hard to cut into a double digit halftime deficit, but couldn’t keep pace with Lake Superior’s long range shooting success, falling 92-80. The Lakers shot 50 percent from the field in the first half along with 58.3 percent from the three point line.

Ferris State and Lake Superior State played relatively even throughout the first half until the Lakers used a 26-16 run to close out the period. Lake Superior State used 14 points off Ferris State turnovers to build up a 20 point lead early in the second half. The Bulldogs were able to close the gap late in the game but the Lakers shot 70 percent from the free throw line to seal the victory.

Ferris State outscored the Lakers with 34 points in the paint, 20 second chance points and 34 bench points while Lake Superior State grabbed 12 fast break points.

The Bulldogs had two players put up 17 points apiece in the contest; freshman forward Lou Williams and freshman forward DeJuan Wright. Williams played 26 minutes, grabbed eight rebounds to go along with four blocks and shot six of 13 from the field. Wright came off the bench shooting seven of 10 from the field, dishing out three assists and grabbing six rebounds.

The Lakers were led by guard Tim VanOudheusden and Mike Rader. Rader came off the bench to score 20 points while shooting six of six from the three point line. Rader also grabbed five rebounds while handing out four assists in 29 minutes. VanOudheusden also scored 20 points while playing 34 minutes and grabbing seven rebounds.

Ferris State heads to University Center, Mich. to tip off with Saginaw Valley State University on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs head home on Saturday, Feb. 23 for their final home game of the season. Ferris State hosts arch rival Grand Valley State University at 7:30 p.m. while trying to sell out and white out Wink Arena.

This past week the Ferris State “Torch” received a copy of a letter from an angry fan of the Ferris State Men’s Hockey Team addressed to the Ferris State athletic director.

The topic was recent attendance at Bulldog hockey games. I will quote a small part of this letter to you now, however, I will not divulge the name of the writer:

“I do not understand how the Ferris State enrollment is over 12,000 students and there are problems not selling out the Bulldog men’s hockey games. I understand not selling out the football or basketball games because they are not at a well competing level, and are Division 2.

“But when you have a Division One hockey team, that is in the CCHA (Central Collegiate Hockey Association), is doing very well this season, and has players playing in Pro levels now and still cannot sell out a 2,500 seat building? That is embarrassing.

“It obviously comes from the promoters involved, or the staff at Ferris State University. You would think that, with all the publicity that the hockey team gives to Ferris State University, there would be more put into the program.

“Just this past weekend, I watched the Bulldogs take on Notre Dame University. Which is an honor in, and of itself right there, but also on Television broadcasted in three different states- Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

“I’ve also seen them broadcasted nationally on CSTV, and they still have to play Michigan on the Big Ten Network coming up here in a few weekends…against the University of Michigan…wow.

“Not to mention the Games on FSN (Fox Sports Network) last year at Ferris. How does Michigan State come to town, and not even sell out the rink then? Having room for many of their fans there? I understand hockey is an expensive sport to play and fund, especially at a college level with all the equipment, and sticks, etc. But I think, a lot more money would income once the rink started selling out.”

I don’t know where to begin. I agree with the fact that there has been low attendance recently at the Bulldog hockey games, but who does this fan think he is, calling the attendance embarrassing?

This fan better get his facts right. Just for the record, Saturday, Feb. 9 against Notre Dame, the official attendance was 2,837, and the night before attendance was 2,857. Sounds like a sellout to me.

But this was just one game, and he’s right about the attendance being low lately. Throughout the month of January, attendance never broke 2,000 for any single home game. Just this past Friday when the Bulldogs defeated the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks, the number two nationally ranked team, attendance was recorded at 1,191.

These are low numbers I know, but what needs to be understood is that these numbers are not the fault of the staff or the promoters involved.

Everyone on this campus knows we have a great hockey team, and everyone knows home games are Friday and Saturday nights. The bottom line is that these fans are making the conscience decision to not attend.

Maybe it’s the fact that throughout January and February the Bulldogs record is 3-4-3, not terrible, but still not a winning record. Or maybe these fans have just found something better to do on a Friday or Saturday.

One things for sure, it won’t matter how much money you put into promotion, or how many free t-shirts you give out, people will not attend if they don’t want to.

I would love to see Ewigleben arena packed every time the Bulldogs take the ice, but the big problem is that the Bulldogs are not the Michigan Wolverines or the Michigan State Spartans where student enrollment is 20,000 plus, and each student bleeds their school colors.

We are a school where unfortunately the majority of our 12,000 students are fair weather fans. Give them a top ranked team and Ewigleben will be packed every night. Give them a mediocre record with a team chasing for a playoff position and you have what you have now, low attendance.

My friends, it is not about promotion, it is not about the price of a ticket, it is about the hockey team’s performance plain and simple.

When they are at their best, fans come from miles around to watch the Bulldogs play, but anything less than that and all you have left in the stands are diehards.

So I agree with our angry fan that something should be done about the attendance for our hockey team, but I believe it has to start and end with our hockey team.

Give them something to cheer for, give them something to be proud of. That’s what’s going to put fans in the stands.

The 2008 Ferris State Bulldogs softball team looks to continue last season’s success and go after the GLIAC championship.

“We are returning a solid core from last year’s team who experienced some success, but fell short in their goal of winning the GLIAC championship and a regional championship,” said Ferris State head coach Keri Becker. Becker enters her 11th season with a career record of 313-209-1 under her belt.

Ferris State will start its season ranked 25th in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll. The Bulldogs open their season down to Kissimmee, Fla. participating in the Florida Rebels Spring Tournament. The tournament takes place March 8-15, Ferris State will play 14 games in seven days.

“We have an experienced pitching core, strong infield and a competitive outfield,” said Becker. “The batting order is packed full of both speed and power so this combination of offense and defense should put us in a position to win every game.”

Ferris State posted a 9-1 home record in the 2007 season.

The Bulldogs have eight letter- winning returnees from last season’s team. The most decorated returning player is junior pitcher Sarah Mueller.

Mueller was named 2007 Daktronics All-America Third Team and 2007 All-GLIAC First Team. Mueller had a .342 batting average, .959 fielding percentage and 54 hits last season to go along with her 12-8 pitching record in 121.8 innings.

Junior left fielder Amanda Jager, junior catcher Krystle Bailey and junior pitcher Holly Bruntjens all received GLIAC recognition last season. Bruntjens led the pitching attack with a 14-6 record in 138.2 innings.

Jager rounds out the staff with a 3-0 record in 18.1 innings while holding a .296 batting average, 26 RBI’s and .548 slugging percentage. Bailey held a .336 batting average, .497 slugging percentage and .979 fielding percentage in 45 starts.

Ferris State’s returning infielders are senior third baseman Katie Kraai, sophomore second baseman Amanda Harrington, junior shortstop McKenzie West and sophomore utility player Rhea Flores.

The three infielders played in all but three games last season and averaged a .282 batting average. Flores played in 20 games, starting seven of them and compiled a .318 batting average.

The Bulldogs have three players who were redshirted last season. Freshman catcher/ utility player Rachel Mueller looks to get some playing time after being redshirted last season due to an injury. Mueller’s medical redshirt gives her four seasons left of eligibility. Sophomore pitcher/ first baseman Kayle S t e v e n s o n was redshirted l a s t seas o n due to NCAA trans- f e r rules.

Stevenson transferred from GLIAC opponent Hillsdale College. Freshman outfielder Rachel Wade was also redshirted last season and has four seasons of eligibility left.

Ferris State also has three true freshmen this season. Shortstop/outfielder Lynsay Weaver earned all-state plaudits and All-Greater Thumb Conference second team honors playing for Bay City All Saints High School.

Outfielder Brooke Lewis received all-region first team and all-district honors while playing for Lapeer High School.

Outfielder Colleen Roney earned all-state honorable mention and All-Western Sun Conference honors while playing for Glenband South High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Ferris State opens its home schedule on Wednesday, March 26 against Aquinas College. The Bulldogs open their home GLIAC schedule on Saturday, March 29 against Gannon University.

Everyone enjoys sitting in front of the television to watch his or her favorite teams compete. An announcer can enhance the game by making it feel like you’re there or can truly hinder that enjoyment and make you wish the television was on mute.

Here’s a look into my favorite and least favorite announcers from a wide range of sports.

Living in Michigan, I was brought up a Detroit sports fan. I remember the days when I was younger and listened to Ernie Harwell on the radio as he called games for the Tigers playing in Tiger Stadium and Keith Jackson calling the Michigan bowl games. Recently I have become accustomed to enjoying the voices of Fox Sports Network (FSN) announcers as Detroit teams look to make it to the top.

My first pairing of Detroit announcers are Mickey Redmond and Ken Daniels. Daniels is in his 11th season as a play by play announcer covering the Detroit Red Wings and Central Collegiant Hockey Association (CCHA) while also working with CBS and the Olympics also. Daniels received Michigan Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and has earned himself a Michigan Emmy. His partner Mickey Redmond is in his 22nd season as a television announcer while working for FSN, ABC, ESPN and CBS. Redmond played five seasons with the Detroit Red Wings before turning to color commentating.

Watching the Detroit Red Wings with these guys feels like you are there sitting in the seats. They know what they are talking about and are easy on the ears. They make watching the Wings fun and enjoyable because they don’t speak the full duration of the game, they allow you to watch it in peace.

My second pair of Detroit announcers are Mario Impemba and Rod Allen. Impemba is in his sixth year as a FSN play by play announcer. He won a Michigan Emmy in Sports play by play in June 2006 for his coverage of Major League Baseball, Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) football and CCHA hockey. Allen is in his fifth year with the Tigers and FSN. Allen also won a Michigan Emmy in June 2006 for Sports Analyst.

The Major League Baseball (MLB) season is long. If your team doesn’t have a good announcing team, then people won’t watch or listen to them. I think Detroit has one of the best with these two guys. They complement each other very well, always picking up where the other leaves off. A couple of their memorable calls were Ordonez’s home run sending Detroit into the World Series and Verlander’s no hitter. They still give me the chills every time I hear them.

Growing up as a kid I didn’t have cable TV, so everything I watched was on local channels. Gary Throne was the voice of my hockey education and today is still my favorite hockey announcer. I can still remember that late night in 2002 during game three of the NHL playoffs when Igor Larionov scored the game winning goal in triple overtime with the call of Gary Throne.

These days, Throne works for ESPN and ABC covering MLB, the Frozen Four, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Little League World Series.

These days it seems like every sporting event held on FOX has Joe Buck as the announcer. Buck currently covers the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball for FOX. My most memorable call was back when Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run to break the all time record. I enjoy hearing Buck’s voice during baseball games because he knows the game. He doesn’t explain the game to you like it’s your first time watching it, but lets you know what’s going on through every pitch. I hope to hear his voice mention the Tigers next fall come October.

Here are a couple announcers that I don’t particularly care for and my reasons why. John Madden and Bret Musburger are two announcers that can ruin a game for me. Musburger has a tendency to be biased, obviously favoring one team over the other; I’ve heard it especially during Ohio State games (his alma mater). He also doesn’t get excited for a touchdown or a big play, it’s like he speaks in a monotone voice.

I believe that Musburger and Madden are in competition for the Captain Obvious award. They both put out more words than are worth listening to. Football doesn’t need to be told to me on an every second basis, I can watch it on the television. I do believe that Madden is getting better however since joining up with Al Michaels for NBC Sunday Night Football. The worst basketball commentator has to be Bill Walton. If the guy had played as clumsy as he talks, he would never have gotten past high school.

Those are my picks, in which you may or not agree. In any case, here’s hoping your team does well and the voices behind the microphone keep the contests enjoyable. I got my information from detroitredwings. com and detroittigers. com.