Goaltenders made highlight real saves last weekend as Ferris State and Michigan State split their home and home series.

Friday night’s festivities came all the way down to a shootout as Spartan goalie Jeff Lerg and Bulldog goalie Pat Nagle made the important saves when they were called upon. Bulldog goalie Taylor Nelson stepped between the pipes for Saturday evening’s contest to battle with Lerg.

Five and a half thousand fans showed up to Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing Friday night as thousands more watched the game on Fox Sports Net Detroit. The Spartans and Bulldogs came out battling in a high paced and heavy contact conference game.

An early Bulldog penalty gave the Spartans their first advantage on the evening as they looked to attack with their student section supporting them. A blast from the point was redirected in front of Nagle and trickled through the five hole and into the back of the net for the first score of the evening. Andrew Rowe’s power play goal gave the Spartans an early 1-0 lead at 2:56.

The rest of the first period followed with heavy hitting and lots of scoring opportunities as fans turned from excited to nervous in less than seconds. The second period started off as almost a mirror image as the first. The Spartans again were able to reach the back of the net as Joey Shean was able to tip the puck up and over Nagle giving MSU a 2-0 lead.

The Bulldogs were able to stir things up and get the traveling Dawg Pound excited as they answered with an even strength goal of their own. At 10:21 of the second period, center Justin Menke shot the puck into the upper corner of the net above Lerg. Menke’s third goal of the season came with assists coming to right winger Cody Chupp and defenseman Matt Case.

The third period heard more chants from the MSU student section, as well as the Bulldog students, as the play started to heat up and get faster. The Ferris State fans got what they were hoping for as Chupp was able to tip a shot over Lerg’s shoulder and into the back of the net for the game tying goal. Chupp’s even strength goal came with assists going to Menke and center Derek Graham.

Regulation and overtime was not enough time to determine the winner as the game went into one of the most exciting thrills in sports, a shootout. The Spartans were able to take a 1-0 lead in the shootout as Chupp stepped up for the Bulldogs knowing he had to score to extend the game. Chupp’s opportunity did reach the back of the net tying the shootout score and exciting the Bulldog fans. Nagle came up with two more big saves and Graham got redemption on Lerg as he was able to score the games winning shootout goal to give the Bulldogs the two point victory.

The scenery switched as Saturday night’s contest returned to Ewigleben Ice Arena and the home of the Dogs! The Spartans came out strong as they used a mismatch down low to score the games only goal. Matt Schepke was able to beat Nelson on the blocker side to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead at the 36 second mark.

The Bulldogs and Spartans battled through the three periods with shots and scoring opportunities but nothing else would reach the back of the net. A Ferris State major penalty gave MSU a five on three advantage to start the third period but the Bulldogs were able to kill off the long power play. “The five-on-three five minute power play took a lot of our energy to kill five minutes straight,” Ferris State head coach Bob Daniels said. “It’s very tough on our guys because it takes energy to create offense and our forwards were out killing the penalty.”

Nelson was honored with the third star of the game as he made 18 saves in the contest. “Nelson played a good game tonight and so did out team,” Daniels said. “Lerg was the story of the game though along with his defense has helped limit chances by blocking shots.” MSU finished the contest with 19 blocked shots on the evening.

The Bulldogs, currently in seventh place in the CCHA travel to Bowling Green, Kent. this weekend to battle with the Falcons. Both Friday and Saturday games start at 7:05 p.m. Ferris State will return home once more this regular season to battle with the University of Michigan on Feb. 27.

The largest crowd of the season so far cheered on the Bulldog hockey team in its contest against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday.

Many fans arrived over an hour early for the only home showdown with Michigan State this season. The stands were nearly full by 6:30 p.m. and the crowd anticipated the start of the biggest game of the season to date.

The overall atmosphere at Ewigleben Ice Arena was electric. There was a buzz throughout the crowd all game long that you don't see at many games.

Playing against a larger school like Michigan State facilitated more excitement and enthusiasm throughout the arena.

Entering Saturday night’s contest, the average attendance of the previous 15 home games this season was 1,297, according to the Ferris State Hockey Web site. On Saturday night, however, a near sellout crowd of 2,377 fans attended. Bulldog fans once again showed their unwavering support for the Ferris State hockey team.

“We always pack this place for Michigan and Michigan State every year,” said John Roy, a Ferris State student and athletics enthusiast.

The student section was even rowdier than normal. They shouted unique chants that are only used when Michigan State is in town. The special chants centered on making fun of the Spartan goaltender.

Roy sported a yellow painted face, green hair and unique attire. “I’m dressed like this to make fun of their goalie, Jeff Lerg, who is supposedly 5 feet 6 inches. But we don’t believe that,” Roy stated.

Bulldog fans even had an extra surprise for the Spartan hockey players. As the Spartans warmed up before the game, a few students placed posters on the glass to distract and make fun of their team. These antics are only seen in select games; usually against Michigan and Michigan State.

There were many Michigan State fans scattered throughout the sea of Bulldog enthusiasts. Back and forth jeering between Bulldog and Spartan fans took place in the student section. It was one of the few times a year that a substantial number of fans from the opposing team attended a home game.

The FSU Blueline Club held a special silent auction in the arena’s lobby to raise money for charity and the Ferris State hockey team. Some of the items for sale included autographed pictures of past and present hockey players, autographed pictures of movie stars, and other hockey paraphernalia.

Ferris State football head coach Jeff Pierce announced the names of the 26 athletes who signed letters-of-intent on National Signing Day.

Overall, Ferris signed 14 players on defense, nine on offense, and three on special teams. The Bulldogs’ recruiting class featured 20 players from Michigan, as well as six recruits from out-of-state: two from Indiana, Illinois, and Florida respectively.

Coach Pierce is excited about this year’s group, describing it as a “very exceptional class”. The recruiting success that he and his staff have had stems from the expanding area from which they target student athletes. “Our local recruiting area is the state of Michigan,” said Pierce.

In recent years, however, his staff has had success recruiting players from Indiana and the Chicago area. They have recruited at least two prospects from Illinois in each of the last two years.

Ferris State focused its recruiting on the defensive side of the ball, since seven of the starters from 2008 were lost to graduation. The coaching staff signed four linebackers to fill a position where five of the top six guys from 2008, including all three starters, completed their eligibility.

Another priority was filling the void along the defensive line, where only one of the four starters from last season is returning. Ferris signed Banay Jones from Flint Hamady, who was one of the top interior linemen prospects in Michigan.

The Bulldogs added six defensive backs in preparation for next year, when they will lose three more players at safety and cornerback.

On the offensive side, Ferris signed two quarterbacks, two running backs, and three offensive linemen. In addition, it added two speedy slot players. The Bulldogs also inked three players on special teams to compete for the kicking and punting jobs.

The 2008 Associated Press Division 7-8 State Offensive Player of the Year, Skyler Stoker, headlines the skill position signees. As a senior, the running back from Jackson, Mich. rushed for 2,255 yards and 42 touchdowns.

The football staff scouts players based on the need at a certain position. It evaluates the preceding recruiting class to determine what positions need to be filled. Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Eric Ravellette was pleased at the balance between the 2008 and 2009 classes.

“We got a good class that is going to complement the class that we got last year,” said Ravellette.

Academics were a very important factor in the recruiting process, according to Pierce. The average high school GPA of the signees was a 3.1. Many of the signees will receive academic aid due to new tuition programs.

“Sixty percent of our kids are going to be getting some kind of academic aid because of their academics in high school,” Ravellette added.

Eight national championships. Thirty-five seasons. One thousand career wins. Pat Summitt.

On Thursday, Feb. 5, Summitt reached another landmark no other basketball coach (men’s or women’s) has reached. And she reached it with little fanfare.

In the days leading up to the game there was little coverage. Everyone related to sports was too hyped about college signing day, than about a landmark event!

If Dean Smith, Bobby Knight, or Mike Krzyzewski were about to win 1,000 career games the media would be living in their driveways, their offices, their gyms, counting how many times they took a breath.

If it was a men’s program CNN, ESPN, FOX, ABC, and all other networks, would have a countdown going to the game at all times in the middle of the screen.

Maybe if it wasn’t a day after college signing day, a day that has grown out of proportion and is now a 10 ring circus, there would have been more coverage.

I know, I know, a women’s program will never get the same coverage or respect. In 2004, University of Connecticut women’s basketball was going for its third national title, and was going up against a fierce rival, Tennessee.

Want to know how much coverage there was? I’ll give you a hint. The Little League World Series gets more pre-tournament coverage than that game got.

So why am I annoyed about the lack of coverage, even post coverage, of this? Because 1,000 wins is a huge deal, and it wasn’t even on national television until the final minute of the game, when ESPN interrupted another game to show it.

With one minute left in the game, and the Lady Vols playing in front of a sell out crowd, the crowd rose to its feet and belted out “Rocky Top” at the top of their lungs.

The Lady Vols had blasted the University of Georgia out of the stadium, and off the floor named “The Summitt.”

The floor was named in January 2006, after Summitt passed Smith as the most winningest head coach.

The Lady Vols, past and present, helped their coach go down as the best college basketball coach in history. The post game celebration began with players dumping a small Gatorade cooler of sparkly confetti on Summitt’s head.

“I feel like I’ve been extremely blessed, and I thank God for the many opportunities I’ve had to be your coach and work with these young ladies, and so I want to thank all of you. I want to thank every person who’s been a part of my staff. They gave their absolute best,” Summitt said in a post game interview.

The Lady Vols were given T-shirts with the number “1,000” on the front in orange, which they donned before a celebration on court. School officials gave her a bracelet, necklace and a painting to commemorate the win.

School officials also announced Summitt had signed a contract extension through 2014 earlier this week and earned a $200,000 bonus with the win.

The Lady Vols team was reloaded this season, with seven freshmen on the roster, and according to ncaasports.com the team joked prior to the season that it wouldn’t be able to grab the 17 necessary wins to reach the milestone.

When asked what the focus was for the team, Summitt looked at the reporter and said the final four.

“We may be young and we may be inexperienced, but our goal is to be in St. Louis at the Final Four. And that is something that we talk about. I think you’ve got a vision, you have to talk about that vision. We have a vision, and that’s where we want to be,” Summitt said about the season goals.

Hillsdale Chargers thwarted the Bulldogs by defeating them 88-64 on Thursday night, but the ladies found a way to bounce back and defeated the Findlay Oilers 84-65 Saturday.

The win over Findlay moved Ferris within a game of the Oilers for one of the final spots in the GLIAC Postseason Tournament. With six games remaining on the conference schedule, it is now crunch time for the Lady Dogs.

“We’re just trying to focus on the next game, we’re not trying to let the pressure get to us. If we play like did against Findlay we will have no problem making the tournament,” guard Teghan Thelen said.

The top eight teams will advance to the tourney and Ferris entered Saturday in ninth place, which was two games behind the teams that were tied for the final three spots.

After coming off a huge loss on Thursday, the Lady Dogs got down to business to defeat the Oilers.

“We were very focused and determined to beat Findlay. We had a great practice the day before the game and we never let up during the game. Everyone played so well, it was a fun win,” Thelen said.

Ferris was able to battle and gain a 37-30 half time lead, shooting 51.7 percent compared to Findlay’s 35 percent from the floor.

The second half was a high light reel for the Lady Dogs as they shot 59 percent, and four Bulldogs reached double digits. Forward/center Jenna Guay led the way for both sides with a night-high 19 points.

Thelen knocked in 14 points and guard Chelsea Simonetti grabbed 13 points. Forward/center Andrea Clancy put up 10 points.

Nationally seventh-ranked Chargers were too hot to handle, as they stomped the Bulldogs. The Chargers jumped out to an 11-0 lead, and took a 38-21 lead into the half.

The Chargers were led by All- American forward and reigning GLIAC Player of the Year Katie Cezat. She totaled 18 points in the first half, and finished the game with 37 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lady Dogs could not come closer than 13 points in the final half, as the Chargers outscored the visitors 50-43, and led by as many as 25.

The Lady Dogs were led by forward/center Ashley Fleming with 15 points and Thelen scored 11 points.

The Lady Dogs shot 38.7 percent (24-62), and turned the ball over 19 times.

The Bulldogs are 7-13 overall and 5-11 in the GLIAC, and are sitting fifth in the GLIAC north.

=The Bulldogs are settling in for a four-game league homestand and are hosting the nationally- ranked Michigan Tech tomorrow at 6 p.m. It’s the third time in the last four games the Bulldogs have played a team listed among the top 10 in the national rankings.

The Bulldogs will host Northern Michigan at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The Donkey Basketball game was coordinated to raise money for the Crossroads Charter Academy (CCA).

“We were trying to do two things, raise money for the CCA fund and to put on a community event with a good meal and a little entertainment for a reasonable price. We also wanted to do something a little different,” said superintendent Ronald Schneider.

The evening started off with a spaghetti dinner that included salad and homemade dessert for the members of the local community. Then the crowd packed into the gym to watch the main event as the school pep band played the national anthem.

Four teams, which consisted of a team from both the high school and the elementary school of CCA, a team of local celebrities, and a combined team of Ferris students and the local WBRN-YBR radio station competed.

The combined team of Ferris students and WBRNYBR were up against the CCA high school team first. The announcer read off the rules which were rather simple, in order to shoot or block you had to be on the donkey. There was no dribbling and there were no fouls or rules about out of bounds, except that in order to retrieve the ball, your donkey had to be present. To shoot a three-point shot, all four legs of the donkey have to be behind the three-point line.

As easy as the rules sounded, the game proved much more difficult. Both of the first teams mounted their mighty steeds, but as the buzzer blasted to start the game, the donkeys had an opposing agenda. At first they didn’t move, but as the competitive riders started dragging and pushing their donkeys, the donkeys starting fighting back, bucking and kicking. One donkey sat down and another took off running around the gym.

At the end of the game, the combined team of Ferris State and WBRN-YBR radio station was demolished by the CCA high school team and left without comment. The celebrity team then beat the CCA elementary team in the second round, and went on to the finals to defeat the CCA high school team and claim victory.

Not only were the fans into the game with their loud cheers and laughter, but the players got into the game as well. One of the local celebrities, Craig “Chappy” Chapman, dressed as the “Crayon Kid,” with a pair of chaps and crayons for bullets in his holster.

“I was wooed on the idea on how glamorous it would be, and boy was I misled,” said Chapman, who just thought he should just dress up for the occasion.

Other outfits included a man dressed in his boxers and another man who wore his firefighter T-shirt.

“I think it went great, everyone had a great time, the crowd was laughing and the players were laughing,” smiled Schneider.

There were an overall 350 people present at the donkey basketball game and around $1,960 was raised for Crossroads Charter Academy.

The men’s basketball team took a bad turn as it headed down south to face Hillsdale and Findlay this past weekend with both games ending in a tough defeat for the Bulldogs.

The Findlay Oilers, who are currently ranked number one in the nation, defeated the Ferris State Bulldogs 62-85. Only two players from the Ferris State men’s basketball team managed to reach double digits in the game.

Sophomore forward Justin Keenan scored 25 points for Ferris, had six rebounds and two steals. Freshman guard, Dontae Molden scored 10 total points, had two steals and one block.

The game against Hillsdale last Thursday ended in a Ferris State loss of 62-85. The Chargers had the Bulldogs at a 25-37 halftime deficit, but Ferris State fought back, getting as close as five points at one point in the game. The men’s basketball team was kept to a scoring average of only 33 percent in the game compared to Hillsdale’s 55.1 percent.

Keenan scored a total of 12 points, had six rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal, while junior forward, Josh Young also scored 12 points, had two rebounds and a steal.

Despite the setbacks, the men’s basketball teams’ overall record is 11-10, 9-7 GLIAC, which has the team looking to the future optimistically.

“Through the first half of the season we have had our share of ups and downs, but I think that we are starting to play and mold together as a team real well. We are starting to play great team defense and that has led to many big victories in the GLIAC. As long as we stay focused we will be very successful,” said junior guard/forward Austin Randel in a previous interview.

The men’s basketball team will finally make it home this week where it will be facing Michigan Tech on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. and Northern Michigan on Feb. 14 at 3 p.m.