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Box Score]
BIG RAPIDS, MI - The No. 14 Alaska Nanooks saw their 15-game unbeaten streak (13-0-2) in their series against the #18 Ferris State Bulldogs halted, as their hosts dealt them a 4-2 loss Friday night at Ewigleben Ice Arena. It represented Alaska's first loss against FSU since January 2, 2004.
Sophomore forwards
Andy Taranto and Jarrett Granberg lit the lamp for the Nanooks, while junior goalie
Scott Greenham mad 23 saves between the pipes.
After sitting out the last three games with a lower body injury, Taranto made the most of his return to the ice by opening the game scoring and giving the Nanooks the early lead at 13:33 of the opening period. He backhanded the puck past FSU's Pat Nagle with assistance from juniors
Carlo Finucci and
Joe Sova right as a penalty to the Bulldogs' Redmond expired.
Ferris State would answer back less than three minutes later as Nate Hennig evened the tally at 16:15. The Bulldog forward fired the puck towards Alaska's net, where it beat a screened Greenham.
The Bulldogs took control in the second stanza, capitalizing on a defensive zone turnover and a Nanook penalty to score a pair of unanswered tallies for a 3-1 advantage heading in to the final frame. FSU got an unassisted goal from Mike Embach and a power-play marker from Zach Redmond for the two-goal advantage after 40 minutes of play.
Alaska poured on the offensive pressure in the third period but Nagle and the Bulldog's defensive corps were up to the task, thwarting their every attempt. As the minutes ticked off the clock it looked as though the Nanooks fate was sealed, when a timely penalty to FSU's Aaron Schmidt set up their second score of the evening. With their seventh man-advantage opportunity of the contest, Granberg cashed in for the visitors by making good on a feed from defensemen
Aaron Gens and Sova at 18:04
With under two minutes left, the Blue and Gold looked to find the equalizer and pulled Greenham in favor of an extra attacker with 52 seconds remaining. While attempting to cycle the puck at the top of the zone, the puck made it past a fallen Gens at the left point, where FSU's Jordie Johnston collected it, proceeded to skate in uncontested, deposit the biscuit in Alaska's wide-open goal and dealt the final and fatal blow.
On the evening, Alaska was outshot 32-27 and went 1-for-7 on the power play. The Bulldogs were 1-for-4 in their man-advantage chances.
Both teams meet for the weekend finale on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. EST.
