Box Score BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – For the second straight night, Alaska found itself in a big deficit and like last night, it managed to battle back with a string of three goals in a row but No. 10/13 Ferris State was able to escape with a 4-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association victory Saturday night at Ewigleben Ice Arena.
The Bulldogs (10-2-1, 7-0-1 WCHA) extended their unbeaten streak to nine games after completing the three week home stand with a 5-0-1 record against conference opponents while the Nanooks (5-5-2, 2-4-0 WCHA) dropped their second straight and third of four on the two-series road trip.
Four different FSU skaters scored for the hosts, which included three in the opening 20 minutes to give it a 3-0 advantage.
Garrett Thompson had one goal and one assist while
Chad McDonald led the team with two pair of assists.
CJ Motte also remained unbeaten in net for the 'Dogs, improving to 10-0-1 on the year with his 28 saves.
For the 'Nooks, senior center
Cody Kunyk (Sherwood Park, Alberta/Business Administration) had a big night after reaching 100 career points a night ago as he led the team with two goals and one assist for his fourth multi-point game on the season. Sophomore defenseman
Colton Parayko (St. Albert, Alberta/Business Administration) scored his first goal of the season and added his team-leading ninth assist.
Rookie goaltender
Davis Jones (St. Albert, Alberta/Elementary Education) took the loss between the pipes as he dropped to 2-3-1 after making 25 saves for Alaska. The Nanooks led shots on goal, 31-29, but Ferris out blocked Alaska 20-12. Both squads finished 1-for-5 on the power play. Face-offs were a bit closer tonight also, but FSU held the 35-31 lead in the circle.
Ferris scored early in often in the first period, with a trio of scores separated by 6:53. McDonald fired a shot that was saved by Jones but
Matt Robertson collected the rebound and put it home at 4:40 to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
Just under two minutes later, Thompson fed the puck in front to
Justin Buzzeo, whose backhand shot went five-hole for a 2-0 advantage at 6:39. Later in the frame and on the power play, great passing by Ferris set up
Cory Kane from the right circle as he scored on the open net with Jones diving to attempt the save to no avail.
The Nanooks opened their scoring on the opening shift of the second with a power-play goal. Kunyk possessed the puck after it was played down ice and he passed it off to an open Parayko at the point and the St. Louis Blues draft pick fired a shot from the point for his first goal of the year.
That goal sparked Alaska as it would add two more to eventually tie it at 3-3. With Ferris on the power play, Parayko took the puck in the defensive zone and sent it down the ice to a wide open Kunyk, who deked Motte and scored at 3:35 for the team's third shorty of the year to make it 3-2.
The game neared the halfway point and
Garrick Perry had control working behind the FSU net and he took a shot that was redirected by Kunyk for the game-tying score at 9:55, silencing the Bulldog crowd.
The tie would be short lived, however, as Ferris regained the lead for good at 4-3 at 13:02 of the period.
Kyle Schempp took a shot that was saved by Jones and from behind the net, Thompson fired one off the back of the Nanooks netminder and it ricocheted in for the eventual game-winning tally.
Alaska returns home for the first time in four weeks on Nov. 29-30 when it hosts Michigan Tech at the Carlson Center. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. (AST) both nights.
