2022–23 Ferris State Bulldogs men's ice hockey season

The 2022–23 Ferris State Bulldogs men's ice hockey season was the 48th season of play for the program and the 37th in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). The Bulldogs represented Ferris State University, played their home games at Ewigleben Arena and were coached by Bob Daniels in his 31st season.

2022–23 Ferris State Bulldogs
men's ice hockey season
Conference6th CCHA
Home iceEwigleben Arena
Rankings
USCHONR
USA TodayNR
Record
Overall14–19–4
Conference9–14–3
Home6–11–1
Road7–7–3
Neutral1–1–0
Coaches and captains
Head coachBob Daniels
Assistant coachesDrew Famulak
Mark Kaufman
Ferris State Bulldogs men's ice hockey seasons
« 2021–22 2023–24 »

Season edit

Ferris State had a bit of a mixed bag of a season. Noah Giesbrecht, who had joined the club in the middle of the previous year, established himself as the team's starting goaltender. Unfortunately, he got little help from the defense, which allowed more than 33 shots against per game. The offense was able to effectively replace its leading scorer, however, saw no improvement overall.

In the first half of the season the Bulldogs were rather inconsistent but did manage to put together a road sweep of Minnesota State. When they entered the winter break the team possessed a .500 record and were sitting in the top half of the CCHA. The second half of the year wasn't as kind. After a surprising win over Michigan State won just three more times over the next fifteen games and slid down to 6th in the standings.

When they began postseason play, the Bulldogs weren't expected to do much but the team managed to defy expectations. Giesbrecht weathered an 18-shot third period and enabled Ferris State to push Bowling Green into overtime. A goal from Nick Nardecchia put the team on the cusp of a conference semifinal appearance and Giesbrecht was again called upon to save the day. The sophomore held the Falcons scoreless until just over a minute remained in regulation but the team had just enough offense to send the game into extra time. This time Jason Brancheau scored with his team-leading 13th of the season and advanced the Bulldogs for the first time since 2016.[1]

The team's run ended in the second round when top-seeded Minnesota State exacted their revenge with a 2–7 drubbing. Despite the loss, it was still the best season the program had seen in 7 years.

Departures edit

Player Position Nationality Cause
Nico DeVita Defenseman   United States Transferred to New Hampshire
Connor Fedorek Defenseman   United States Left program (retired)
Liam MacDougall Forward   Canada Graduation (signed with Cincinnati Cyclones)
Carter McPhail Goaltender   United States Transferred to Miami
Brendon Michaelian Defenseman   United States Graduate transfer to Mercyhurst
Justin Michaelian Forward   United States Graduate transfer to Maine
Marshall Moise Forward   United States Graduation (retired)
Roni Salmenkangas Goaltender   Finland Graduate transfer to Lindenwood
Sam Skinner Defenseman   United States Signed professional contract (Idaho Steelheads)
Justin Smith Defenseman   United States Graduation (retired)
Ethan Stewart Forward   United States Graduation (signed with Tulsa Oilers)
Jake Transit Forward   United States Graduation (signed with Orlando Solar Bears)

Recruiting edit

Player Position Nationality Age Notes
Jacob Badal Forward   United States 20 Flushing, MI
Caiden Gault Forward   Canada 20 Oakbank, MB
Joey Henson Goaltender   United States 21 Troy, MI
Connor McGrath Forward   Canada 20 LeRoy, SK
Andrew Noel Defenseman   United States 21 Maynard, MA
Tyler Schleppe Forward   Canada 20 Vancouver, BC
Travis Shoudy Defenseman   United States 20 Marysville, MI
Matt Slick Defenseman   United States 23 Laredo, TX; graduate transfer from Holy Cross

Roster edit

As of September 5, 2022.[2]

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
1   Logan Stein Junior G 6' 2" (1.88 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 2001-04-26 Suwanee, Georgia Waterloo (USHL)
2   Travis Shoudy Freshman D 5' 9" (1.75 m) 173 lb (78 kg) 2002-03-15 Marysville, Michigan Cedar Rapids (USHL)
3   Ben Schultheis Junior D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 2000-02-17 Mount Juliet, Tennessee Dubuque (USHL)
4   Drew Cooper Junior D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 2000-08-28 Ann Arbor, Michigan Coquitlam (BCHL)
5   Matt Slick Senior D 6' 2" (1.88 m) 216 lb (98 kg) 1999-03-13 Buffalo, New York Holy Cross (AHA)
6   Blake Evennou Senior D 5' 10" (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-07-09 Macomb, Michigan Lone Star (NAHL)
7   Connor McGrath Freshman F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 184 lb (83 kg) 2003-09-04 Leroy, Saskatchewan Humboldt (SJHL)
8   Austin McCarthy Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1999-03-01 Ludington, Michigan Topeka (NAHL)
9   Nick Nardecchia Sophomore F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 177 lb (80 kg) 2001-01-01 Macomb, Michigan Lincoln (USHL)
10   Bradley Marek Sophomore F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 213 lb (97 kg) 2000-11-13 Big Rapids, Michigan Muskegon (USHL)
11   Jacob Dirks Junior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1999-09-15 Mindoro, Wisconsin Chippewa (NAHL)
12   Dallas Tulik Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 191 lb (87 kg) 1998-06-23 Kalamazoo, Michigan Dubuque (USHL)
13   Mitch Deelstra Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 191 lb (87 kg) 1999-07-15 Wallace, Ontario Alberni Valley (BCHL)
15   Tyler Schleppe Freshman F 6' 4" (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2001-11-11 Vancouver, British Columbia Langley (BCHL)
16   Caiden Gault Freshman F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 191 lb (87 kg) 2002-04-16 Oakbank, Manitoba Spruce Grove (AJHL)
18   Kaleb Ergang Sophomore F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2000-12-31 Spruce Grove, Alberta Whitecourt (AJHL)
19   Štěpán Pokorný Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 2000-06-08 Kolín, Czech Republic Madison (USHL)
20   Andrew Noel Freshman D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 2001-01-02 Maynard, Massachusetts Nanaimo (BCHL)
21   Jason Brancheau Senior F 5' 8" (1.73 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1999-08-15 Brownstown, Michigan Amarillo (NAHL)
22   Luke Farthing Junior D 5' 10" (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1999-04-21 Stoutsville, Ohio Chippewa (NAHL)
23   Antonio Venuto Junior F 6' 3" (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2000-02-26 Whitmore Lake, Michigan Dubuque (USHL)
24   Brenden MacLaren Senior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 196 lb (89 kg) 1998-11-30 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Fairbanks (NAHL)
25   Zach Faremouth Sophomore F 6' 4" (1.93 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 2000-01-04 Jackson, Michigan Des Moines (USHL)
26   Jacob Badal Freshman F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 196 lb (89 kg) 2001-10-05 Flushing, Michigan Johnstown (NAHL)
27   Cade Kowalski Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 1999-06-15 Morden, Manitoba Flin Flon (SJHL)
28   Brenden Rons Senior D 6' 6" (1.98 m) 226 lb (103 kg) 1998-03-03 Farmington Hills, Michigan Topeka (NAHL)
30   Joey Henson Freshman G 5' 9" (1.75 m) 157 lb (71 kg) 2001-08-15 Troy, Michigan Philadelphia Little Flyers (EHL)
31   Noah Giesbrecht Sophomore G 6' 4" (1.93 m) 202 lb (92 kg) 1999-04-18 White Rock, British Columbia Windsor (OUA)
34   Nick Grimaldi Sophomore F 5' 7" (1.7 m) 142 lb (64 kg) 1999-06-26 Plymouth, Michigan Odessa (NAHL)

Standings edit

Conference record Overall record
GP W L T OTW OTL SW PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#12 Minnesota State †* 26 16 9 1 2 4 1 52 83 56 39 25 13 1 126 81
#13 Michigan Tech 26 15 7 4 0 1 0 50 68 54 39 24 11 4 103 88
Bowling Green 26 12 12 2 0 2 1 41 89 76 36 15 19 2 114 114
Northern Michigan 26 14 12 0 3 0 0 39 82 77 38 21 17 0 123 103
Bemidji State 26 12 11 3 3 1 2 39 73 63 36 14 17 5 94 97
Ferris State 26 9 14 3 1 2 3 34 62 91 37 14 19 4 92 131
St. Thomas 26 10 14 2 1 1 0 32 69 81 36 11 23 2 86 117
Lake Superior State 26 8 17 1 2 1 1 25 52 80 36 9 25 2 71 118
Championship: March 18, 2023
† indicates conference regular season champion (MacNaughton Cup)
* indicates conference tournament champion (Mason Cup)
Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll

Schedule and results edit

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Decision Result Attendance Record
Regular Season
October 1 5:05 PM at Miami* Steve Cady ArenaOxford, Ohio   Stein T 2–2 OT 2,805 0–0–1
October 2 3:05 PM at Miami* Steve Cady ArenaOxford, Ohio   Giesbrecht L 1–4  1,181 0–1–1
October 7 7:07 PM Michigan Tech* Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Stein W 2–1  1,804 1–1–1
October 8 7:07 PM #18 Western Michigan* Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Stein L 4–6  1,604 1–2–1
October 14 7:07 PM Canisius* Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Stein L 3–5  1,643 1–3–1
October 15 7:07 PM Canisius* Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht W 4–1  1,656 2–3–1
October 28 7:07 PM St. Thomas Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Stein W 3–2 OT 1,847 3–3–1 (1–0–0)
October 29 6:07 PM St. Thomas Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht L 2–5  1,823 3–4–1 (1–1–0)
November 4 8:07 PM at #20 Bemidji State Sanford CenterBemidji, Minnesota FloHockey Stein T 2–2 SOW 2,036 3–4–2 (1–1–1)
November 5 7:07 PM at #20 Bemidji State Sanford CenterBemidji, Minnesota FloHockey Giesbrecht L 1–2 OT 1,639 3–5–2 (1–2–1)
November 12 1:00 PM Mercyhurst* Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan (Exhibition) FloHockey Giesbrecht W 5–1  1,872
November 18 7:07 PM Bowling Green Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Stein L 0–6  1,497 3–6–2 (1–3–1)
November 19 7:07 PM Bowling Green Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht W 4–1  1,904 4–6–2 (2–3–1)
December 2 8:07 PM at #11 Minnesota State Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota KEYC Giesbrecht W 2–1  4,199 5–6–2 (3–3–1)
December 3 7:07 PM at #11 Minnesota State Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota KEYC Stein W 3–2  4,318 6–6–2 (4–3–1)
December 9 7:07 PM Northern Michigan Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht W 5–2  1,891 7–6–2 (5–3–1)
December 10 6:07 PM Northern Michigan Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Stein L 2–5  2,001 7–7–2 (5–4–1)
December 16 8:07 PM at St. Thomas St. Thomas Ice ArenaMendota Heights, Minnesota FloHockey Giesbrecht L 4–7  615 7–8–2 (5–5–1)
December 17 7:07 PM at St. Thomas St. Thomas Ice ArenaMendota Heights, Minnesota FloHockey Giesbrecht W 4–2  645 8–8–2 (6–5–1)
Great Lakes Invitational
December 27 7:00 PM vs. #11 Michigan State* Van Andel ArenaGrand Rapids, Michigan (Great Lakes Invitational Semifinal)   Giesbrecht W 4–2  - 9–8–2
December 28 7:00 PM vs. #18 Western Michigan* Van Andel ArenaGrand Rapids, Michigan (Great Lakes Invitational Championship)   Stein L 2–8  6,486 9–9–2
January 13 7:07 PM at Lake Superior State Taffy Abel ArenaSault Ste. Marie, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht W 4–0  1,669 10–9–2 (7–5–1)
January 14 6:07 PM at Lake Superior State Taffy Abel ArenaSault Ste. Marie, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht L 1–4  1,213 10–10–2 (7–6–1)
January 20 7:07 PM #14 Michigan Tech Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht L 0–1  2,156 10–11–2 (7–7–1)
January 21 6:07 PM #14 Michigan Tech Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Stein T 3–3 SOW 2,501 10–11–3 (7–7–2)
January 27 7:07 PM #14 Minnesota State Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht L 1–4  1,571 10–12–3 (7–8–2)
January 28 6:07 PM #14 Minnesota State Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Stein L 1–5  1,897 10–13–3 (7–9–2)
February 3 7:07 PM at Bowling Green Slater Family Ice ArenaBowling Green, Ohio FloHockey Giesbrecht W 2–1  3,211 11–13–3 (8–9–2)
February 4 7:07 PM at Bowling Green Slater Family Ice ArenaBowling Green, Ohio FloHockey Giesbrecht T 4–4 SOW 3,706 11–13–4 (8–9–3)
February 10 7:07 PM Bemidji State Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht W 3–2  1,947 12–13–4 (9–9–3)
February 11 6:07 PM Bemidji State Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht L 2–6  1,847 12–14–4 (9–10–3)
February 17 7:07 PM at Northern Michigan Berry Events CenterMarquette, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht L 2–9  2,464 12–15–4 (9–11–3)
February 18 6:07 PM at Northern Michigan Berry Events CenterMarquette, Michigan FloHockey Stein L 3–8  3,779 12–16–4 (9–12–3)
February 24 7:07 PM Lake Superior State Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht L 2–3 OT 1,904 12–17–4 (9–13–3)
February 25 5:07 PM Lake Superior State Ewigleben ArenaBig Rapids, Michigan FloHockey Giesbrecht L 2–4  2,398 12–18–4 (9–14–3)
CCHA Tournament
March 3 7:07 PM at Bowling Green* Slater Family Ice ArenaBowling Green, Ohio (Quarterfinal Game 1) FloHockey Giesbrecht W 4–3 OT 1,686 13–18–4
March 4 7:07 PM at Bowling Green* Slater Family Ice ArenaBowling Green, Ohio (Quarterfinal Game 2) FloHockey Giesbrecht W 2–1 OT 1,638 14–18–4
March 11 7:07 PM at #13 Minnesota State* Mayo Clinic Health System Event CenterMankato, Minnesota (Semifinal) FloHockey Giesbrecht L 2–7  4,468 14–19–4
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time.
Source:[3]

Scoring statistics edit

Name Position Games Goals Assists Points PIM
Jason Brancheau F 35 13 8 21 14
Štěpán Pokorný F 36 6 15 21 33
Bradley Marek F 37 8 10 18 12
Brenden MacLaren F 36 4 12 16 18
Tyler Schleppe F 36 9 6 15 14
Antonio Venuto RW 35 6 9 15 14
Blake Evennou D 36 1 14 15 18
Connor McGrath C 33 8 6 14 14
Mitchel Deelstra LW 35 8 6 14 47
Travis Shoudy RW 34 4 7 11 16
Matt Slick F 34 4 7 11 17
Nick Nardecchia RW 36 3 8 11 27
Drew Cooper D 33 0 8 8 16
Caiden Gault F 20 3 4 7 12
Jacob Dirks F 24 2 5 7 10
Ben Schultheis D 34 1 6 7 16
Dallas Tulik F 19 3 3 6 24
Andrew Noel D 22 2 3 5 14
Cade Kowalski C/RW 20 3 1 4 0
Luke Farthing D 20 1 3 4 25
Kaleb Ergang RW 19 1 2 3 10
Zach Faremouth F 27 0 3 3 22
Jacob Badal LW 18 1 1 2 2
Noah Giesbrecht G 28 0 2 2 2
Austin McCarthy F 7 1 0 1 0
Joey Henson G 1 0 0 0 0
Brenden Rons D 11 0 0 0 0
Logan Stein G 14 0 0 0 0
Total 92 148 240 411

[4]

Goaltending statistics edit

Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
Noah Giesbrecht 33 1560:27 11 12 1 80 775 0 .906 3.08
Logan Stein 18 697:13 3 7 3 45 327 0 .879 3.87
Empty Net - 6:57 - - - 6 - - - -
Total 37 2264:37 14 19 4 131 1102 0 .894 3.47

Rankings edit

Poll Week
Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 (Final)
USCHO.com NR - NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR - NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR - NR
USA Today NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR

Note: USCHO did not release a poll in weeks 1, 13, or 26.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ "Year-By-Year Record" (PDF). Ferris State Bulldogs. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "2020–21 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Ferris State University. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  3. ^ "2022-23 Ferris State Ice Hockey Schedule". Ferris State Bulldogs. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "Ferris State Univ. 2022-2023 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  5. ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.