Nov. 18, 2024
Ferris State hockey coach Bob Daniels notches 500th career win as Bulldogs top Lake Superior State in first game in Traverse City
Ferris State University hockey head coach Bob Daniels earned his 500th career victory Saturday with a 3-2 win over Lake Superior State in the first-ever college hockey game at Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City.
The milestone win reflects Daniels’ standing among college hockey coaches. He ranks sixth in wins among active coaches, and his 33 years behind the bench is second among active coaches in total number of seasons as a head coach.
The Bulldogs participated in the first Superior Ice Showdown as part of a road series against LSSU in Central Collegiate Hockey Association play. LSSU topped FSU 4-2 in Sault Ste. Marie on Friday before Ferris State bounced back win Saturday.
Daniels joined the Ferris State’s hockey team as an assistant coach during the 1989-90 season and rose to head coach in 1992. He led Ferris State to the program’s second league regular-season championship and its first trip to the Frozen Four and, eventually, the national championship game. He is a two-time Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year and a two-time national coach of the year.
Ferris State this year is 3-9-2, and 2-6-0 in the conference. The Bulldogs got two goals from junior forward Tyler Schleppe of Vancouver, British Columbia in Saturday's win, capping off a three-goal series for him. Lake State jumped out to a 2-0 lead for the second night in a row, but the Bulldogs were able to storm back and complete the comeback.
Timo Bakos scored the game's first goal with a power play conversion for Lake State at 1:03 in the second period. Connor Milburn collected an assist, his second assist of the series. LSSU tacked on its second goal courtesy of Milburn at 6:02 with Bakos and Blake Humphrey assisting.
Ferris State responded with two goals in eight seconds, the first of which came from Max Itagaki of Glenview, Illinois. His second goal in as many nights came on a rebound chance that he flipped past LSSU goaltender Rorke Applebee. Travis Shoudy took a shot from the point that Applebee saved, but Itagaki finished the rebound opportunity. Shoudy and Cole Burtch assisted.
Schleppe struck for the first time just eight seconds later, getting his third goal of the season and second of the weekend. He tied the game at 2-2 for the second night in a row, with Connor McGrath of LeRoy, Saskatchewan, and Trevor Taulien, of Cleveland, Wisconsin collecting assists.
Schleppe scored the game's final goal at 15:25. McGrath sent a shot on target that was saved by Applebee and tipped by Logan Heroux back to Schleppe, who fired a shot from the goal line that lit the lamp, serving as his first game-winning goal this year.
LSSU pulled Applebee for an extra attacker at 19:00, and then Taulien took an elbowing penalty, giving Lake State a 6-on-4 opportunity with 54 seconds left. The Bulldogs stood tall, not allowing a single shot from Lake State during that stretch.
With the win, Ferris State ended a six-game losing streak and collected its second conference win. Noah West of Pittsboro, Indiana won his third game of the year, stopping 14-16 shots. The 16 shots Ferris State faced was a season low.
Schleppe had the second two-goal performance of his career, with the other also coming against Lake State on Jan. 13, 2023.
Ferris State will return home for a series next weekend as the Bulldogs will welcome Augustana to Ewigleben Ice Arena for the first time. The Vikings visit Big Rapids Friday, Nov. 22 at for a 7:07 p.m. puck drop and Saturday, Nov. 23, at 6:07 p.m.