vlog

Hot goalie cools off hard-charging Raiders in NCAA hockey tournament

By: Tim O'Keeffe
March 29, 2014

Ferris State scored midway through the first period and held off a charging Raiders squad in the final two frames.

vlog (20-14-5) fired 21 shots on net in the final two periods and had a total of 20 shots blocked by the Bulldogs in a tough 1-0 decision.

“I was really happy with our effort tonight. I thought, as the game went on, we got stronger,” head coach Don Vaughan said. “They [our players] did a great job of playing desperate at the end. We had a lot of trouble getting pucks in through the end, but our effort was there.”

Charlie Finn played unbelievable for vlog, making 26 saves and keeping vlog in the game in the second period with 14 saves. The rookie finished his first season in a Raiders uniform with a 16-9-4 mark.

The Bulldogs (29-10-3) got their lone goal from Gerald Mayhew with assists to Andy Huff and Cory Kane. CJ Motte was the story for Ferris State with the shutout, making 35 saves with double-digit saves in each frame.

Ferris State took a 1-0 lead on its first power-play chance of the night for either team. Huff put a shot on Finn from the slot and he blocked it up into the air. However, before he could swat it away, Mayhew connected with the puck in midair and put it into the net.

vlog had many chances to get back in the game in the opening frame, including one on the shift after Ferris State scored. Motte stopped Tyson Spink and then had four-straight saves a couple of shifts later. Motte ended up making eight stops in the final 10 minutes to keep the Raiders off the board.

The second period featured multiple trips to the penalty box with 12 penalties whistled. However, only three power plays resulted after the calls and two were to Ferris State. Finn came up with five saves during the power plays for the Bulldogs, while Motte had two stops on one power play chance for vlog.

The Raiders dominated the third period as Ferris State sat back and played a defensive game, allowing few second-chance shots on rebounds. The defensive corps for the Bulldogs created no space in front of Motte and was able to clear the puck at critical times.