“This is a screwy place to play,” a Miami player said on the bench during Saturday’s game.
Perhaps Miami coach Enrico Blasi would want to play in a “screwy place” like this all the time.
Miami buried two goals in the final period to take the second game of this weekend series by a score of 3-2. It was a complete turnaround from what happened the previous night when both teams left their defenses at home and nine goals total were scored.
“I felt that we came out much better defensively,” Bulldog coach Bob Daniels said after the game. “It just seemed that fate was not on our side.”
Greg Hogeboom started the scoring for Miami in the second period. Hogeboom collected a rebound fresh off Bulldog goaltender John De Caro’s pads and dented the twine at 13:22 to make it 1-0.
Chris Kuniz would answer back just 22 seconds later. Rob Collins fed a perfect pass to Kunitz who roofed it over Miami goaltender David Burleigh to knot the score at 1-1 at 13:44.
Derrick McIver gave Ferris the lead in the third period on his own. McIver stole the puck on an errant pass by the Miami defense and went in alone on Burleigh. The puck hit the tip of Burleigh’s glove, but had eyes as it flipped into the back of the net to make it 2-1 at 9:43.
Ferris State would make the mistake of trying to protect the lead too early and it would cost them dearly. At 13:45, the momentum shifted dramatically when Miami forward Michael Glumac’s shot deflected off of a Ferris State defenseman and into the net past De Caro to knot the score at 2-2.
Bulldog forward Mike Kinnie would have a chance to score a minute later on a breakaway, but Burleigh was there to preserve the tie. Danny Stewart provided the game winner at 15:46 on a precision passing play. With the Bulldogs scurrying around in their own zone, Jake Ortmeyer unleashed a cannon shot. De Caro was there for the initial save, but Evan Cheverie was there for the rebound. Instead of taking the low percentage chance, he passed it over to Stewart who slid it under De Caro’s pads to make it 3-2 at 15:46.
“It is hard on these guys to work so hard and come out of this weekend empty handed,” Daniels said. “We are going to go back and work on the fundamentals and build our confidence back up for next weekend.”
Ferris State hosts Lake Superior State for two games next weekend while Miami will host Western Michigan for two.
