Ferris State’s celebration of a go-ahead goal late in the third period against Wisconsin on Friday didn’t last long.
Jared VanWormer’s rebound goal was overturned after a video review, and the Bulldogs tied the Badgers 1-1.
Joel Rumpel made 34 saves for Wisconsin, which avoided defeat for the first time in nine games this season.
The Badgers avoided joining the 1932-33 team as the only team in program history to start a season 0-9, but they needed a review to go in their favor.
With 2:21 left in the third period, VanWormer’s second rebound attempt got past Rumpel, who had been contacted by Ferris State’s Brandon Anselmini on a drive to the net.
Referees ruled a goal on the ice, but quickly overturned the call after watching a replay.
“I could see the call; I don’t have any argument at all,” Ferris State coach Bob Daniels said. “You always look at it from a different set of glasses than anybody else and you’re thinking, well, it wasn’t that bad or he was pushed in. I didn’t feel it was arguable once I snuck a peek at the big screen.”
There were some bright spots for the Badgers (0-8-1) after a long stretch of darkness to open the season.
They blocked 26 Ferris State shots, with defenseman Kevin Schulze getting in the way of seven on his own.
They led in a game for only the second time this season, holding an advantage for 5:16 in the third period after Matt Ustaski’s rebound goal.
And they won an exhibition shootout after 65 minutes, with Rumpel stopping all three shots and Morgan Zulinick scoring.
Still, Wisconsin stands as the nation’s only winless team, and has played more than a quarter of its regular season games.
The Badgers held a lengthy video session after the game in which coach Mike Eaves said he tried to get across that there were plenty of deficiencies that need to be fixed and that a tie and exhibition shootout win weren’t satisfactory.
“It was heartfelt,” Eaves said when he emerged from the locker room about 45 minutes after the game ended. “There was interaction between coaches and players. Hopefully, it’ll help us be a better team come tomorrow. That’s our hope.”
Were voices raised?
“There was no need for that at this point,” Eaves said. “It was about pointing things out.”
After two scoreless periods, Ustaski put the Badgers ahead 2:13 into the third when he converted a rebound of a Cameron Hughes power-play shot.
Freshman Andrew Dorantes answered for the Bulldogs (7-6-1) five minutes later with his first collegiate goal, firing a wrist shot past Rumpel from the right circle.
Those were the only blemishes that counted against Rumpel and Ferris State’s CJ Motte (22 saves), both Hobey Baker Award finalists last season.
“Thank goodness that [Rumpel] was excellent tonight, because he allowed us to get a tie and then a win in the shootout,” Eaves said.
“He’s been playing that way all year,” Daniels said of Motte.
Motte said he had no idea that the teams were going to play a shootout, something used in Big Ten and NCHC games, until referees told him at the end of overtime.
“Obviously, we’d like to win it but it goes down as a tie,” Motte said. “We’ll just take it for what it is.”
For the Badgers, it was something after a series of kicks in the gut.
“In the things that we’ve been going through,” Eaves said, “that’s a little sliver of light for us.”
