Ferris State used two pairs of quick goals to fuel a 5-1 victory over Notre Dame Saturday night.
The first pair came early in the first period with Nate Milam and Chad Billins lighting the lamp for Ferris State.
Milam took the draw from Cory Kane and beat Steven Summerhays with a shot off the post to put the Bulldogs up 1-0.
Then just 51 seconds later, Billins’ shot from the left point found its way through traffic and past Summerhays.
“It was really important for us to get a good start and get pucks to the net,” said Billins. “We’ve been fortunate to have our power play click and have been working hard to do the simple things right.”
However, the quick goals woke up Notre Dame and the Fighting Irish began to apply more pressure to the Bulldogs, culminating in a power-play goal with just six seconds remaining in the frame.
Anders Lee won a faceoff back to Stephen Johns, who made a quick pass to Riley Sheahan, who beat Taylor Nelson with a rocket of a shot from the point.
After a fast back-and-forth start to the second period, Notre Dame appeared ready to tie the game while on another power play, but Nelson rose to the occasion and showed why goalies are commonly called a team’s best penalty killer.
“I thought the second period was his best of the weekend,” said Ferris State coach Bob Daniels. “He earned his keep and made some great saves and did a good job of controlling rebounds.”
Kane added to the Ferris State lead with just over four minutes left in the second by deflecting a shot by Billins past Mike Johnson.
“That was a big goal,” said Daniels. “At that point, I really didn’t think we were playing well enough to win.”
Ferris State iced the game with another pair of quick goals midway through the third period. Derek Graham and Jordie Johnston scored two minutes apart to put the game away.
Graham scored with a tip past Johnson off a shot by Jason Binkley on a play that started very similarly to Notre Dame’s goal with an offensive zone faceoff win and quick puck movement by the defensemen.
Finally, Johnston lit the lamp on a power play to end the night’s scoring.
“When you get two goals from your fourth line, that’s a big shot in the arm,” said Daniels about the play of Milam and Kane.
Notre Dame (16-13-3, 11-10-3-0 CCHA) will travel to Miami for a two-game CCHA series next weekend, while Ferris State (20-8-4, 14-6-4-1 CCHA) will host Bowling Green for a two-game set.
