Box Score
Postgame Video
Union Alumni at the Frozen Four
TAMPA, FL – Kyle Bonis scored at 15:17 of the third period to lift Ferris State University (26-11-5, 16-7-5-1 CCHA) to a 3-1 victory over Union College (26-8-7, 14-4-4 ECAC Hockey) in a national semifinal game at the 2012 NCAA Men's Frozen Four at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Sophomore forward Daniel Carr scored his 20th goal of the season in the first period, and sophomore goaltender Troy Grosenick stopped 34 shots in net. Carr became the first player in program history to score 20 goals in two consecutive seasons since Union moved to Division I in 1991-92.
Ferris State had the first opportunity of the game when Jordie Johnston looked to stuff it in on the left side of Troy Grosenick but the goaltender hugged his right post at 1:57. At 3:29, Kyle Bonis was open at the top of the circles but Grosenick squared and saved the drive. The first whistle did not come until 6:19 into the contest.
With 6:49 gone in the first, Wayne Simpson took a shot from the right circle dot through a screen of a Bulldog defenseman, but Taylor Nelson made the stop. Ferris almost opened the scoring at 7:16, when Chad Billins' shot from the right point was tipped high by Eric Alexander. The tip went past Grosenick but found the right corner crossbar and deflected away. At 8:20, Johnston slid a pass across the crease but Matthew Kirzinger couldn't the stick on it to the right of the cage. Jeremy Welsh looked for an open
Daniel Carr had an opportunity with 2:10 left but just missed his streaking teammate in front of Nelson, and with 1:32 left, Union's pressure continued with a stop off Wayne Simpson on the right side for Nelson.
Just 22 seconds into the second stanza, Carr capped some early Union pressure with a wrister from Nelson's right circle that was stopped. 1:07 in, Daniel Ciampini dropped a pass for Kevin Sullivan in the slot that went just wide left. Action continued with Wayne Simpson on the doorstep shot swept away. Three minutes in, Jooris drew the defenseman on a two on one but Nelson saved the drive with his right pad. Billins blasted a shot with five minutes gone from the left point that was stopped.
Union's best chance at that point came from the left point with 6:22 gone, as a drive from Shayne Gostisbehere rang off the post.
The Dutchmen broke the ice with the first goal of the contest after junior forward Jeremy Welsh won a faceoff back to the point. Junior defenseman Greg Coburn's shot was tipped high by Carr, high enough over the glove of Nelson to give Carr his 20th of the season.
The Bulldogs went on the first power play on Ryan Forgaard trip at 8:17, but no shot reached the Union cage. With 8:14 left in a more fast paced period, Sam Coatta got by one defenseman and backhanded one stopped by Nelson.
With 4:42 left, Ferris State drew a charging penalty on sophomore forward Cole Ikkala after sustained pressure in the Union zone. With 57 seconds left on the man advantage, Ferris State's Chad Billins wristed a shot from the middle of the blueline that Grosenick saved. But the Bulldogs converted with 22 seconds remaining on the power play. Kyle Bonis shot from just outside the left post, and the rebound in front was quickly stuffed in by Aaron Schmit for his seventh of the season at 17:02.
After two periods, the Bulldogs had a 22-19 shot advantage. With just 27 seconds elapsed in the third, Welsh broke through the Bulldog defense and Nelson made a last second quick low left glove save.
Union opened the third period with early chances. A low drive by Nolan Julseth-White from the left point was just tipped wide by Carr at 17:12. Union went on the power play at 4:30 for the first time in the game as Derek Graham hooked Mat Bodie at center ice. But soon after, Jooris was called for a high sticking penalty at 5:53.
Union killed of the penalty, but Ferris State got another power play opportunity, the fourth of the night, on a Mat Bodie elbow at 10:26. Jason Binkley's shot at the right point was stopped but his Bulldog teammate, Graham, picked up the rebound in the slot and Grosenick was there with the right pad. Grosenick's best save of the night was at 6:28, when Schmit broke in alone inside the blueline but the sophomore goaltender made a glistening right pad save after a deke.
Ferris State took a 2-1 lead with just 4:43 remaining in the third period. Brett Wysopal took a shot from the right point that Grosenick stopped, but the rebound came out to Bonis, who quickly deposited his 20th of the season for the first Bulldog lead of the night.
Grosenick was pulled for the extra attacker with 1:19 remaining in regulation. But after a face off, Schmit took off from his own blueline and skated all the way down for the third Ferris goal.
Ferris State outshot the Dutchmen, 37-27, with Grosenick making 35 saves and Nelson stopping 26. Union ended a historic season with 26 victories, a Cleary Cup Championship, a Whitelaw Cup Championship, and the program's first ever Frozen Four appearance.
