Season Preview: Ferris State

My choice for 10th place in the CCHA this year is Ferris State.

Projected Depth Chart:

LW Mark Bomersback C Dan Riedel RW Zac Pearson
LW Eric Vesely C Matt Frank RW Corey Couturier
LW Matt Verdone C Aaron Lewicki RW Justin Lewandowski
LW Adam Miller C Brendan Connolly RW Casey Haines
LD Chris Zarb RD Adam Welch G Mitch O'Keefe
LD Joe Van Culin RD Jeremy Scherlinck G Tom Mueller
LD Jim Jorgensen RD Alex Spezia G Derek MacIntyre

Strengths:

The Bulldogs have a number of very good players. Dan Reidel and Mark Bomersback make up a pretty good first line. Chris Zarb has a lot of potential on defenes, and veteran Jeremy Scherlinck is an experienced 5th year senior. In goal, Mitch O’Keefe emerged as the team’s starter last season and should be solid in goal once again.

Weaknesses:

What the Bulldogs are missing is a legitimate superstar that can really carry the team. Reidel showed that potential last season, though he had to miss some time due to mononucleosis. The Bulldogs will give a lot of CCHA teams fits this season, but I don’t think they quite have the talent to finish higher in the standings.

Overall:

The Bulldogs are another CCHA team in the category of “Could be very good if…” If Mitch O’Keefe has an outstanding year, and if Dan Reidel scores a ton of points, the Bulldogs could be exceptional. As of right now though, they’ve probably got the longest way to go among the contenders in the CCHA.

Question Marks:

Will Ferris be able to generate enough goals to compete with the top half of the CCHA? How much will defenseman Chris Zarb improve from his freshmen to sophomore season?

Key Player: Aaron Lewicki. Lewicki was a top amateur player with the Detroit Honeybaked organization and had success in the NAHL last year. If he can be effective as a freshmen this year, it will help Ferris’ depth tremendously.

Breakout Player: Dan Reidel. Reidel averaged almost a point per game last season, but his numbers were depressed a bit because he missed a few games due to illness. He could emerge as one of the better forwards in the CCHA this year.

Bellwether: The Bulldogs have always been a much better team at their home rink, Ewiglieglibendaflhkn Arena, than they have been on the road. Last year, they gave up 23 more goals on the road than they did at home.

Did You Know?

Ferris State is home to the Jim Crow Museum, which features artifacts from the days of segregation.

The school is named after educator, and former Michigan governor Woodbrige Nathan Ferris, not George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., inventor of the Ferris Wheel
If You Go There:

You Have to Eat At: I’m posthumously awarding this to Casey McNab’s, which was a great hangout back in the day. Sadly, it closed down years ago, and was replaced by a Chinese restaurant or something. Now, there really isn’t anything too noteworthy there.

You Have To Stop At: Katke Golf Course, which is maintained by the university’s world famous Golf Course Management program. Other than that, if you’re looking for entertainment, you’re gonna have to drive to Grand Rapids.