Ferris State Downs Colgate, 3-1

The Ferris State men’s ice hockey team swept a two-game non-conference weekend series against Colgate University with a 3-1 victory Saturday night.

The two teams faced off for the fourth time in the young series after a 1-1-0 split last season in Hamilton, N.Y. Ferris now holds a 3-1-0 advantage with three-straight wins starting with a 3-2 win at Colgate on Dec. 11, 1999 and the weekend sweep this year.

Colgate goalie Jason LeFevre gets down to stop a shot from Ferris State’s Rob Collins (23) during the Bulldogs’ 5-4 win Friday

Ferris State (2-4-2) took a 1-0 lead when Chris Kunitz connected on a rebound just outside the left crease at 6:15 of the first period. Rob Collins setup the goal when his initial slapshot was saved by Colgate goaltender Jason Lefevre and Kunitz was there to stuff the rebound in.

The Bulldogs extended their lead to 2-0 when Scott Lewis registered Ferris State’s fifth power-play goal of the two-game series at 18:22 of the first. Lewis was filling in for Christian Scroeder who left Friday’s game with a concussion at the end of the first period. Lewis received a pass from Phil Lewandowski inside the left face-off circle and he ripped a wrist shot to Lefevre’s glove side.

Colgate (1-3-2) cut the lead to 2-1 at 7:45 of the third period when Scooter Smith found a streaking Kevin Johns who carried the puck into the zone getting ahead of the FSU defense. Johns scored his second marker of the season when put the breaks on in front of the net and pounded it home. Cory Murphy picked up his team-leading sixth helper on the goal.

Colgate is now 0-2-1 against CCHA opponents this season and 3-6-1 since the 1997-98 season. The lone tie this season came against Michigan to open the season at the Ice Breaker Cup on Oct. 6.

The Red Raiders tried to score with the extra attacker pulling Lefevre with 43 seconds remaining in the contest, but the Bulldogs’ Kevin Swider put the game away registering the empty-netter 12 seconds later.

Colgate will open ECAC action next weekend when they travel to Rensselaer on Nov. 10 and close out the weekend series at Union on Nov. 11. Ferris State will play a home and home with Michigan, starting in Michigan next Friday.