Big Challenges & Marquee Matchups Await Defending WCHA Champs As Ferris State Hockey Unveils 2016-17 Schedule

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Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team officially unveiled its upcoming 2016-17 schedule on Thursday (May 19) in conjunction with the release of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) composite slate by the conference office and the schedule is filled with marquee contests against both in-state and league rivals.

The Bulldogs, who are the defending WCHA postseason champions and coming off a NCAA Final Eight appearance, will embark on their 42nd campaign this coming fall and again face perhaps one of the country's toughest schedules as they seek their fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last six years.

The 2016-17 schedule is highlighted by matchups against every other in-state Division I opponent from Michigan, including non-conference home showdowns against Michigan, Michigan State and Western Michigan inside FSU's Ewigleben Ice Arena. Overall, the Bulldogs will play host to five of the other six D1 programs from Michigan this coming year. This coming season will represent the first time in which the Bulldogs have faced every Michigan opponent in the same campaign since the 1995-96 season.

Along with the premier matchups against the in-state foes, the Bulldogs will also entertain conference rivals such as Minnesota State and Bowling Green as part of a 17-game home schedule.

Meanwhile, FSU will play non-league road matchups against Western Michigan and Michigan State in addition to taking part in the prestigious Three Rivers Classic at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh over the holiday break.

"This schedule will be a huge treat for our fans as we face some of the top teams in the country on a nightly basis," said FSU head coach and two-time National Coach of the Year Bob Daniels, who will embark on his 25th season at the helm this coming year. "I know both our returning players and our fans will be thrilled to welcome so many high-quality opponents to our home rink and the challenges we will face both at home and on the road should make for very entertaining action."

The Bulldogs will open up the 2016-17 campaign on home ice with one of the program's earliest starts ever as they play host to Alabama Huntsville on Oct. 1-2 in a conference-opening WCHA series. The early start comes by virtue of the recent change to the WCHA's postseason slate, which will see the entirety of the league playoff action moved to campus sites.

Following the season-opening tilt against the Chargers, the Bulldogs will face in-state rival Western Michigan in a home-and-home series for the second-straight campaign on Oct. 7-8 in West Michigan. The Bulldogs will host the Broncos in the Friday night opener before paying a visit to Kalamazoo for the finale on Saturday evening.

FSU then returns home for three-straight outings at the Ewigleben Ice Arena in mid-October. Ferris State will entertain the University of Michigan on Oct. 15 for a single game before hosting Northern Michigan in WCHA action on Oct. 21-22. The Wolverines last made a visit to Big Rapids in 2014-15 with the Bulldogs recording a thrilling 4-3 season-opening victory before a sold out home crowd.

After the league home set against NMU, Ferris State hits the road two-straight weekends with league trips to Minnesota State (Oct. 28-29) and Bowling Green (Nov. 4-5), who both finished among the top three in the league regular-season race this past year. FSU will face each opponent four times during the 2016-17 season.

Ferris State will play a second non-league home-and-home series on Nov. 11-12 when the Bulldogs square off against Michigan State. The opening game is on Friday night in East Lansing at Munn Ice Arena before the two teams return to Big Rapids the following evening. It will mark the Spartans' first visit to Big Rapids since the 2012-13 season. The two-game set versus MSU is then followed by a league home series' against Lake Superior State on Nov. 18-19.

The Bulldogs will have the Thanksgiving weekend off, but return to the road with a trip to Alabama Huntsville on Dec. 3-4. The Saturday-Sunday series against the Chargers will be followed by home action versus Minnesota State on Dec. 9-10 in the Bulldogs' final action prior to the holiday break.

Over the holiday break, the Bulldogs will make their first-ever visit to the Three Rivers Classic on Dec. 29-30 in Pittsburgh. FSU faces Robert Morris (Pa.) in day one action and then will potentially face either reigning national runner-up Quinnipiac or Boston College the following day.

In the second half of the campaign, the Bulldogs begin with a trek to Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 6-7 followed by the first home contests of the 2017 calendar year against Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 13-14. FSU then travels to Bemidji State on Jan. 20-21 before closing the month back at home against Bowling Green on Jan. 27-28 in Big Rapids.

The final month of the regular season will see Ferris State play a pair of road series' in Michigan's Upper Peninsula at Michigan Tech on Feb. 10-11 and Lake Superior State on Feb. 24-25 with a two-game home set against Alaska Anchorage the week between on Feb. 17-18.

"This schedule will be a tremendous challenge and one that will certainly test our team this coming year," said Daniels. "Both in and out of the conference race, the excitement generated on the ice should make it especially entertaining for the fans."

The top four teams again following league regular-season action will host the opening round of the WCHA Playoffs March 3-5 with the winner of each best-of-three series advancing to the league semifinals. The semifinals will be a best-of-three series on campus sites March 10-12 with the two remaining teams squaring off for the WCHA's Broadmoor Trophy in a single game on Saturday, March 18, at the highest seed.

NCAA Regional action will be held again this coming year at four sites March 24-26 with the 2017 Frozen Four set for April 6 & 8 in Chicago, Ill.

Official starting times for all contests will be announced in the near future and the schedule is subject to change. Fans are encouraged to frequently view Ferris State Athletics' official website at FerrisStateBulldogs.com for the latest Bulldog Hockey schedule updates and changes.

Additional information on season ticket packages and single-game sales will also be announced in the months ahead. For more information on tickets, please call (231) 591-2888 or visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com.

The Bulldogs closed the 2015-16 campaign by making the program's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, including the third in the past five years to date. Along with this past year's run to the NCAA West Regional Championship game, the Bulldogs also won the WCHA's Broadmoor Trophy as the league's Final Five Champion. It marked the first conference tournament championship in school history and came on the heels of conference regular-season titles in both 2012 and 2014.

Along with a Frozen Four berth and national title game showing in 2012, FSU also has reached the regional final and the final eight of the NCAA Tournament in both 2014 and 2016.