Box Score BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - The Wildcats traveled to Big Rapids to square off against the Ferris State Bulldogs in the second to last CCHA regular season series, taking game one of the weekend series 3-2.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring just two minutes into the game, but three straight goals from
Artem Shlaine,
Grant Slukynsky, and
Matvei Kabanov, and the 'Cats jumped to a 3-1 lead. The 'Dogs scored late with the empty net, but it was too little too late, and the 'Cats skated away with three crucial CCHA points.
The 'Cats now improve to 10-15-5 overall and 8-10-3 in CCHA play with 29 points. The Bulldogs fall to 10-21-1 overall and 6-16-0 in CCHA play with 17 points.
Cat Nips
- Artem Shlaine opened the scoring on the power play, giving him his team-leading 10th goal and seventh power play goal, and two goals in two games
- Grant Slukynsky scored the 'Cats second goal of the evening, also on the power play. That goal gives Slukynsky three goals in as many games and second on the power play
- Matvei Kabanov registered his fourth goal and sixth assist of the season, giving him three points the previous three games
- Andre Ghantous extended his point streak to four games with two assists (1-4--5) while also reaching the 100 career assists mark
- Kristof Papp recorded his 12th assist of the season and 10th career point against the 'Dogs (4-6--10)
- Michael Van Unen registered the primary assist on Slukynsky's goal, giving him his first point since 11/17/23
- Josh Zinger registered his 16th assist of the season off a slick spin-o-rama play
- Beni Halasz
- The 'Cats power play continues to be red hot, going 2/3 and extending their streak to five straight games with a PPG (8/18 - 44.4% in that frame) and 10 goals their previous nine games (10/30 - 33.3% in that frame)
- The 'Cats killed off all of their penalties, going a perfect 4/4 on the PK, including kiling off a five-minute major
- The 'Cats improve to 9-1-1 when leading after two periods
How It Happened
1st Period
The Bulldogs opened the scoring two minutes into the game. After a mad scramble in the crease moved to the right faceoff dot, Jacob Dirks fired a seeing eye shot that Halasz wasn't able to pick up.
The 'Cats tied the game on the power play, making it five consecutive games with a PPG. A Papp onetimer created a rebound that followed up and batted out of the air to even the score.
2nd Period
The 'Cats struck on the power play again, as successful puck movement from Kabanov and Van Unen found Slukynsky atop the right faceoff circle, and the left-handed freshman let a one-timer rip bar down to give the 'Cats the lead.
Kabanov picked up his second point of the night after Zinger cruised through the neutral zone and gained the Bulldog blue line. Zinger made a spin move atop the left circle to lose his defender before making a perfect cross-ice pass to Kabanov who made no mistake to beat the goalkeeper.
3rd Period
With the goalie pulled, Luigi Benincasa pulled the 'Dogs within one after he fired a shot from outside the right circle that found a way to the net through traffic.
Up Next
Game two from Big Rapids comes tomorrow night at 6:07 p.m.
