The Ferris State University men's ice hockey squad will open postseason play on the road this weekend as the Bulldogs visit Bowling Green for the second-straight year for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) First-Round Playoff series March 2-4 in Bowling Green, Ohio.

 

The sixth-seeded Bulldogs and the third-seeded Falcons will battle at the Slater Family Ice Arena on Friday and Saturday nights with the deciding game three set for Sunday, if necessary. Friday's opening game of the weekend will begin at 8:07 p.m. (ET) with the final two games at 7:07 p.m. (ET).

 

This year will represent the Bulldogs' 21st consecutive postseason playoff appearance, including the fifth-straight in five seasons in the WCHA. It will also mark Ferris State's 36th trip to the postseason in program history. FSU has advanced past the quarterfinal round in three of its previous four WCHA postseason appearances, including winning the program's first-ever conference postseason crown in 2016.

 

"Hockey is the best sport there is, playoff hockey is the best of the best, and winning a championship in your home arena – or coming together as a team to win on the road – is one of the greatest feelings a player or coach can have," said Ferris State head coach Bob Daniels.

 

For ticket information, please call the BGSU Ticket Office at 877.BGSU.Ticket or visit www.bgsufalcons.com/tickets to purchase online.

 

The top four teams in the WCHA will host a best-of-three, quarterfinal round series this weekend in the WCHA Playoffs. From there, the two highest remaining seeds will host a best-of-three WCHA Playoffs semifinal series the weekend of March 9-11. The tournament concludes with the single-game, 2018 WCHA Championship, held at the venue of the top remaining seed on Saturday, March 17, as part of the WCHA's on-campus playoff hockey format.

 

The winner of the 2018 WCHA tournament receives the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship.

 

Pairings and start times for the best-of-three, quarterfinal round of the 2018 WCHA Playoffs (team's seed is in parentheses):

 

Games of Friday, March 2: (7) Alabama Huntsville at (2) Northern Michigan, 7:07 p.m. ET; (6) Ferris State at (3) Bowling Green, 8:07 p.m. ET; (5) Michigan Tech at (4) Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. CT; (8) Alaska at (1) Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m. CT.

 

Games of Saturday, March 3: (7) Alabama Huntsville at (2) Northern Michigan, 7:07 p.m. ET; (6) Ferris State at (3) Bowling Green, 7:07 p.m. ET; (5) Michigan Tech at (4) Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. CT; (8) Alaska at (1) Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m. CT.

 

Games of Sunday, March 4 (if necessary): (7) Alabama Huntsville at (2) Northern Michigan, 7:07 p.m. ET; (6) Ferris State at (3) Bowling Green, 7:07 p.m. ET; (5) Michigan Tech at (4) Bemidji State, 5:07 p.m. CT; (8) Alaska at (1) Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m. CT.

 

Of note, the 2018 WCHA tournament will not follow a straight bracket. In the semifinal round of the 2018 WCHA Playoffs, the highest remaining seed will host the lowest remaining seed in one series; in the other, the second-highest remaining seed will host the second-lowest.

 

Every game of the 2018 WCHA Playoffs will be available live (and archived) on WCHA.tv.

All Ferris State Hockey postseason contests can be heard live on local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM and the Bulldog Sports Network with Harrison Watt calling the action. An online broadcast is available at FerrisStateBulldogs.com with pregame coverage starting a half-hour prior to puck drop.

Since 2012, the Bulldogs have made three NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to the NCAA Final Eight all three times. FSU has also won two conference regular-season championships along with capturing the WCHA's Broadmoor Trophy once as the league's Final Five Champion. 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