NCAA Frozen Four: Most Memorable Plays from Thursday's First Semifinal

“Who Let The Dogs Out?” cued up on the final horn at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, signaling a milestone triumph for the Ferris State University Bulldogs.

Putting in their first NCAA Men’s Frozen Four semifinal appearance in program history, the Bulldogs bumped their fellow newbies from Union College, 3-1.

Starting junior left winger Kyle Bonis single-handedly outscored the Dutchmen to turn an initial 1-0 deficit into an eventual 3-1 victory. After Bonis supplied the equalizer and go-ahead tally, Aaron Schmit cemented the upshot with an empty netter.

In addition to the decisive, and therefore defining play, here is a chronological summation of the top plays in Thursday’s first semifinal:

Bulldogs’ co-captain Chad Billins and center Corey Kane collaborated on what was easily their team’s most enticing chance in a scoreless first period. Billins’ shot from the right point chipped off Kane’s twig and dinked off the crossbar.

The Dutchmen’s most enticing opportunity in the opening frame fell with less than three minutes left until intermission. Top point-getter Jeremy Welsh’s pass from the far wall met an open linemate Daniel Carr on the porch, but Carr’s attempt at a one-time tap-in skidded wide to the right of the net.

Moments later, at the other end, Union captain Nolan Julseth-White won a battle of willpower with Ferris State forechecker Travis Ouelette.

As Ouelette toured the puck along the near alley and swooped behind the Dutchmen's cage, Julseth-White persistently shadowed him and ultimately got him to relinquish the puck in the far corner, breaking up the Bulldogs’ bid for a scoring change.

Early in the second period, Carr stripped FSU’s Derek Graham and handed things over to Josh Jooris, who made a threatening enough wraparound bid, but goaltender Taylor Nelson bailed out his skating mates by falling back on the seat of his pants to close the lower half of the cage.

At 8:02 of the second period, Welsh and Carr collaborated with blueliner Greg Coburn for the game’s icebreaker. On the heels of a Ferris State icing, Welsh won a draw from the far circle back to Coburn at the center point. Carr, stationed between the inner hash marks, deflected Coburn’s slapper into the upper right corner of the net.

The Bulldogs’ unaffected poise in the wake of the Union was self-evident in that they drew themselves the day’s first power play 15 seconds later. But the Dutch preserved their lead through the first special teams segment.

Upon garnering a second unanswered power play, however, Ferris State drew a 1-1 knot with 2:28 to go. Bonis took the puck along the goal line from the left side of the cage and smuggled it home behind Grosenick.

With 4:43 left in regulation, Bonis would break the knot he drew when Grosenick left him a lethal combination of a gaping near half of the cage and a fugitive rebound. Blueliner Brett Wysopal’s initial bid made like a Superball banking off of Grosenick’s pad and found an open Bonis, who backhanded it in.

Schmit, who had been stoned on a semi-breakaway less than two minutes before Bonis’ second strike, reran his efforts in the final minute. This time, breaking the puck out of his own end off a draw, he deposited an easy empty-netter.