Former Captains Lead Varsity Bulldogs to an Impressive Finish Behind the Bench

The Adrian College Bulldogs NCAA D3 Squad was under new leadership this season. Former Bulldog captains Adam Krug and Andrew Dovey took over the Bulldogs bench after coaches Ron Fogarty and Stavros Paskaris left the program.

Adam Krug, a Livonia, Michigan native, captained the Bulldogs in the ‘07-’08 season, the inaugural season of Bulldog hockey, and the ‘08-’09 season, leading them to back to back league championships, becoming the first team to capture the Harris Cup in their inaugural season. Krug amassed 52 goals and 77 assists in his career with the Bulldogs for a total of 129 points in 57 games for the Bulldogs. Krug played professionally in the Steaua Rangers in Romania, the Nijmegen Devils in the Netherlands, the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the Central Hockey League, the Mississippi Surge of the Southern Professional Hockey League, the Cincinnati Cyclones and the Toledo Walleye of the East Coast Hockey League. Krug was also the assistant coach of the now defunct Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in the United States. The Ice captured the Clark Cup, the top prize in the USHL, in the 2013-14 season.

Andrew Dovey captained the Bulldogs in the 2012-13 season. Dovey skated in 78 games as a defenseman. Dovey amassed 27 goals and 20 assists for 47 points and had a +36 plus/minus. After his senior season, Dovey joined the Knoxville IceBears of Southern Professional Hockey League in January of 2014.

The Bulldogs were led by ten graduating seniors in the class of 2015. Ryan Lowe, Micki Mihalovich, James Hamby, captain Duston Hebebrand, Scott Shackell, Grant Telfer, Rob Heath, Josh Ranalli, Ryan Giesler, and Kevin Balas.

The Bulldogs were captained by Duston Hebebrand, assistant captains junior Adam Davies, senior Ryan Giesler, senior Micki Mihalovich, senior Josh Ranalli, and freshman Mathew Thompson.

The Varsity squad had an impressive record of 24-4-3 overall and a near perfect 16-1-1 record in the NCHA, capturing their first ever Peters Cup as regular season champions.

On New Year’s Eve 2014, the Bulldogs played their second ever outdoor game as a part of the inaugural Walleye Winterfest against the United States National Development’s Under-18 team, a team of future NHL draft picks, dropping the contest to the NTDP U-18 team.

The Bulldogs re-captured the Harris Cup for the sixth time in their eight year history on March 7th. The Bulldogs faced longtime rival the Green Knights of St. Norbert College in the final, defeating the Green Knights 4-2 in the title clinching game. Freshman Kyle Brothers took home the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award for the NCHA tournament. Freshman Mathew Thompson, senior Ryan Giesler, and senior Josh Ranalli were all named to the All-Tournament team.

“We played well. It was good to see us put forward a solid 60-minute effort,” said Coach Adam Krug, “Our big guns were the difference makers tonight. Kyle Brothers scores on a penalty shot to get us a lead, Matthew Thompson scores in the second, and our lead scoring defenseman scores the game winning goal. And like any championship team, our goalie Scott Shackell, was one of, if not, the best on the ice.”

“What a great game,” said Athletic Director Mike Duffy, “Our young men showed great poise especially overcoming the 30-minute delay with the glass breakage. Adrian played a very smart and physical game. It is also great to be champion. These young men have worked so hard all year to put themselves into this position. We will have a home NCAA quarterfinal game as we start the quest for our second season. The "BIG Championship"!”

It was off to the “big championship” for the Bulldogs after defeating the Oswego State Lakers 5-4 in the National Quarterfinals. The Bulldogs took on the Trinity College Bantams at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Frozen Four. The Bulldogs fell to the Bantams, who would capture the National Title, 5-3.

Although the Bulldogs fell in the National Semifinal, Coach Adam Krug became only the second “rookie” coach to take his team all the way to the Frozen Four.

Senior Josh Ranalli, freshman Kyle Brothers, and senior Ryan Giesler were all named All American by the American Hockey Coaches Association.

In his freshman season, Brothers captured the sole possession of first place all time for single season game winning goals in Adrian College history.

The freshman led the pack for the Bulldogs. Freshman Kyle Brothers lead the Bulldogs in scoring and points with 24 goals and 25 assists, totalling 49 points in 30 games. Senior Josh Ranalli wasn’t far behind, tallying 17 goals and 28 assists for 45 points. Freshman Mathew Thompson was right on the heels of Ranalli, totalling 23 goals and 20 assists for 43 points.

Goaltender Scott Shackell led the Bulldogs in the crease, playing over one-thousand minutes in net and racking up a 2.13 GAA and a .926 save percentage and finishing his career with a 18-2-3 record. Senior James Hamby played over 400 minutes in net, amassing a 3.13 GAA and a .892 save percentage and a 4-2 record to finish his career with the Bulldogs. Freshman Dillon Kelley played an even 120 minutes in net, posting a 2.00 GAA and a .892 save percentage.

Overall, the Bulldogs finished the season with a 24-4-3 record, scoring 146 goals in those 31 games and allowing only 76. The Bulldogs look to defend their title as the top team in the NCHA next season with a large incoming freshman class. If Coach Krug’s rookie season behind the bench is any indication of what is to come, the Bulldogs have a promising future ahead of them.