In this episode, host Rob Bentley sits down with Andy Bronkema, Head Coach of the Men’s Basketball Team, to discuss the conclusion of the regular season, including matchups against the Saginaw Valley Cardinals and Wayne State. In the second segment, Rob interviews Bob Daniels, Head Coach of Ferris State Hockey, as they break down the recent games against the Northern Michigan Wildcats. They also reflect on Senior Night and wrap up the season’s final moments. To close out the episode, Rob catches up with Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kurt Westendorp to review the end of the regular season and preview what’s ahead in March. Join us next week for another exciting episode of Ferris Sports Update!
Written by Connor Penn, and Andrew Tingley | Producer/Featured by Scott Purcey
Ferri State Men’s Basketball
Hello bulldogs! We have a new and exciting new episode of Ferris Sports Update. In this episode we are dribbling back onto the court with Andy Bronkema and Rob Bentley. In this first segment Andy Bronkema (head coach of men’s basketball) talks about Ferris’s Men’s basketball playoffs. He starts off with some positive thoughts about how excited he is for this opportunity and how he feels comfortable and confident for where they are heading for this year’s playoffs.
Coach Bronkema goes over their last couple of games versus Wayne State and Saginaw Valley. He talks a lot about Wayne State and how they weren’t gonna be an easy team to go up against but knew that his team had the confidence and will have even more going up against them yet again in the future for the playoffs.
Then goes on explaining feedback from the Saginaw Valley game and mentioned that in the beginning of the game Saginaw Valley gave them a run for their money but then overcame that and won the game. Coach Bronkema then concludes this segment with a lot about how he’s excited for the GLIAC tournament and to see how well his team will handle this kind of pressure because he knows they can’t handle anything.
Ferris State Hockey
Next, Rob welcomes Head Coach Bob Daniels to discuss the final two home games of the season. This marks Coach Daniels’ last season before retirement, and he expressed deep gratitude for the awards and recognition he received during the pregame ceremony.
The Bulldogs have been on a strong run, posting a 7-3-1 record in their last 11 games. After a tough start to the season, the team has found ways to generate offense and secure wins, building confidence as they head into the playoffs.
Rob and Coach Daniels recap Friday’s game (February 28, 2025), in which the Bulldogs dominated, securing a decisive 5-1 victory.
The weekend also served as Senior Night, a special moment for the graduating players. Coach Daniels praised this resilient group, emphasizing how much he has enjoyed working with them.
Saturday’s matchup (March 1, 2025) was nothing short of thrilling. Entering the third period, the Northern Michigan Wildcats held a 2-1 lead. However, in a dramatic turn of events, the Bulldogs rallied, pulling ahead 4-3 with just 45 seconds remaining. The crowd erupted as Ferris appeared to be on the verge of victory. Then, with only seven seconds left, the Wildcats managed to find the back of the net, sending the game into overtime. The goal was reviewed but ultimately upheld.
What followed was an intense seven-round shootout, where the Bulldogs fell just short. Despite the loss, the atmosphere was electric, making for a memorable send-off for the seniors.
Now, the team’s focus shifts to postseason play as they prepare to face St. Thomas. With evenly matched teams and similar goaltending styles, it promises to be a competitive and exciting showdown.
Ferris State Women’s Basketball
Finally we hop right back onto the basketball court with Coach Kurt Westendorp. For this final segment of Ferris Sports Update we speak to Coach Westendorp about where the Women’s Basketball team stands. Coach Westendorp briefly talks about the teams past and how proud of them he was. He then acknowledges that there is so much opportunity for his players this year and he wants his team to want these opportunities as much as they wanted them last year.
Going over to the Saginaw Valley game there was an awkward start to the game. Once the game started it seemed to not impact either team and Coach Westendorp said that Ferris had found their rhythm, rebounding a lot better and had a lot of things going in their favor. Unfortunately they lost this game 67-70 but Overall for this game all he saw was potential and saw many things to improve on and fix before their GLIAC game and is excited for their future for this season.
Please join us next week for another episode of Ferris Sports Update!