BIG RAPIDS - Michigan goalie Al Montoya had his midterm Saturday night against Ferris State, and according to the Bulldogs' Hobey Baker candidate, Chris Kunitz, the freshman didn't leave Big Rapids with a passing grade.

"I think we had him rattled - I mean the first shot on net I had went over his glove, and it wasn't a hard shot or anything," Kunitz said. "And we just kept pressuring and pressuring him, and he kind of fell apart for his team. We had him on the ropes right off the bat.

"Maybe he was a little worried from (Friday) night."

Kunitz was referring to the two times Montoya went down Friday after Ferris State players had run into him.

For all the critiquing Kunitz gave Montoya, the senior basically rewrote the test that Michigan's netminder was taking. Kunitz finished the weekend with four goals and one assist - all five points coming before Michigan scored in either game. And with three of the points in Saturday night's first period, he was personally going to make sure the Bulldogs had a lead they would not relinquish.

Ferris State grabbed a 2-0 lead four minutes into Friday's game, but lost the goal advantage by the second period. On Saturday, Ferris State had a 4-0 lead before Michigan scored at the 7:32 mark of the second period.

"I think it gives our guys a boost when we score first, and it gets guys rolling to keep going out there," Kunitz said. "Everyone was excited and it's not like, 'Here we go again.'"

Although Kunitz was a main factor early on, his lack of point production in the third period was definitely noticeable. But Ferris State coach Bob Daniels takes the blame for that.

"The only thing I've got to find a way to (rest him) - but I overplayed him," Daniels said. "So by the time he hit the third period, the kid's exhausted and I don't think he can generate the kind of offense that he does in the first period. With the penalty kill, the four-on-four and the powerplay, I just think I wore him out."

With the win, Ferris State retained its four-point lead over Michigan that it had going into the two-game home-and-home series. And although his Bulldogs sit atop the CCHA right now, Kunitz is still quite aware of which team the title goes through come March.

"We'll be excited to play (the Wolverines) at a neutral site like Joe Louis Arena," Kunitz said. "We're both top teams in the league, it's just exciting to play against them."

Kunitz, at 53 points for the season, is one of the main candidates for the Hobey Baker Award. And while he didn't leave that impressed of Michigan's stud goaltender, he did leave with high thoughts of the Wolverines' leading goal scorer, - freshman Jeff Tambellini.

"He reminds you a lot of (former Wolverines) Mike Cammalleri and Mike Comrie," Kunitz said. "He's ... shifty, real good, sees the ice well, shoots the puck well and just gets in the open spots.

"He's going to be a great player in the future for sure. He's been carrying Michigan as a freshman, so he's going to have great things to come in the future."