Oct. 3, 2009

Final Stats

By Drew Davis

OXFORD, Ohio - The No. 1 ranked Miami hockey team made its season debut Saturday night at Steve Cady Arena at the Goggin Ice Center with a 6-2 exhibition win over the University of Windsor (Ontario).

Windsor kept pace with the RedHawks for the first half of the opening period, keeping the puck out of their defensive zone with aggressive play, but the Red and White proved to be too strong, scoring the first goal at 9:24 of the period. Reilly Smith opened the floodgates from Trent Vogelhuber and Andy Miele.

Alden Hirschfeld scored the second goal at 13:13 of the period on a 4-on-4 from Gary Steffes. The third score came just over two minutes later at 15:39 when Jarod Palmer tallied a power play goal on a rebound from Steffes and Smith.

Miami fired 25 shots while holding Windsor to only seven in the first period. Five of the Lancers' seven shots were on goal, but Miami goaltender Cody Reichard was there for the save each time.

Miami kept up the pace to open the second period, keeping the puck in the Lancers' zone for much of the first five minutes and gaining a 5-on-3 advantage after two Windsor penalties at 4:27 and 4:49 of the period. The RedHawks, however, could not convert and a Windsor steal led to a 2-on-1 breakaway, ending in a one-timer that found its way past Reichard to cut the Miami lead to 3-1 at the 5:54 mark.

Miami quickly regained the three-goal cushion at 7:14 on an even-strength goal by Miele. The RedHawks set up in the offensive zone and Palmer took a pass inside the left faceoff circle from Vogelhuber. His pass found Miele skating toward the goal, who put it away high to stick side.

At 9:10 of the second period, Connor Knapp replaced Reichard in goal and picked up right where Reichard left off, making a number of difficult saves and preventing Windsor from cutting into the lead.

At the 7:14 mark in the third period, Tommy Wingels batted a deflected shot from Hirschfeld past the Windsor goaltender for Miami's fifth goal of the game. 2009-10 preseason CCHA first-team pick Carter Camper earned an assist when he fired a shot from the point and Palmer, positioned at the left pipe, deflected it into the net at 9:11 of the final period for his second goal of the game and a 6-1 lead.

The Lancers scored the final goal of the game at 11:57 of the third period on a rebound off Knapp's pads.

"It's good to see the guys in action," head coach Enrico Blasi said. "It gave us an opportunity to see what we need to do to get ready for next week and the rest of the season."

He went on to compliment the play of the team's newcomers.

"In their first game, all the new guys played really well," he said. "Now we need to focus on getting ready for next weekend."

Miami opens the regular season at home at Steve Cady Arena at the Goggin Ice Center on Oct. 9-10 against St. Cloud State.

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