Nov. 6, 2009

Final Stats

By Drew Davis

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Senior Jarod Palmer scored twice in the first period and sophomore goaltender Cody Reichard stopped 27 shots to lead No. 1 Miami to a 3-1 victory at No. 4 Michigan Friday night in CCHA action. The win was just the fourth in 48 games at Yost Arena for the RedHawks.

Michigan controlled the opening minutes of the game, holding it in the Miami zone and keeping the RedHawks off-balance with a number of open-ice hits, but was unable to get anything past Reichard. The RedHawks (7-1-1, 4-1-0-0) quickly turned the tables at 3:42 of the first period when Palmer found the open net for an early 1-0 lead. Palmer won the faceoff in the right circle of the Michigan zone and maintained control of the puck. His first shot was blocked, but after a scramble on the right side of the net, junior Justin Vaive was able to push the puck to the left side where Palmer used a backhand shot to beat the Michigan goaltender.

After the goal, Miami set the pace of the game, keeping the puck in the attacking zone, but the Wolverine defense limited any easy scoring chances. At 7:52 of the first period, Michigan's Matt Rust went to the penalty box for tripping, giving the RedHawks their first power play of the game. The power play was a 4-on-3 with Miami's Carter Camper and Michigan's Carl Hagelin already in the box for roughing after the whistle.

Freshman Curtis McKenzie worked the puck around the net and passed back to Palmer at the top of the right faceoff circle. Palmer moved it to the left and fired a wrist shot through traffic and into the back of the net to give the RedHawks the 2-0 advantage.

Miami only managed four shots in the first period on the Michigan defense, but was able to capitalize twice. On the other side of the ice, Reichard turned away all seven of the Wolverines' first-period shots.

Michigan controlled the second period, taking 14 shots to Miami's two. Reichard stayed strong in goal, stopping all but one of the shots, including a penalty shot early in the period. Michigan's lone goal came at 14:06 on a 4-on-3 power play. Reichard made the initial save and almost covered the puck, but it snuck through his pads and into the goal as the Wolverines cut the lead to 2-1.

In the third period, Miami used smothering defense to limit Michigan to only seven shots on goal. At the 3:23 mark, the RedHawks got an insurance goal from senior Brandon Smith. Fellow senior Dane Hetland, playing his first game in over two years, stole the puck in the Michigan zone in the left corner and passed back to a wide-open Smith who used a wrist-shot to beat the Michigan goalie five-hole.

"To score that early was huge for us," Head Coach Enrico Blasi said. "They are a great team and came after us in the second, but we buckled down. Jarod is a senior so I knew he would come ready to play and Cody has been (like) that for the better part of two years. It was a good win and we will have another battle tomorrow night."

The RedHawks return to the ice Saturday at 7:35 p.m. at the Yost Ice Center to finish the weekend series with the Wolverines. The game will be broadcast on Comcast in southeast Michigan and ONN in Ohio.

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