Nov. 14, 2009

Box Score

By Drew Davis

OXFORD, Ohio - For the second straight night, No. 1 Miami and Ferris State skated to a tie, this time 1-1, with the Bulldogs earning an extra point in the CCHA standings via a shootout at Steve Cady Arena. The difference Saturday was a marathon one-on-one exhibition that lasted a league-record 11 rounds before FSU's Chad Billings converted his attempt.

Connor Knapp stopped 32-of-33 shots and 9-of-11 shootout attempts in his first start in two weeks and Andy Miele scored to lead the RedHawks (8-1-3, 5-1-2-0 CCHA). Aaron Lewicki tallied a power-play goal for the Bulldogs' lone goal in regulation.

Both goalies were busy in the scoreless first period, turning away a combined 24 shots. Ferris State (7-3-2, 2-2-2-2 CCHA) took 13 shots while Miami managed 11.

Late in the first period, the Bulldogs' top center, Casey Haines aggressively checked a Miami skater from behind and was sent off for a game misconduct. The penalty resulted in a five-minute Miami power play, but the RedHawks couldn't get anything past Ferris State goaltender Pat Nagle.

At 9:43 of the second period, the Bulldogs took the 1-0 lead on a power play. Kyle Bonis flipped the puck toward the goal from the right corner and Lewicki was able to get a stick on it to push it past Knapp from close range.

"[Jarod] Palmer had the guy right in front of the net pretty well covered," Knapp said. "Somehow he just got his stick on it and it ramped up and went through my arm."

In the third period, Miami still struggled to find a way to get anything past the Ferris State goalie until 5:28 of the final period. Pat Cannone won the face off in the right circle in the Ferris State zone and got the puck to Cameron Schilling. Schilling passed back to Miele near the blue line as the rest of the RedHawks crowded in front of the net. Miele moved the puck to his left to get it to his forehand and took a slap shot that found its way through traffic into the top left corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

In the overtime period, both teams had chances to score, but each goalie came up with brilliant stops to end the game in a 1-1 tie.

In the shootout, Ferris State shot first and Knapp calmly turned away the shot. Miami's first shooter, Brandon Smith moved up the ice slightly to the left, with the puck at his forehand, moved right and beat Nagle low, just inside the right pipe.

Ferris State's next skater, Blair Riley used a backhand shot to beat Knapp and even the shootout period at 1-1. Both goalies settled down and combined to turn away the next 17 skaters before Billings, a Bulldog defender, snuck one past Knapp to take the shootout win.

The 11-round shootout is a CCHA record for the longest in history.

The game counts as a tie for both teams, while Ferris State receives an extra point in the CCHA standings. Miami took a season-high 39 shots in the game but the Bulldogs' defense and goaltending did just enough in regulation and overtime to force the tie.

"That's the way they play -- they block a lot of shots, they leave their feet a lot to disrupt play and they did a good job of doing that like they did last night," Head Coach Enrico Blasi said. "They're well coached and they've got a good hockey team."

Next up for the RedHawks is a road trip to Kalamazoo, Mich. to take on CCHA foe Western Michigan. The next Miami home series is Dec. 4-5, when the RedHawks take on Notre Dame at Steve Cady Arena.

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