Feb. 11, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

OXFORD, Ohio - The RedHawks return to action this weekend, traveling to Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.  Miami and Lake Superior State will play Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Both games will also be audio streamed on www.MURedHawks.com with all the action being called by Greg Waddell of the ISP Sports Network. 

“CHECKING” LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
Last weekend, the Lakers were swept by Michigan in Yost Ice Arena a week ago (6-2, 2-1). With the pair of losses by Lake Superior State, Miami secured itself at least a first-round home game in the CCHA playoffs, meaning the RedHawks cannot finish any lower than eighth in the league standings. The Lakers are currently in ninth place with 19 points and a 6-10-6-1 record. Overall, Lake Superior State boasts a record of 9-13-8 but has still outscored its opponents this season 85-80 despite the losing record. The Lakers have not taken well to the CCHA’s new shootout rules as they have been involved in six shootouts with only one win. Troy Schwab is the leading point man for the Lakers with 25 (9-16-25), tying him for 15th in the CCHA. Lake Superior State’s Josh Sim has three game-winning goals on the season. He is just one shy of league leaders Branden Wall (Alaska), Christian Hanson (Notre Dame), Calle Ridderwall (Notre Dame) and Time Miller (Michigan), who all have scored four game winners.

Miami holds an all-time record of 30-54-10 against Lake Superior State and a mark of 8-34-4 against the Lakers in Sault St. Marie. The RedHawks won both matchups a year ago in Oxford by a combined score of 11-1.  Miami has controlled the series of late, winning five of the last seven and not losing in Sault Ste. Marie since Nov. 10, 2006.

THE REDHAWK RUNDOWN
- Carter Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) enters the weekend tied for the CCHA scoring lead with 35 points (17-18-35). He is also tied for seventh in the nation in both points and goals.

- Justin Mercier (Erie, Pa.) looks to become the 42nd member of Miami 100-point club as he is currently only two points shy.

- Miami’s senior class enters the weekend with 99 wins, making them the winningest hockey class in school history. Baseball, softball and volleyball are the only other sports at Miami to ever have a class go over 100 wins. 

- Mercier needs two points and one win on the weekend to become the first Miami player in school history to record 100 wins as a player and 100 points. Head coach Enrico Blasi recorded 123 points as a player for the RedHawks. In his 10th season as head coach, he has more than 200 victories.

- Connor Knapp (York, N.Y.) has started the last five games for Miami, and he currently owns the eighth-best goals-against-average in the country. 

- Miami enters the weekend on a five-game unbeaten streak. The RedHawks have won their last three consecutive games.

JUST”IN” TIME
Justin Mercier (Erie, Pa.) is only two points from becoming the 42nd member of the 100-point club at Miami University. Last season, three players reached the 100-point plateau (Ryan Jones, Nathan Davis and Mitch Ganzak). Mercier has eight goals and 15 assists this season with six points (1-5-6) in his last five games.

WIDE RIGHT
Chris Wideman (St. Louis, Mo.) has passed out 19 assists on the season and leads the RedHawks in helpers. No other freshman defenseman in the country has more assists than Wideman and he is tied for fifth in the CCHA in defenseman scoring and seventh in the conference in freshman scoring.

REDHAWK SPECIAL TEAMS
The RedHawk special teams units are currently rated the best in the CCHA. Miami leads the conference and is second in the nation on the penalty kill with a unit that is successful on 90.1 percent (164/182) of power plays for opposing teams. The RedHawks also have a solid power-play unit that is currently ranked second in the CCHA with a 19.2-percent (35/182) success rate. Miami has the top two power-play point-scorers in the CCHA this season in Carter Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) and Pat Cannone (Bayport, N.Y.). Camper is first in the conference with 19 points (9-10-19) with the man advantage and Cannone is tied for second with 18 (5-13-18).  This season, Miami is 11-5-3 when it scores on the power play, 8-4-1 when they are perfect on the penalty kill and 6-2-1 when they do both in the same game.
                                                                                                     
IN THE RANKINGS
Miami is currently ranked seventh in the USCHO and CBS College Sports Division I men’s hockey poll. The RedHawks have moved up and down in the Top 10 this season but have been ranked within the nation’s Top 10 for 42 consecutive weeks. During this run, the RedHawks have been ranked as the nation’s No. 1 team for ten weeks. Miami has also been ranked in the Top 10 for 77 of the last 85 weeks and has been ranked No. 1 11 times. This season, Miami has played 10 games against ranked opponents and holds an overall record of 6-3-1.

NEXT UP
The RedHawks return to Steve Cady Arena to take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats Feb. 20-21 in Miami’s final full home series of the regular season. Friday’s game starts at 7:35 p.m. while Saturday’s contest opens at 5:05 p.m. Both games will be televised on the Ohio News Network (ONN).