Oct. 1, 2008

OXFORD, Ohio - Miami ice hockey prepares for the regular season with an exhibition game against the Ryerson Ram Saturday in Oxford at Steve Cady Arena. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

"CHECKING" THE RAMS

Ryerson Finished fourth in the Ontario Athletic conference a season ago with a record of 9-16-0-3. The Rams top returning scorer is Cory Konency, a forward that posted 13 goals and handed out 19 assists. The top goalie for Ryerson is sophomore Paul Gibson, who recorded a record of 6-14-0 in 2007-08. Gibson had a save percentage of .890. Ryerson is located in Toronto, Ontario, with an enrollment of 25,000. It was founded in 1948. The head coach of the Rams is Graham Wise, who is in his fourth season and he is assisted by Lawrence Smith, Jason Skilnick and Scott Della Vedova.

SPECIAL COMPANY

Enrico Blasi was named the Sports Executive of the Year by the Cincinnati Sports Professional Network (CSPN). He was honored for guiding the RedHawks to a 33-win season and getting them into the NCAA Tournament for the third straight seasons and four times in the past five years. The inaugural CSPN award in 2007 was shared by Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and Cincinnati Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky.

THEY JUST KEEP ON WINNING

Over the past three seasons no hockey program has won more hockey games than the Miami RedHawks, who have 83 wins since 2005-06. In this time period, the RedHawks have won 71.1 winning percentage, which also is an NCAA best. During the same stretch, no other school in the NCAA has over a 68-percent winning percentage.

CLOSING IN ON 200 WINS

With a 33-win season in 2007-08, head coach Enrico Blasi has drawn closer to the 200-win mark. Blasi has 187 wins in his nine seasons at Miami, including one regular-season CCHA title. Blasi has the most wins in school history as well as the highest winning percentage.

This season will be the 30th season of Miami ice hockey. The program continues to grow and might just be reaching its prime. The RedHawks have recently moved into a new building (Steve Cady Arena in the Goggin Ice Center). They are coming of a 33-win season, and spent 10 weeks ranked as the nation's top team. Also, over the past three seasons, no team in NCAA Division I hockey has won more games, or has a higher winning percentage.

HOME AGAIN IN THE CCHA

Former Western Michigan captain Brent Brekke, who was the CCHA's Best Defensive Defenseman in 1993-94, joins the RedHawk coaching staff after spending nine seasons with Cornell of the ECAC. Miami's other assistant coach, ninth-year assistant coach Chris Bergerson, was tabbed the league's Best Defensive Forward in 1992-93 as a member of the Miami program.

SEASON PREVIEW

FORWARDS

Returning (12): Dane Hetland, Andy Miele, Tommy Wingels, Alexandre Lacombe, Carter

Camper, Gary Steffes, Brian Kaufman, Justin Mercier, Jarod Palmer, Pat Cannone,

Justin Vaive, Brandon Smith and Bill Loupee

Lost (3): Nathan Davis, Nino Musitelli and Ryan Jones

Newcomers (3): Alan Hirschfeld and Trent Vogelhuber

Most teams would be happy to return 11 forwards, including one of the top scoring lines in the country in Carter Camper, Jarod Palmer and Justin Mercier. However, the RedHawks have suffered a big loss with the departure of Ryan Jones, Nathan Davis and Nino Musitelli. All three are now playing professionally and were members of the 100-point club. This season, the torch will be passed to young players like Camper, who, with 43 points in 33 games will look to be one of the fastest Miami players to reach the 50-point mark. Mercier tries to break the 100-point barrier this season as he enters the campaign with 75 career points. Captain Brian Kaufman also has a shot at the 100-point mark if he puts together another season like he did in 2007-08.

"We feel as if our entire senior class could be wearing an `A' on their sweater," Miami head coach Enrico Blasi said. "They are all great leaders. Each one of them has done an amazing job helping to expand the culture of `Brotherhood' here at Miami."

Young players like Trent Vogelhuber and Alden Hirschfeld will be looking to fill rolls along side of veteran leaders like Palmer, Kaufman and Pat Cannone.

"Trent is a very good player who has suffered some tough injuries, including this past season," Balsi said. "He is a total package as a player. Trent can create offense while being accountable defensively. Trent also has a great shot."

DEFENSEMEN

Returning (4): Raymond Eichenlaub, Michael Findorff, Vincent LoVerde and Kevin Roeder

Lost (4): Charley Fetzer, Mitch Ganzak, Alec Martinez and Brad Robbins

Newcomers (4): Cameron Schilling, Matt Tomassoni, Will Weber and Chris Wideman

The defensemen will be a young group but with a skilled leader in two year assistant captain Kevin Roeder. Roeder led the team in 2007-08 with a +27 mark and has a wealth of experience, having played in 113 games in the Red and White. Youth will be a big theme for the defensemen in 2008-09 as there are five underclassmen, including four freshmen. Will Weber, Cameron Schilling, Matt Tomassoni and Chris Wideman will be charged with replacing three seniors and Alec Martinez, who was the CCHA Defensive Defenseman of the Year in 2007-08. Weber and Schilling add size to the RedHawk lineup as they are 6-2 and up and over 180 pounds.

"Matt can skate, has a great shot and really battles hard. Matt is warrior who can hit, defend well, and create offense five on five or on the power play," Balsi said. "Will is a very big defenseman who can really skate and create offense. Will also plays very physical and defends well. He has all the tools to be great at our level and beyond."

Raymond Eichenlaub, who just like Roeder, is a 113-game veteran for the RedHawks, will be looked upon as a leader in 2008-09. Fellow senior Michael Findorff will see increased playing time and looks to be a physical force at 6-6 232 lbs.

GOALIES

Returning (1): Jon Whitacre

Lost (2): Charlie Effinger, Jeff Zatkoff

Newcomers (2): Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard

The RedHawk goalies in 2008-09 will have some big shoes to fill as they have to replace one of the best tandems in Miami history. Jeff Zatkoff set many RedHawk records during his career and left early after signing with the Los Angeles Kings. Charlie Effinger, who was excellent in relief for the RedHawks, graduated and leaves Jon Whitacre as the only returning net minder for Miami. The Red and White do add two excellent freshmen goalies in Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard. Knapp, who was named best goalie in the Empire Junior Hockey League in 2007, went 5-0 in the Junior Bruins run to the league title in 2007. Knapp also will be one of the biggest players on the ice for the RedHawks as he comes to Oxford at 6-5, 215 lbs. Cody Reichard led the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in wins with 33 and in shutouts with seven. Reichard posted a 2.05 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage for the season, which earned the Celina, Ohio, native MostValuable Player (MVP) honors and the Goaltender of the Year Award in the NAHL. Reichard became the first Miami hockey recruit since Ryan Jones to earn MVP honors in the NAHL.

SCHEDULE

The RedHawks' schedule begins with an exhibition against Ryerson, in Oxford, on Oct. 4 at 7:05 p.m. Six days later, the regular season begins for the RedHawks on Friday, Oct. 10 in Columbus, Ohio. Miami opens the season in-conference against Ohio State. The season opener is part of a home-and-home series with the Buckeyes that will bring them to Oxford the following night. Miami then hits the road for a two-game series at Vermont Oct. 17-18, followed by a road trip to Notre Dame on Oct. 24-25. The RedHawks return to Oxford to take on Alaska in a two-game set on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Ferris State comes to town on Nov. 7 and 8. Miami then makes its first trip to Michigan for a two-game set with Michigan State in East Lansing (Nov. 14-15).

Miami then returns to Oxford to face Michigan in a rematch of last season's CCHA Tournament Championship game, Nov. 21-22. The RedHawks then travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., for a two-game match-up with Western Michigan on Dec. 5-6. Miami then hosts its final regular-season non-conference opponent in Rensselaer, just before the holiday break on Dec. 13-14.

Miami returns to action to start 2009 in Columbus on Jan. 2-3 looking to defend its title in the Ohio Hockey Classic. The RedHawks open the tournament against Clarkson and take on either Ohio State or Army on the second day of action. Miami has won the Ohio Hockey Classic two of the past three seasons. The Red and White then travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., for two-games with the Wolverines on Jan. 9-10. The following weekend, the Michigan State Spartans come to Oxford for two games on Jan. 16-17. Miami then heads west to take on the Mavericks of Nebraska-Omaha on Jan. 23-24. The RedHawks take on instate-rival Bowling Green on Jan. 30-31. Miami then takes a week off before traveling to Lake Superior State on Feb. 13-14. Miami returns to Oxford to face Northern Michigan on Feb. 20-21. The RedHawks closes the regular season, as they started it, with a home and home series with Ohio State. First the Buckeyes will travel to Oxford on Feb. 27, followed by a match-up the next night in Columbus (Feb. 28).

The CCHA Tournament first round games will take place onMarch 6-8 on the campus site of the 5-8 seeds in the tournament. First-round games in the CCHA Tournament features the teams that finished fifth-12th in the conference regular season. The fifth seed takes on the 12th seed on the campus of the fifth seed and the sixth seed takes on the 11th seed on the campus of the sixth seed and so on. The CCHA First Round is a best-of-three series. The Top-four teams from the regular season all get byes through the first round. CCHA Tournament quarterfinal games are also three-game series taking place on the campus of the 1-4 seeds. The CCHA tournament then becomes single elimination with all games being held in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich. The championship semifinals will be held Friday, March 20. The CCHA Championship and third-place game will be held in Joe Louis Arena Saturday, March 21. The tournament champion receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and wins the Mason Cup.

Following the CCHA tournament, the NCAA tournament begins with the race to the "Frozen Four". Qualified teams will be divided up into four regions, Bridgeport, Conn. (East), Grand Rapids, Mich. (Midwest), Manchester, N.H. (Northeast) and Minneapolis, Minn. (West). Regional games will take place March 27-29 with the regional champion advancing to the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. for the "Frozen Four". National semi final games will be played on April 9 with the NCAA championship game on April 11.

FOLLOW THE HAWKS

The RedHawks will have 21 games on television this season, including their entire home schedule 14 games are on the Ohio News Network (ONN), four games are on CBS College Sports, two games are on Comcast and one game is one is on the Fox Sports Network (FSN). All of the RedHawks game will be on the Miami ISP Sports Network and will be called by Greg Waddell.

IN THE RANKINGS

Miami starts the season ranked at No. 8 for the second time in three years. Miami opened the 06-07 season ranked eighth and the 07-08 season ranked No. 4. Miami now has been ranked among the Top 8 in the country for 25-consecutive weeks, including No. 1 for 10 of those weeks. Miami comes off a record-breaking season in which it set a school high water mark for wins with 33. Over the past three seasons Miami has posted more wins and a better winning percentage than any other team in the country.

Defending national champion, Boston College opens the season as the No. 1 ranked team, receiving 27-of-34 first-place votes. This is the fifth time BC opens the season with the No. 1 ranking. Miami is not the only CCHA team among the Top 8 with Michigan coming in at No. 2 and 2008 NCAA runner-up Notre Dame coming in at No. 3

LET'S SHOOT IT OUT

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced today that an NHL style three-player shootout will be used in the 2008-09 season to determine a winner for all of the 168 regular-season conference games that are tied after 60 minutes of regulation play and fi ve minutes of overtime.

The CCHA has also approved the following point system for regular-season play; Two (2) points for a win in regulation or overtime, one (1) point for each school if the game is tied at the conclusion of the five-minute overtime period and one (1) point is awarded to the team who wins the shootout.

A total of 90 regular-season games have wound up tied over the past three CCHA seasons; 31 in 2007-08, 26 in 2006-07 and 33 in 2005-06. Another 29 games have been decided in overtime during the same time frame; 12 last season, 10 in 2006-07 and seven in 2005-06.

Shootout Rules

1. It is recommended that the ice surface be dry scraped in the middle of the ice through both creases. 2. At the end of the five-minute overtime period, the head official will instruct the timekeeper to put two minutes on the clock and immediately start the clock. 3. The other two officials will request a list of three shooters from each coach. 4. The head official will meet at center ice with the captains to explain the protocol during the two-minute period. 5. The goalkeepers remain in the same ends as the overtime period. 6. The home team has the option of shooting first or defending first. If Team A's first two players score, while none of Team B's players score, the shootout is over and Team A wins the shootout. 7. If the shootout remains tied at the end of three rounds, each coach will select a different shooter, this time in a sudden death situation. The first three shooters are ineligible until all other bench players have attempted a shot, if necessary. Each team has an equal number of chances to shoot before a winner is declared.

Notes

• Players serving penalty time shall not be eligible for the shootout.

• If a shooter is injured in the shootout, the player may be replaced in subsequent rounds by a player off the bench.

• If a goalkeeper is injured in the shootout, the goalkeeper may be immediately replaced by a goalkeeper off the bench. The injured goalkeeper may not re-enter the shootout.

• All players not actively participating in the shootout must remain on their bench.

• Goalkeepers may be substituted, but no warm-up time will be allowed.

A LOOK BACK AT 2007-08

In the 30th season of ice hockey as a Varsity sport at Miami the RedHawks had their best season to date. Miami won a school record 33 games, finished second in the CCHA and made the regional championships in the NCAA tournament. The RedHawks were dominating on the ice, leading the NCAA in scoring offense, scoring defense and the penalty kill. After the season ended six members of the team left to pursue NHL careers. (Jeff Zatkoff, Ryan Jones Nathan Davis, Alec Martinez, Charlie Effinger and Mitch Ganzak).

Ryan Jones had an electrifying year leading the team in points (49) and goals (31). Jones and teammate Justin Mercier tied with Chad Kolarik of Michigan as the nation's leaders in game winning goals (7). Jones finished third in the nation in goals with 31 and was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker award.

Jeff Zatkoff led the nation in goals-against-average en route to the Miami school record in the category with a final GAA of 1.72. He also led the nation and set a school record in save percentage with 93.3-percent. Zatkoff finished second in the nation in winning percentage (.764) after a year in which he posted a record of 27-8-1.

Alec Martinez was named the CCHA Best Defensive Defensemen but still posted solid offensive numbers with nine goals and 23 assists. In his first season in the Red and White Carter Camper played in 33 games and finished second on the team in points with 41. Camper led all NCAA freshmen in points-per-game with 1.24.

CAPTAIN KAUFMAN

Brian Kaufman will captain the RedHawks during the 2008-09 campaign and will be assisted by Kevin Roeder. It is the first time the RedHawks will have just one captain and one assistant since 2004-05, when Andy Greene wore the `C' and Chris Busby the `A'.

Kaufman scored played in all 42 games a year ago for the RedHawks posting, 12 goals and 25 assists. For his career, Kaufman has 20 goals and 42 assists in only 84 games. The 6-4 forward, will lead the Red and White, which is coming off their best season in school history recording 33 wins, an NCAA regional semifinal appearance and number one ranking for 10 weeks. Following the 2006-07 season Kaufman was named the Steve Cady Most Improved Player. Kaufman will also be the leader of a young team in 2008-09 with 13 underclassmen including seven freshmen.

"We feel very good to have Brian Kaufman as our captain," Miami Hockey head coach Enrio Blasi said. "He has been an assistant for us in the past and has learned from some great captains like Andy Greene and Ryan Jones."

Roeder will be entering his third season as an assistant to the captain. Roeder is one of the most experienced RedHawks having played in 113 games in his career, recording three goals and 27 assists. The 5-9 defensemen also boasted a +27 ranking in 2007-08 and a +25 ranking in conference play. Both were top marks among non-goalies on the RedHawks.

"There is a reason we only choose one assistant captain," Blasi said. "We feel as if our entire senior class could be wearing an `A' on their sweater. They are all great leaders and they are all leaders. Each one of them has done an amazing job helping to expand the culture of `Brotherhood' here at Miami."

ROAD WARRIORS

The RedHawks open their home schedule Oct. 11 against Ohio State, but then things get put on hold as Miami will not be back to the friendly confines of Steve Cady Arena until the end of the month. After its home opener, Miami first heads to Burlington Vt., to take on the Catamounts and then head to Notre Dame, Ind., to face the 2007-08 National Runners-up, No. 3 Notre Dame. Miami returns to Oxford just in time for Halloween, Oct. 3,1 the RedHawks welcome the Nanooks from Alaska.

WELCOME BACK

Despite losing two All-American forwards in Nate Davis and Ryan Jones the RedHawks still return more than 68-percent of their goal production from the forwards. Justin Mercier, who finished second on the team in goals with 25 is back, along with Carter Camper and Tommy Wingels, who were tied for third on the team in goals. Dispite losing their top assist man Mictch Ganzak, the RedHawks still return more than 65-percent of the their assists from a season ago. Carter Camper returns after posting 26 assists, captain Brian Kaufman and Jarod Palmer each return after posting 25 helpers last season.

GOING CAMPING

Carter Camper (So. Rocky River, Ohio) enters the season on a seven-game point streak. He has also registered a point in 17 of his 18 games. The RedHawks also have a Camper related streak going, as the team is 9-0-0 when Rocky River native has a multi-point game. Camper has a chance to become one of the fastest RedHawks to 50 points.

JACKETS IN OXFORD

Freshmen Trent Vogelhuber and Will Weber are both draft choices of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Weber was chosen in the, second-round of the 2007 NHL draft by the Jacket. Vogelhuber, a native of Dublin, Ohio, was taken in the same draft, in the seventh-round and called being drafted by his favorite team "a dream come true." Weber and Vogelhuber join three other RedHawks, who have been picked in the NHL draft. Justin Mercier was picked by the Colorado Avalanche in 2005. Justin Vaiver was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in `07 and just this past offseason Tommy Wingels was picked by the San Jose Sharks.

FRESH FACES

The RedHawk locker room will feature eight new faces this season. Will Weber comes to Oxford from Gaylord, Mich. Cameron Schilling is a native of Carmel, Ind. Chris Wideman a defensemen from St. Louis, Mo., and is the latest in a long line of players from Cedar Rapids junior league team. Trent Vogelhuber is a Dublin, Ohio native and was a seventh-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007. Matt Tomassoni is from Carol Stream, Ill and played with Wideman in Cedar Rapids. Alden Hirschfeld is the second Ohio newcomer as he hails from Sylvania, Ohio. Cody Reichard is the third and final Ohio newcomer as he is from Celina, Ohio and at 165 pounds is the lightest RedHawk. Connor Knapp is a 6-5 newcomer from York, New York.

NEXT UP

Miami opens the season against a home-and-home series against Ohio State with the first game being played in Columbus Oct. 10 at 7:05 p.m. The next night (Oct. 11) the teams face each other again in Oxford at 7:05 p.m.