Nov. 12, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
OXFORD, Ohio - Miami hits the road this weekend to take on Michigan State in East Lansing. Both games will start at 7:05 p.m. Saturday's matchup will be televised live on the NHL Network in Canada and on a tape-delayed basis on the NHL Network in the United States.
FOLLOW THE HAWKS
The RedHawks will be televised on Saturday on Comcast Local and the NHL Network in Canada and on a tape delay (11 a.m. Sunday) in the United States. Radio coverage of both games can be found on MURedHawks.com on the All-Access page and the Friday's match-up will also be broadcast on WMHO -AM 1450. Saturday's game will be on WPFB - AM 910 in Middletown. All of the radio action will be called by Greg Wadell.
"CHECKING" MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans lead the all-time series with a record of 65-22-5. The RedHawks have won three of the last four matchups, including a two-game sweep of Michigan State in East Lansing last season (by a combined score of 7-3). Despite the Spartans' big lead in the overall series, Miami has been solid as of late and has not lost to Michigan State in East Lansing since Feb. 18, 2006.
DYNAMIC DUOS
Forwards
Pat Cannone and Carter Camper are currently first and second on the team in points, respectively. Camper has been hot on the power play as he has a national-best 10 points with the man advantage. Camper (3-7-10) also leads the conference in overall power-play points. With his assist on Oct. 31, Camper became the fourth-fastest RedHawk to 50 points in the CCHA era. Cannone has emerged as the leading scorer for the RedHawks thru the first 10 games of the season. The sophomore has 14 points (5-9-14) thru 10 games after tallying 30 points (6-24-30) all last season. The native of Bayport, N.Y., is only one goal away from tying his total from a season ago. Cannone currently leads the conference in scoring in CCHA matchups.
Goalies
Cody Reichard and Connor Knapp have been quite a pair this year between the pipes for the RedHawks. Together the two have helped Miami to a 2.05 goals against average and a 1.71 goals against average in conference play. Reichard picked up the first shootout win for the duo when he recorded on all three attempts against Ferris State to give Miami two points in the CCHA on Nov. 7. Knapp earned his first career shutout as he blanked Alaska 5-0 on Nov. 1. Knapp holds a solid record in conference play with a 3-1-0 mark. Reichard holds a record of 1-1-2 in CCHA play with 103 saves against conference foes. Knapp has also made two saves this season on penalty shots.
REDHAWK SPECIAL TEAMS
The Miami special teams units have posted solid numbers so far this season. Miami is currently ranked sixth in the nation on the power play as it has converted on 13-of-60 (21.7-percent) attempts. The Miami penalty kill stands third in the country as the RedHawks have only allowed three power play goals on 62 attempts (95.2-percent), of teams that have played more than two games, only Colgate has done better nationally on the penalty kill.
A RARE MATCHUP
This weekend's two-game set between Michigan State and Miami will feature a rare matchup between three of the top goaltenders in the CCHA. Jeff Lerg leads the CCHA in conference goals-against average as the senior is allowing 1.58 goals in league matchups. The RedHawks' pair of freshman goalies is right behind him as Cody Reichard is second in the CCHA with a mark of 1.69 and is followed closely by Connor Knapp with his 1.77 average. All three of the goalies in this weekend's matchup have at least one shutout against a conference foe.
WIDE MARGIN
Chris Wideman has been the top offensive threat among RedHawks fdefensemen. Wideman has racked up seven points this season, all on assists. With these numbers Wideman is ranked third in the CCHA in freshman overall scoring, and is the top defenseman on the list.
WELCOME ABOARD
Trent Vogelhuber made his first career appearance for the Red and White as he was in the starting line-up for the RedHawks on Nov. 1 against Alaska. Vogelhuber was a seventh-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007.
REDHAWKS TOP MARKS VS. THE SPARTANS
Justin Mercier has posted some solid numbers against Michigan State as he has three goals and one assist in seven career games. Carter Camper has not seen as much of the Green and White in his young career but does have one goal and one assist in two career games against the Spartans. In five career matchups with Michigan State, captain Brian Kaufman has one goal and one assist.
THIS IS GETTING OFFENSIVE
Miami has been one of the top teams in the CCHA in offense in 2008-09, led by Pat Cannone and Carter Camper, who both have 12 points on the season. Seventeen different RedHawks have recorded a point on the season and 10 different members of the Red and White have a goal this season. Gary Steffes has been the biggest offensive surprise as he posted 11 goals in his first two seasons with the RedHawks but had five in the first eight games of his junior year. Camper has been on a tear on the power play as he leads the nation in power-play points with 10 and has 11 points on special team (one shorthanded goal).
LAST TIME OUT - VS. FERRIS STATE NOV. 8
A shorthanded goal by Ferris State early in the second period provided just enough margin for the Bulldogs to escape Steve Cady Arena with a 2-1 win over Miami Saturday night. Brian Kaufman tallied the lone Redhawk goal, connecting with just over seven minutes remaining in the contest.
Justin Lewandowski opened the scoring for Ferris State with an even-strength goal at the 10:47 mark of the first period. He took a pass from Zach Redmond that nearly covered the length of the ice. Each team failed to convert in its only power-play attempt, while FSU registered 13 shots to the RedHawks' 12.
Miami went on the power play early in the second period when the Bulldogs were whistled for obstruction in the offensive end in the first minute. But Matt Case picked up a loose puck after a turnover in the neutral zone and beat Connor Knapp to the glove side for a 2-0 lead.
Miami came out fast in the third period and was rewarded when Kaufman slammed home his goal on assists from Jarod Palmer and Carter Camper. Miami would pull Connor Knapp with 1:10 left in the game but it would not paid off for the RedHawks as Ferris State would escape.
Miami outshot Ferris State 31-25 in the contest, but the Bulldogs tallied a goal in each of the first two periods. Knapp remained solid in net and recorded 23 saves for the game to match his season high.
BIG ONE-TWO
Coming into the 2008-09 season, Gary Steffes had scored 11 goals in his Miami career, five as a freshman and six more during his sophomore campaign. After ten games this season, Steffes already has five goals and is tied for the lead in CCHA conference goal scoring.
FIRST TIMERS
The RedHawks have had a few firsts this season but the biggest one might have come against Ferris State Nov. 7 in Oxford, when Miami won the first-ever shootout in the history of Steve Cady Arena. Pat Cannone scored on the first opportunity for the RedHawks and Cody Reichard made it stand up as he made saves on all three Bulldog attempts. The shootout win was the first for the Red and White since they knocked off Ohio State in a shootout in the championship game of the 2005 Ohio Hockey Classic.
Chris Wideman racked up four points in back-to-back games against Ohio State and earned CCHA Rookie of the Week honors for his performance. Will Weber got on the score sheet in Vermont as he picked up the first assist on the goal by Pat Cannone in the third period of the Oct. 17 game against the Catamounts. Neither Wideman nor Weber had to wait as long as Brandon Smith did for this first career point. Smith was credited with the second assist on Alexandre Lacombe's goal in the Oct. 18 game against Vermont. Smith was in only his fourth career game for the RedHawks but the Pepper Pike, Ohio native is now in his third season in Oxford.
CLOSING IN ON 200 WINS
With four wins already in 2008-09, head coach Enrico Blasi has drawn closer to the 200-win mark. Blasi has 191 wins in his nine seasons at Miami, including one regular-season CCHA title. Blasi has the most wins by a head coach in school history as well as the highest winning percentage.
IN THE RANKINGS
Miami is currently ranked tenth 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 31st consecutive week. During this run the RedHawks have been ranked as the Nation's No. 1 team for ten weeks. Miami has stayed in the ranking by taking on ranked teams. This season Miami has played four games against ranked opponents and holds a record of 2-1-1.
LET'S SHOOT IT OUT
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced this offseason 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 five 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.
TURNING 70
Jarod Palmer reached the 70-point plateau Nov. 1 against Alaska as he picked up the first assist on Carter Camper's shorthanded goal in the third period. Palmer had the puck tipped to him by Kevin Roeder and Palmer found Camper with a cross ice pass. Brian Kaufman also picked up point number 70 for his career Nov. 1 against Alaska. The senior captain was credited with the second assist on the first goal of the game by Camper. Matt Tomassoni fired a shot from the blue line off a pass from Kaufman and the shot was saved by Alaska goalie Chad Johnson but Camper was there to slam home the rebound. Miami now has three active players with 70 or more career points (Kaufman, Palmer, and Justin Mercier, 80).
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 Vaive was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and just this past offseason Tommy Wingels was picked by the San Jose Sharks.
NEXT UP
Miami returns to Steve Cady Arena to take on CCHA rival Michigan Nov. 21-22. Both games will start at 7:05 p.m. with the game on Friday being televised on the Ohio News Network and the NHL Network and the game on Saturday will be televised on Comcast local and shown live on the NHL network in Canada and on a tape delay basis in the United States.
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