Dec. 30, 2008
OXFORD, Ohio - The RedHawks will make their second trip of the season to Value City Arena this weekend to compete in the Ohio Hockey Classic. Miami will open the four team tournament against Clarkson on Friday with its game at 5:05 p.m. Ohio State and Army will battle in the second game of the night beginning at 8:05 p.m. Saturday Miami will either play Army at 5:05 p.m. or Ohio State at 8:05 p.m.
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"CHECKING" CLARKSON
Clarkson comes into the opening round game of the Ohio Hockey Classic boasting a record of 2-10-4 and 1-6-1 in the ECAC. Last season, the Golden Knights won the conference title in the ECAC and advanced to the NCAA East regional final falling to Michigan 2-0. Coming into the season Clarkson held the tenth-best winning percentage in the last three seasons in all of division I college hockey. Miami leads the all-time series versus Clarkson with a record of 5-3-1 and under head coach Enrico Blasi the Red and White are 4-2-1 against the Golden Knights. The last time, Miami and Clarkson were on the ice together the Golden Knights came away with a 4-2 victory in Potsdam, N.Y. Miami has the only win in the all-time series on neutral ice.
THE REDHAWK RUNDOWN
- Miami head coach Enrico Blasi will go for his 200th career win this weekend. The RedHawks hold a record of 3-1 in first round games of the Ohio Hockey Classic and have won their last three consecutive OHC openers.
- Last season in the Ohio Hockey Classic, Miami needed overtime to defeat St. Cloud State in the first round and then claimed the tournament title with a 3-2 win over Ohio State in the Championship game. Jarod Palmer (Fridley, Minn.) was named the tournament MVP.
-The RedHawks have only lost one game in the Ohio Hockey Classic since the first OHC. In the first OHC Miami was held winless.
- Miami has killed off 15 consecutive first period power plays and has not allowed a first frame power-play goal since Nov. 7 against Ferris State.
- The Red and White has developed a habit of starting games strong and finishing them strong this season. In the first 10 minutes of regulation Miami has outscored opponents 8-2 and in the final 10 minutes of games the RedHawks have 9-3 advantage. Miami has also not allowed a goal in the final minute of regulation this season but has netted two of its own.
- Over the last three games, Miami has converted 6-of-23 power-plays, which gives it a 26.1-percent success rate. In their last three games, the RedHawks have tailed two power-play goals in each game. The three-game streak of power-play goals is the second longest of the season with the other going from Oct. 25 vs. Notre Dame to Nov. 7 vs. Ferris State (four games).
- With the win over RPI on Dec. 14, Miami matched its longest winning streak under head coach Enrico Blasi (eight games). The last time the RedHawk rattled off eight-consecutive wins was last season when the Red and White ran off eight in a row to open the season (Oct. 12, 2007 - Nov. 3, 2007). The longest winning streak in school history is 10 games, set back in 1993-94 when Miami ran off nine-consecutive wins from Jan. 7, 1994 - Feb. 5, 1994. The Red and White were led during that run by Coach George Gwozdecky and senior captain Enrico Blasi.
- Miami allowed two power-play goals in it first three road games and have only allowed one since the Vermont series. In their first three road games, the RedHawks went 15-of-17 on the penalty kill since then the Red and White have gone 41-of-42 on the PK away from Oxford.
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- Carter Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) has racked up 10 points in his three games including four point games against RPI, Dec. 14 and Western Michigan Dec. 7. In the Western Michigan game Camper recorded his first career hat trick.
- Justin Mercier (Erie, Pa.) has matched his career longest points streak with points in the RedHawks last five match-ups (2-6-8).
- During the Miami winning streak, Tommy Wingels (Wilmette, Ill.) has been the spark plug with 11 points. Before the eight-game run began, Wingels only had three points on the campaign. In his career, Miami holds a record of 23-3-1 when Wingels records a point and the RedHawks are undefeated and untied in games in which the sophomore posts a positive plus minus (21-0-0)
BREAK OUT THE BROOMS
Miami has won its last eight games with road sweeps of Michigan State (Nov. 14-15), Western Michigan (Dec. 6-7) and back-to-back wins against Michigan (Nov. 21-22) and RPI in Steve Cady Arena. The RedHawks have also won six in a row on the road, sweeping the Broncos, the Spartans and Notre Dame (Oct. 24-25). The Fighting Irish are currently ranked No. 1 in the nation with only three losses this season, two of those coming on their home ice to the Red and White.
GOING CAMPING
Carter Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) leads the team in points with 26 (11-15-26) and that ranks him tied for third nationally in points and trails two players, who have both played more games. Camper also leads Miami in goals (15), power-play goals (5) and is tied for the team lead in assists (15) and game-winning goals (2). Camper leads the CCHA in points, ranks second in power play goals and is tied for third in both goals and assists. With his 26 points this season, Camper now has 67 points and has a chance to become the first player in school history to rack up 100-career points in his first two seasons. The native of Rocky River, Ohio is averaging 1.31 points per-game, which is the best career points per-game average by any player under Enrico Blasi and is second only to Steve Morris (1.39), the Red and White's career points leader in school history.
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REDHAWK SPECIAL TEAMS
The RedHawk special teams units are currently rated as the best in the CCHA. Miami leads the conference and the nation on the penalty kill with a unit that kills off 93.75-percent (105/112) 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 20.72-percent (23/111) success rate. This season Miami is 8-2-2 when it scores on the power play, 8-3-0 when they are perfect on the penalty kill and 6-2-0 when they do both in the same game
ROTATION OF SUCCESS
Miami has gone with a rotation of goalies this season, splitting time between Connor Knapp (York, New York) and Cody Reichard (Celina, Ohio). Reichard is currently ranked seventh in the nation goals-against average. Reichard has only allowed three goals in his last three games, which includes a shutout against Michigan. The native of Celina, Ohio earned his first career shutout Nov. 24 in a road match up against No.1-ranked Notre Dame. The clean sheet also earned Reichard the first win of his career.
Knapp has also been solid between the pipes for Miami. Knapp picked up his first career win in his first game in the Red and White, Oct. 11 against Ohio State in Steve Cady Arena. Knapp posted a goals-against average of 1.01 in the month of November, second-best in the nation to Reichard (0.98 GAA). On the season, Knapp holds a 1.77 goals-against average and a record of 7-1-1. Knapp has also come through in the clutch making two penalty shot saves on the season. The biggest one coming against Vermont Oct. 18, when Tommy Wingels (Willmette, Ill.) was called for a penalty that gave the Catamounts a penalty shot with less than two minutes to go. Knapp made the kick save and preserved the tie for Miami. On the season, the freshman is undefeated on the road with a record of 3-0-1.
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CLOSING IN ON 200 WINS
With 12 wins in 2008-09, head coach Enrico Blasi has drawn closer to the 200-win mark. Blasi is in his tenth season and has 199 wins 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. Blasi is also closing in on his 150th career win in the CCHA, he currently has 146 conference wins, including 10 this season.
IN THE RANKINGS
Miami is currently ranked third 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 36 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 71 of the last 79 weeks and has been ranked No. 1 for 11 of those weeks. This season, Miami has played eight games against ranked opponents and holds a record of 6-1-1 including six consecutive wins.
LAST TIME OUT - DEC. 14 VS. R.P.I.
Tommy Wingels scored twice and had two assists and Carter Camper tallied a goal and three assists as No. 3 Miami won its eighth straight game, 7-1 over RPI Sunday afternoon at Steve Cady Arena.
A total of 12 different players registered points as the RedHawks (12-3-3) equaled their season high for goals. They also had seven against Ohio State and Western Michigan earlier this year. Justin Mercier also gained his fourth multiple-point game with a goal and an assist.
The RedHawks got their first goal from a freshman in the first period when Will Weber (Gaylord, Mich.) fired a rocket from the blue line. Pat Cannone (Bayport, N.Y.) had worked the puck around the net to Jarod Palmer (Fridley, Minn.) who passed it along the blue line to Weber.
The Miami attack continued less than two minutes later when Wingels (Wilmette, Ill.) fired a cross-ice pass to Camper (Rocky River, Ohio). Camper tipped the puck ahead to Mercier (Erie, Pa.), who used his speed and some solid stick work to beat Allen York glove side. Alden Hirschfeld (Sylvania, Ohio) became the second freshman to score in the period when he netted his first career goal at 18:52 of the frame, making it a 3-0 lead. Alexandre Lacombe (Orleans, Ontario) worked the puck to Bill Loupee (Bloomfield, Mich.) who fired a shot that was saved by York but Hirschfeld was there to slam it home.
Connor Knapp (York, N.Y.) stopped all nine shots he faced in the first period. Miami went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and 0-for-2 on the power play.
Wingels netted his second goal of the game on a second-period breakaway. Raymond Eichenlaub (Wilmette, Ill.) picked up the puck in neutral ice and then passed it up to Camper, who knocked it on to Wingels. The sophomore put a fake on York before beating him glove side.
Knapp made five more saves in the frame and the Miami special-teams units killed off three RPI power plays.
The Engineers struck for their only goal on a power play 1:11 into the third period, when Bryan Brutlag knocked in a Chase Polacek rebound. The Miami power play would strike back as Brian Kaufman (Shoreview, Minn.) scored his fifth goal of the season on assist by Wingels and Andy Miele (Grosse Point Woods, Mich.).
Wingels was not finished as he slammed in a goal 7:10 into the third. Mercier passed the puck up to Camper who found Wingels in front of the net.
Camper scored the final goal of the game on a delayed penalty call against RPI. Miami pulled Knapp in favor of an extra attacker. Matt Tomassoni (Carol Stream, Ill.) fired a shot that was saved by York but picked up by Vincent LoVerde (Chicago, Ill.). LoVerde passed it back out to Camper who fired a shot into the back of the net.
Knapp finished the game with 17 saves, including nine in the first period.
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IS THERE A DRAFT IN HERE?
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 Jackets. Vogelhuber, a native of Dublin, Ohio, was taken in the same draft, in the seventh-round. Vogelhuber 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 off season Tommy Wingels was picked by the San Jose Sharks.
NEXT UP
Miami will head to Ann Arbor, Mich., for its first trip to Yost Ice Arena since Oct. 20, 2006. The RedHawks and the Wolverines will play both games at 7:35 p.m. with the contest on Friday televised on FSN Plus and Saturday's battle televised on Comcast Local and the NHL Network. The game on Saturday will be shown live on the NHL Network in Canada and at 12:00 p.m. East Standard Time on Sunday on the NHL Network in the United States.
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