>As the RedHawks prepare for a tough weekend against the Michigan Wolverines, Miami radio voice Greg Waddell will be checking in throughout the season with a view of “Life on the Road.” Here’s the first edition, hot off the presses from the Great Lakes State:

Greetings from Ann Arbor as two of the premier teams in the CCHA…nay….the nation, hook up for a weekend series at the Yost as Miami plays the you of em. We had an uneventful trip up here that took right around 4 hours. Despite preparing for the games itself, one of the big questions when heading out on the bus, is what movies the guys will want to watch. Being a mid-40’s kind of a guy that I am, the generation gap is never more evident, than with the sense of humor of college-age guys. The first movie of choice was a Paul Rudd/Seann William Scott flick called Role Models. Not the best of choices I have seen over the years, but not bad either. It is one of the kinds of movies I would probably never see, unless riding the roads with the team. The second movie was an old stand-by, Meet The Fockers. The early trend this season of movies on the bus seems to be a newer comedy (and I use the term loosely), followed by a sure-thing. Usually the sure-thing movies are the choice of Coach. It’s like a make-up call after a bad penalty call by the ref’s. Rico is able to erase what is a bad movie memory, with a classic. Other examples this year following a bad movie with a good, Talladega Nights after a completely forgettable flick on the way to Northern Michigan last week, as well as Austin Powers Goldmember.

A couple of player notes, Dane Hetland made the trip and will be dressed and in the lineup for Friday’s game. It will be his first game-action since November 23, 2007 against Canisius. It’s great to see the hard work by the players who haven’t had a lot of recent playing time. And it’s great to see them rewarded too! Cody Reichard will get the start on Friday and freshman Steven Spinell will also be dressed. Gary Steffes and Matt Tomassoni did not make the trip.

The Yost has not been kind to most visiting teams over the years and the RedHawks/Skins are no different; to the tune of just 3 wins since the first-ever game played by Miami in 1981. But the team seems loose and ready for action this weekend. The last win here in AA came in October of 2006. And you might remember last season was a particularly painful weekend. The old-school barn had some structural issues which caused the series to be delayed by a day. That extra day did not help the Red & White as they lost 5-1 and 4-0. But a lot has happened since that series and Miami continues to show that they belong. This weekend will be a great test to see if they are up to the challenge! Go RedHawks!

From the 4 Points Sheraton…Waddell out!