>Structural damage to Yost Ice Arena…that’s the reason why the University of Michigan has postponed tonight’s game vs. Miami, until Sunday at 4pm. Reports are saying that the converted field house suffered damage during a recent winter storm. The first game of the weekend series will now be played on Saturday night.

Tickets for tonight’s contest will be honored on Sunday.

In other news…

– INCH has a short read on the RedHawks “shooting blanks” at the Ohio Hockey Classic, last weekend. You can check that out by clicking here.

– USCHO columnist and self-proclaimed college hockey guru Paula C. Weston is predicting a U of M sweep this weekend:

Hmmm…I wonder how long it takes to walk from Columbus to Oxford, Ohio? That’s the thought that crossed my mind after Miami dropped a pair of games it absolutely should have won last weekend in the last-ever Ohio Hockey Classic, losing 4-2 to Clarkson and 3-2 to Army. Army. Yes, Army. (No offense to the gents from West Point, but – really – Army.) The RedHawks will be determined when they play the Wolverines, who captured their second consecutive Great Lakes Invitational Tournament title two weeks ago. Michigan head coach Red Berenson is 60-18-3 all-time against Miami (18-6-1 against RedHawk head coach Enrico Blasi), but the ‘Hawks swept the Wolverines in Oxford Nov. 21-22, outscoring the Wolverines 4-1 in those games. UM 3-2, 4-2

– By the way, Weston also mentions that fans have experienced their last Ohio Hockey Classic. The tournament will fold because of the expense and lack of sponsorship. With Miami’s recent OHC performance…this blogger says “good riddance.”

>Details were originally posted over on the Miami Blue Line Club website, so full credit goes to the BLC for this post, but I thought I’d share these here as well, in case anyone was unaware of this info.

– The jerseys auctioned this season will be the 2008-2009 away (red) jerseys

– All numbers will be included in the auction

– Minimum bid for each game used jersey is $200.00

– The auction will be held during the following games:

Saturday, January 31, vs. Bowling Green
Friday, February 20, vs. Northern Michigan
Saturday, February 27, vs. Ohio State

– I should also point out that certain numbers will be auctioned at certain games.

For more information, and to find out when your favorite player’s number will be auctioned, visit the Miami BLC page for more details.

**Note: If anyone would like to bid on # 23 for me, it would make an excellent late Christmas present! Hint hint!**

>The latest USA Today Poll is out…and the RedHawks are in…well, we knew they’d be IN, however the Miami Icers now find themselves in the top five. Here’s the poll:

1. Notre Dame
2. Minnesota
3. Boston College
4. Miami
5. Boston University
6. Colorado College
7. Denver
8. Northeastern
9. Princeton
10. Air Force
11. Minnesota State
12. Vermont
13. Cornell
14. Michigan
15. New Hampshire

Ok, a few things here:

– First off, congratulations to Notre Dame for a well deserved number one ranking. I believe that Jeff Jackson has the best team in the country and will make a convincing run to the National Championship game once again this season.

– Air Force is looking to be a real dark horse team this season. The Falcons gave the RedHawks a good scare last year in the opening round of tournament play and soundly defeated Colorado College earlier this season. Todd Milewski has a nice column over at USCHO looking at the Falcon’s success and what possible implications it has for post-season action. Check that out by clicking here.

– Also, looking at the upcoming schedule, there is NO reason that Miami shouldn’t take 12 out of the next 12 possible points, with WMU, Rensselaer and the Ohio Hockey Classic on the horizon. Western is bad, Rensselaer is awful, and the OHC should make for a nice, relaxing 4 point weekend, with OSU, Clarkson, and Army in the fold.

>In the latest USCHO Division I Poll…

1. Minnesota
2. Boston University
3. Colorado College
4. Boston College
5. Notre Dame
6. Northeastern
7. Miami
8. Princeton
9. Michigan
10. Denver
11. Minnesota State
12. Air Force
13. New Hampshire
14. Cornell
15. Vermont
16. Massachusetts
17. St. Cloud State
18. Harvard
19. Nebraska-Omaha
20. North Dakota

>The CCHA has a neat feature “getting to know” Coach Blasi, on the league’s official web page.

Check it out here.

>Miami:

Smith-Lacombe-Loupee
Miele-Cannone-Steffes
Kaufman-Camper-Palmer
Mercier-Wingels-Vogelhuber

Weber-Roeder
Tomassoni-LoVerde
Wideman-Eichenlaub

Knapp
Reichard
Whitacre

Miami Scratches:

Michael Findorff
Dane Hetland
Cameron Schilling
Justin Vaive
Alden Hirschfeld

Alaska:

Sather-Naglitch-Walls
Petovello-D.Knelsen-B.Knelsen
Hohl-Klassen-Finucci
Hyatt-Filzen-Meyers

Sova-Vanoosten
D.Molle-Enders
B.Molle-Butcher

Johnson
Greenham

Officials:

Steve McInchak (R)
Brian Hill (R)

Brian Frerichs (L)
Adam Fish (L)

>Radio Schedule:

Friday Night- 910AM WPFB-AM

Saturday Night- 1450AM WMOH-AM

Miami returns to Oxford after a four-game road trip to take on Alaska Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday Nov. 1. Both games will start at 7:05 p.m. and will be televised on the Ohio News Network.

“CHECKING” ALASKA
Miami leads the all-time series against the Nanooks with a record of 30-12-4, and the RedHawks lead the series in Oxford 16-5-2. Miami has won the last two meetings and three of the last four, but last season Alaska split the two-game set in Oxford with a shutout of the RedHawks on Dec. 7, 2007. This was the last time Miami was shutout.

Even with the shutout Miami was able to outscore Alaska a season ago 12-6 including 7-2 win by Miami in the final meeting of the season.

EARLY FOR ALASKA
This is the earliest in the season Miami and Alaska have played a game since 1997. That season, the Nanooks and the RedHawks faced off Oct. 25.

MIELE NAMED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Following a big weekend sweep of Notre Dame, Miami sophomore Andy Miele was named the CCHA Offensive Player of Week.

Miele found his way to the score sheet for the first time this season in the two-game set against Notre Dame. Miele did all but score last weekend for the RedHawks as he got his first point of the season in game one when he weaved through two players and left it in front of the net for Pat Cannone. Miele then picked off a Notre Dame clear attempt and found Gary Steffes in the slot to give Miami a two-goal lead. The next night, Miele fired a shot from the left faceoff circle and was credited with a goal until a review showed that Gary Steffes made a tip in front and earned the goal.

The conference honor is the second conference honor of Miele’s career as he earned Rookie of the Week honors in the final week of the regular season last season after posting a goal and three assists against Ohio State.

BIG ONE TWO
Coming into the 2008-09 season, Gary Steffes had scored 11 goals in his Miami career. Steffes had netted five as a freshman and six more during his sophomore campaign a season ago. After six games this season, Steffes already has five goals and is tied for the lead in CCHA overall goal scoring. Steffes and the RedHawks return to Steve Cady Arena this weekend the sight of his biggest offensive explosion this season. In the second game of the year, Steffes netted a hat trick against Ohio State in the RedHawks’ 7-3 win.

ROAD WARRIORS
The RedHawks traveled 2,367 miles in the first three weekends of their season as five of Miami’s first six games where on the road, including trips to Burlington, Vt., Columbus, Ohio and South Bend, Ind. The Red and White handled the road well as they went 2-1-2 in their first five road game, including a two-game road sweep of No. 13 Notre Dame.

POWER OUTAGE
Notre Dame boasted one of the nation’s top power-play units coming into the two-game set with the RedHawks. Miami put a stop to the Fighting Irish’s power play as they held them to 0-16 on the weekend. Since giving up a 5-on-4 goal on the first penalty kill of the season, Miami has not allowed a 5-on-4 goal, going 37-of-38 on the penalty kill, allowing one 5-on-3 goal against Vermont.

>D1hockey.com? It’s a great resource for Division I hockey information. Basic membership is free and worth checking out. Actually, the site is something to behold. Very well organized and informative.

>The RedHawks made the most of their chances on Friday night, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 2-0. Freshman goaltender Cody Reichard earned his first win of the season, as sophomore forward Pat Cannone continued his hot streak, adding goal. The other Miami tally was scored by Gary Steffes.

The RedHawks take on the Irish in game two of the weekend series, tomorrow night from the Joyce Center.

>In the latest USCHO/CBS College Sports Poll, Miami has fallen to number ten in the nation after a 0-1-1 weekend at Vermont, who moved up six spots to number eleven.

Here’s the poll:

1. Colorado College
2. Denver
3. Boston College
4. New Hampshire
5. Michigan
6. Boston U
7. Minnesota
8. Notre Dame
9. Princeton
10. Miami
11. Vermont
12. Michigan State
13. Minnesota State
14. Northeastern
15. St. Cloud State
16. North Dakota
17. Cornell
18. Northern Michigan
19. Clarkson
20. Harvard

– Congratulations to Northeastern, as they knocked off number one Boston College this weekend. The Huskies were unranked going into play last Friday night and shot into the polls, at number fourteen this week.