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Weekend Preview: Lake Superior State
Led by impeccable goaltending by Connor Knapp, the RedHawks swept their way to a great start to the second half of the season. This week, the ‘Hawks head further north into Michigan to take on Lake Superior State in the U.P. of Michigan. The matchup will be a great litmus test to see if LSSU is fo’ real, was last weekend’s sweep of Michigan State a fluke, and will the Rico Swoon will happen or not this season.
Miami will be without Freshman Forward Tyler Biggs this week, after Tyler was suspended for 2 games. In the 3rd period on Friday night in East Lansing, Tyler hit MSU defender Matt Grassi with a direct blow to the head. There was no penalty called on the play, but Grassi was out for the rest of the night, as well as Saturday night, and looks to be out this weekend as MSU hosts Northern Michigan. Expect Biggs to be back in the lineup next weekend in Oxford.
Miami sits 5th in the CCHA with 24 points, just 1 behind LSSU for 4th place, and only 3 points behind ND and Western Michigan who sit at 27 points and in a tie for second. With the league so closely matched, a sweep by Miami would be huge, and so would a sweep by LSSU. Miami is only 4 points ahead of 9th place Michigan State, so earning points this weekend is crucial to start gaining some separation from the bottom tier of the league, as well as to earn that first round bye in the CCHA tournament.
In addition to the usual slate of CCHA games this weekend (all teams but BGSU are in action this week, and all are in-conference games), keep an eye out for Sunday’s game between Michigan and Ohio State. This is the “Frozen Diamond Faceoff” and starts at 5:05 Eastern time. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio for those interested in seeing how ugly the jerseys can get hockey in a baseball stadium.
Lake Superior’s Andrew Perrault Suspended One Game
Well, new CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch is certainly laying down the law.
A day after Miami freshman forward Tyler Biggs was suspended for two games for delivering an elbow to the head of Michigan State’s Matt Grassi, Lake Superior sophomore defenseman Andrew Perrault was suspended for one game (Friday’s series opener against the RedHawks) for “delivering an illegal hit to the head of a University of Michigan player.”
Now the fun starts.
So, Biggs gets two games for contact to the head, but Perrault gets just one? If the CCHA is going to be so vague, there has to be some mention of why. I’m not saying Fred Pletsch should go all Brendan Shanahan, but this is disconcerting.
Miami loses one of its most talented young players for two games for contact to the head but the Lake player gets just one?
Yet again, it is what it is I guess.
Biggs Suspended for Lake Superior Series
Today the CCHA announced that Miami freshman forward Tyler Biggs has been suspended for two games for “delivering an illegal hit directly to the head of a Michigan State player.”
Though Biggs was not penalized on the play, I can only infer from the league’s cryptic statement that it most likely was an elbow to the head of Michigan State junior defenseman Matt Grassi that knocked him out of most of the third period on Friday and all of Saturday night’s game. It’s strange, however, that very little was made of this in the postgame on Friday or the postmortem delivered by MSU head coach Tom Anastos after Saturday’s 4-0 Miami victory. From TheStateNews.com:
Grassi took an apparent elbow to the face in the third period of Friday’s game, leading to a concussion that required “8-10 stitches.” Anastos said Grassi demonstrated concussion-like symptoms and is out indefinitely until he is cleared to play.
However, Anastos was not prepared to dismiss injuries as the reason why his team struggled this weekend.
“We don’t want to have any excuses for any reason,” Anastos said. “We have to play the game. Every team has injuries. Certainly our team is not a team that’s loaded with depth, you know. But you have to play over that. Like I said before, you have injuries, and it creates opportunities for others.”
So, it is what it is, I guess, but two games feels a little harsh. It’s certainly too bad that Grassi is injured, but it’s also surprising that no penalty was called on the play.
Regardless, Biggs is out of the lineup for Miami’s big series against Lake Superior State in the SOO. Currently, Miami is just one point behind the Lakers in the CCHA standings and the RedHawks would like nothing more than to sweep them in their barn and turn the tables on the Laker sweep of the October series in Oxford. And, a Miami sweep would give them sole possession of fourth place and notch a couple more big Pairwise wins since the Lakers are currently tied for 16th in the all important rankings.
Biggs will be eligible to return to the lineup on January 20 when the RedHawks finally return home to face Western Michigan.
Connor Knapp named INCH National Player of the Week
Fresh off earning CCHA Goaltender of the week honors, Miami senior netminder Connor Knapp is the Inside College Hockey National Player of the Week.
Knapp’s stellar weekend in which he allowed just one goal on 54 shots leading Miami to a needed road sweep of then #15 Michigan State earned the distinction over several players including Daniel Bahntge (Mercyhurst), Daniel Carr (Union), Joey Diamond (Maine) and Carter Rowney (North Dakota).
Congratulations, again, Connor!
You know polls are a sham when…
The opponent you just swept over the weekend is still ranked (Michigan State is 18th) and you aren’t.
The new USCHO poll does not include Miami, yet a team Miami allowed just one goal to over the weekend, Michigan State, is still 18th. And, since it looks like the USCHO pollsters weren’t paying attention, they should know the RedHawks are tied for 12th in the current Pairwise (MSU is tied for 18th) and ranked 12th in KRACH (MSU is 13th). At least the guys at Inside College Hockey got it somewhat right having Miami reenter their power rankings at 20th while MSU is out.
But, at the end of the day, it’s not the pollsters that decide anything. It’s the Pairwise that will determine Miami’s national title hopes.
Miami finishes sweep of #15 Michigan State 4-0
Connor Knapp made 20 saves and Miami received goals from four different players as they completed the weekend sweep at #15 Michigan State winning 4-0 on Saturday night.
Junior forward Reilly Smith opened the scoring by tallying the eventual game-winning goal on a 5×3 powerplay midway through the second period and the RedHawks exploded for three goals to break open the game in the third as they peppered Spartan netminder Will Yanakeff with 44 shots.
Reilly Smith rings a shot off the post as Will Yanakeff attempts to make a save.
With the weekend sweep, Miami moved all the way to fifth place in the tightly packed CCHA standings, and if the season ended today, Miami would earn a first round bye in the CCHA tournament. Additionally Miami has moved solidly into NCAA tournament consideration as both their KRACH, and more importantly, Pairwise numbers are favorable. Miami is now ranked 10th in KRACH having faced the fourth most difficult schedule in the country and tied for 11th in the Pairwise meaning the RedHawks would be a #3 seed if the season ended today. But, it’s still early January.
One troubling note coming out of this game was that Miami found itself shorthanded eight times and took eleven penalties in the game. Hopefully, it was simply the presence of former CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos on the Spartan bench that led to many questionable calls against the RedHawks and not the start of another trend. It is true that Miami is a physically imposing, strong team and at times it does seem as though the RedHawks receive the short end of the stick for “being too strong.” To his credit, Anastos said of the Friday game, “I thought that we got what we expected – a tough, physical game from an opponent that has some pretty good size across the board. They made things tough for us, but we generated some shots and did a good job getting in front of the net.” (source: Lansing State Journal) So, at least the Spartan head man acknowledged the size and strength of the RedHawks and certainly did not go on the record complaining about calls because he got plenty of them Saturday night. On the results of the weekend, Anastos said, “When someone comes into your rink and beats you in every phase of the game, that’s unacceptable.” (source: Lansing State Journal) It’s always great hearing an opposing coach talk about how his team was dominated — especially in their barn.
So, 2012 has gotten off to a nice start for the RedHawks. But, with plenty of hockey to still be played, Miami has to string together the kind of second half that can propel them up the national rankings and into the CCHA, and hopefully, NCAA tournaments come March.
Miami is back in action next week as they travel to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. to take on Lake Superior. The Lakers swept Miami in Oxford on October 27-28 so the RedHawks will be looking for payback as well as yet another chance to face someone ahead of them in the CCHA and national standings.
Notes
– Miami’s 44 shots on goal was a season’s high mark and they dominated the Spartans with a 20-5 SOG advantage in the final period.
– Tyler Biggs, Alden Hirschfeld and Blake Coleman had Miami’s three goals in the third period.
– Miami’s last sweep over MSU also came on the road November 14-15, 2008.
– Connor Knapp earned both weekend wins allowing just one goal on 54 shots (.981). The shutout was the ninth of Knapp’s outstanding Miami career.
– Miami’s penalty kill was 13-for-13 on the weekend.
– It seems as if Miami has been on the road the entire season, as they have played just one home game since November 19. But, after next weekend’s series at Lake Superior, Miami plays nine of its remaining twelve games at Steve Cady Arena.
– Here’s Michigan State head coach Tom Anastos on the differences between his Spartans and Miami. Courtesy USCHO.com
Miami starts 2012 with 2-1 victory over Michigan State
Freshman Jimmy Mullin scored his fifth goal of the season just 1:24 into overtime and senior goaltender Connor Knapp made 33 saves as Miami started 2012 with a 2-1 victory over #15 Michigan State at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.
Miami sophomore forward Bryon Paulazzo opened the scoring late in the first period with his third goal of the year, but MSU’s Greg Wolfe notched the tying goal just twelve seconds later as good defense and great goaltending ruled the remainder of regulation.
Entering overtime, Miami was a paltry 0-3-2 in extra session games this year and had not won an overtime game since senior co-captain Alden Hirschfeld scored the game-winner in double OT against Michigan in the 2010 NCAA Regional Final in Fort Wayne, Ind. That game was played on March 28, 2010.
Not to be denied in their sixth OT opportunity, Miami dominated the extra period outshooting the Spartans 4-0. Fresh of the plane from Alberta, Canada, Team USA World Junior Championship hero Austin Czarnik found Mullin from behind the net, and as the MSU defense collapsed on Miami junior forward Reilly Smith, Mullin found himself with an opportunity and beat senior Spartan netminder Drew Palmisano high over his left shoulder.
“Czarnik made a nice play behind the net and I came around the right-hand side and everybody went to Reilly (Smith) so when they go to one person all you have to do is shoot and it went in,” Mullin said of the game-winner. “I was really excited about that.” (source: MURedHawks.com)
Notes
– It was Mullin’s first career game-winning goal.
– Miami is now 6-3 against Michigan State over the past three seasons.
– Smith was one of the best players on the ice and was denied on several grade A chances by Palmisano. He led all Miami skaters with six shots on goal.
– Freshman forward Cody Murphy played in his first game since injuring his leg in a game on October 8, 2011.
– By earning the OT victory on the ice, rather than in a skills competition, Miami earned all three CCHA league points and now sits in seventh place, but just two points out of fourth in the tightly contested conference race for home ice and a first round bye.
– Here’s USCHO’s CCHA beat writer Paula C. Weston’s take on the game and postgame video with head coach Enrico Blasi below.
Winter Break in Review; Weekend Preview against MSU
Get over your New Year’s hangovers, ladies and gentlemen. IT’S HOCKEY TIME AGAIN!!!!
While the Redskin Warriors were busy feasting on some football bowl games, delicious Christmas dinners, and partying way to hard on New Years, but we’re back in the groove now, and ready to rock the second half of the RedHawks’ season.
Austin Czarnik plays in the U-18 WJC in Canada
Austin Czarnik was named Team USA’s Best Three Players of the World Junior Championship in Canada. Czarnik had 3 points in the tournament opener (1-2–3) against Denmark, and was featured by the NHL Network and CBS College Sports’ Dave Starman in a special feature before the US’ loss to Finland last week. Sweden won the WJC in an overtime thriller over Russia last night if you didn’t catch the game, and the US was 3-3 in the tournament, but did not make the medal round. Have no fear – Czarnik will be back in red and white (minus the blue) Friday and Saturday in East Lansing.
Tommy Wingels was called back up to the San Jose Sharks, and Andy Miele made another appearance in Phoenix.
Wingels came from the Worcester Sharks on 1/5/12, and has a 13-8–21 line in 29 games this season. Tommy had 4 goals, 2 assists and a +6 rating during the week ending 12/18/11, and was named AHL Player of the Week for his efforts. Wingles likely takes the place of the Sharks injured Colin White, who is on IR. He has recoorded 10 shots, 1 assist and 4 penalty minutes in his previous 4 games with the NHL club this season. Tommy has since been sent back to Worcester. He played over 10 minutes against the Blue Jackets on 1/5/12, and registered just 1 shot.
Miele was called back up on December 27th. He has played 24 games with the Portland Pirates (AHL), and was named the AHL’s Rookie of the Month for November (4-9–13 points in 10 games in November) and earned a spot on the AHL Eastern Conference’s All-Star Team. In his previous stint with the big club, Miele played 5 games and collected 4 penalty minutes, but no points. If you’re in the Providence area, Andy faces off against the Providence Bruins and former classmate Carter Camper tonight as he returns to AHL action.
Kevyn Adams to be inducted to Miami Hall of Fame on February 11
Kevyn Adams, Miami’s 4th leading scorer all time with 172 points and a lenghty NHL career, will join the Miami Hall of Fame on February 11. Adams scored 69 goals, 103 assists and was a CCHA All-Rookie Team member, hit the 2nd Team All-CCHA squad in 94-95, and signed redhawk95’s #10 Miami jersey in a now-infamous visit to Oxford several years ago. Adams’ good looks are rivaled only by redhawk95, and for it, Kevyn bought the table a pitcher of beer.
That’s myself, some guy who was stealing our “Kevyn Adams beer” (Hi A.S.!!!), and redhawk95 from left to right.
Adams is also one of just 2 Miami Redskins/RedHawks to have his name enscribed on the Stanley Cup, having won the cup with the Carolina Hurricanes (now the Winnipeg Jets) in 2006. The induction will take place at the Miami Men’s Basketball game on February 11 at 3:30pm, and Adams is sure to head over to the Goggin for the 7:05 puck drop against Alabama-Huntsville.
WEEKEND PREVIEW: RedHawks travel to East Lansing for 2-game set against Michigan State
Michigan State (the “consensus No. 15 team in the country” per MSUSpartans.com) starts a 6 game homestand with this weekend’s series, and they come off of a runner up finish in the Great Lakes Invitational last weekend. MSU beat Michigan Tech in the semifinals of the 4-team tournament, and allowed a game-winner 3:22 into overtime against Michigan last Friday night in the championship game.
MSU is led by former CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos, and are currently tied for 6th in the topsy-turvy CCHA standings. Michgan State is 6-5-1 in the CCHA and 11-7-2 overall. The Spartans have at least 2 games in hand on each of the other 10 teams in the league though, and will look to climb up those standings quickly in 2012.
It’s been a long time off for the Hawks, as they have not played since losing to the second-ranked Ohio State University in overtime on December 10th. After the month off, it will be interesting to see how the Hawks fare as they start the second half, or if the Rico Swoon will be of the season-long variety this year. Miami finished the first half losing 3 of 4 games, and looks to make a turnaround in the second half after a disappointing start of the season.
Reilly Smith is still leading the way for the RedHawks, tallying 12 goals and 5 assists. Czarnik, who will be back from Canada in time for the game Friday night, has 7 goals and 9 assists and also leads the team with a +7 rating. Captain Alden Hirschfeld is the only other ‘Hawk in double digits with 5 goals and 9 assists. No other ‘Hawks were in action over the break with any international teams, so look for a slow start on Friday night and a better effort Saturday.
MSU will likely send out Drew Palmisano to keep the net clear of RedHawk shots in both contests. Last year, Palmisano led MSU to a 7-4 victory on Friday night in East Lansing. Miami’s head coach Enrico Blasi got medieval on the Hawks, only starting 20 skaters the next night, and the motivation worked, as Miami took a 4-0 victory Saturday night. Look for the Reichard/Knapp rotation again for Miami, as both goalies are healthy (as are all skaters, INCLUDING Cody Murphy, who starts Friday night!).
Fearless Predictions
MSU got a jump on the break and will rock us tonight, but we’ll come back strong Saturday night.
MSU 4-1 Friday, Miami 4-2 Saturday.
Enjoy the games, and Go RedHawks!
SCSU’s Journey to the NCHC
Earlier this week, the St. Cloud Times published an incredibly interesting article about SCSU’s circuitous journey to become the 7th member of the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Through a significant public records request, the Times pieced together how St. Cloud’s president (Earl Potter III), head hockey coach (former Miami assistant Bob Motzko) and a consultant (former North Dakota head coach Gino Gasparini) worked the back channels, the media and the other NCHC athletic directors and coaches to earn a home in the new conference.
Kudos to St. Cloud State’s leadership in trying to take the high road and being ready to accept the invite that eventually came in September even though the charter members, including Miami, were announced in July.
Though I must be honest and profess that I would have preferred Notre Dame over St. Cloud, in the end, I think the inclusion of the Huskies will benefit the league. And, as Gasparini said in an email, SCSU “allows the fox into the hen house.” By that, Gasparini was referring to the opening of the recruiting flood gates for Miami (and Western Michigan) as they will now have more occasion to be in Minnesota, playing and selling the state’s best junior/high school players on Miami hockey. In short, the league will most certainly make recruiting the “State of Hockey” easier and more effective than ever for the RedHawks. And, the inclusion of St. Cloud State is one reason why it will happen.
Miami defeats Ohio State 5-3
I have to believe Peter Venkman was thinking of what would happen to the world should Ohio State ever put forth a competitive hockey club when he uttered the famous line, “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”
Thankfully, all was right with the world, for at least one night, as the up-and-down Miami RedHawks (9-8-3, 5-6-2-1 CCHA) hit an “up” as they defeated Ohio State (12-4-1, 9-3-1-1 CCHA) 5-3 at Cheap Furniture Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Miami received goals from freshmen Jimmy Mullin, Blake Coleman and Austin Czarnik and sophomore Bryon Paulazzo and senior Matt Tomassoni (shorthanded) also lit the lamp for the RedHawks.
On the night, Miami outshot Ohio State 38-30 as senior netminder Connor Knapp won his third game of the season against four defeats.
We’ll have more on tonight’s game as well as Saturday’s series finale in Oxford later this weekend.
Notes
– Miami broke Ohio State’s nine game winning streak and eleven game unbeaten streak
– The victory was the 600th in school history and head coach Enrico Blasi’s first against OSU’s second-year coach, Mark Osiecki. Ohio State swept Miami last year in Columbus.
– Miami won for the first time in the last four games in Columbus (1-2-1)
– With the victory, Miami is currently 17th in the Pairwise and 15th in KRACH having played the 7th most difficult schedule in the country.
– Miami is now 3-0-1 vs. Top 10 opponents. The talent is there, now it’s time for consistency.
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