After finishing its non-conference slate with a 3-5-2 record, the Miami University hockey team traveled to the St. Cloud State University Huskies to begin National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) play.
Both teams headed into the weekend after being swept at home by non-conference opponents. The Huskies, ranked 12th in the nation, were swept by the Boston College Eagles, while the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers swept the RedHawks at Goggin Ice Center.
Visiting teams at St. Cloud need to make an extra adjustment when playing a series there: the rink size. The Huskies play on Olympic-size ice, which is wider than the standard sheet.
St. Cloud converted on a shorthanded chance to start the scoring on Friday after both teams were called for penalties, but there was a sliver of time the Huskies were on the penalty kill. Junior forward Grant Ahcan was the goal-scorer.
The game went 1-0 into the first intermission, but St. Cloud doubled their lead one minute into the second thanks to first-year forward Austin Burnevik.
Miami graduate student defenseman Dylan Moulton fired a shot from the blue line, and junior forward Max Dukovac was in the right place at the right time. The puck hit off his body and found its way into the net.
Just over seven and a half minutes later, the RedHawks struck again to tie the game. The high-scoring duo of graduate student Colby Ambrosio and senior Matt Choupani got on the board after Ambrosio worked his way around the St. Cloud defense, creating a chance that Choupani put home on a second effort.
Regulation ended in a tie, giving both teams the first points of their conference schedules. However, overtime still had to be played to decide who received the up-for-grabs second point.
Both teams had their chances, but ultimately, the Huskies pulled through, scoring with 17 seconds remaining. An extended shift in the offensive zone gave Ahcan a lane to shoot, and he converted for the game-winning goal, his second of the night.
“Just a hard-fought game,” Miami head coach Anthony Noreen said. “[I] really liked our resolve, and I thought we took a big step from last week to this week. [There was] certainly not a lot of easy ice out there as we can expect every night.”
The Saturday contest between the two NCHC foes was another close game.
After a scoreless first period, the RedHawks once again found themselves down on the scoreboard early in the second.
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A mistimed line change by Miami gave the Huskies a two-on-one break. RedHawks sophomore goaltender Bruno Bruveris stopped the first shot by Huskies sophomore Barrett Hall, but Burnevik shot the rebound in for his second of the weekend.
Less than 90 seconds later, St. Cloud scored again on a puck thrown to the slot by sophomore Daimon Gardner after dancing around the Miami net. It found the stick of senior Mason Salquist, and he tapped it home for a 2-0 lead.
The home squad found the back of the net for a third time on a shifty move from Burnevik, who danced around Bruveris and tucked the puck around the post and in the net.
St. Cloud had the opportunity to add even more goals on the scoreboard when Ambrosio received a five-minute major and game misconduct for slew footing. However, the RedHawks killed off the major, keeping their success rate on major penalties at 100%.
Miami scored a goal on the power play in the third period thanks to junior forward Johnny Waldron, but they could not score again on the Huskies’ Huskies goaltender and Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Isak Posch.
“We felt like we finally got to our game, competitive level and positive energy we’re capable of,” Noreen said. “You have every chance in the world to tie the game. You’re really tilting the ice toward the end, but we’ve got to do that right from the beginning. We’ve got to do that every day if we’re going to have a chance against these types of programs.”
Despite finishing the weekend winless, the RedHawks managed a point in the standings, having made it to overtime on Friday. Last season, they did not earn a point in four games against St. Cloud.
Miami hockey returns home this weekend to play the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on Friday, Nov. 8, and Saturday, Nov. 9.
The Bulldogs lost some of their big name players from last season, but they’re still a threat in the NCHC.
The departure of players like Ben Steeves left a gaping hole in the lineup, but long-time coach Scott Sandelin and his coaching staff filled that hole and more with one of the best and biggest classes of first years in all of college hockey.
“A lot of their players are arguably the best incoming freshman class in the country,” Noreen said. “After two losses against a really good North Dakota team, which I know is a rivalry for them, I’m sure they’re going to be looking for retribution coming in here. It’s no different for us, so they should be two really hard-fought games.”
After their losses to the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota, the Bulldogs come into the weekend with a 3-6-0 record. They’re led in points by senior forward Dominic James (10 points in eight games). Sophomore defenseman Aaron Pionk leads the blue line with nine points in nine games.
The last Miami win against the Bulldogs came on Feb. 25, 2023 at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. Their last home win came almost a calendar year prior on Feb. 26, 2022.
Both of these NCHC squads have faced tough opponents to begin the season. Now, they have a chance to put themselves in the win column early in their conference campaigns. The RedHawks have a chance to do it in front of their home fans as well.
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