RedHawks hockey has been underwhelming to start first year of the program’s transition

The Miami University RedHawks hockey team entered the 2024-25 season with hopes of a better output than previous years.

The RedHawks finished last season with a paltry 1-21-2 record and seven conference points, good for last with the next-closest team – the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs – sitting at 28 points.

New head coach Anthony Noreen was put in charge of changing the program’s results and fostering a new culture. The players were determined to work hard, be disciplined and, most notably to Noreen, be great teammates.

However, with the 2024-25 college hockey season just over halfway finished, RedHawks fans have yet to see the behind-the-scenes changes become anything substantial in the win-loss-tie columns.

Miami has an overall record of 3-19-2 and is still without a win in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) play. The RedHawks have played eight series and are at the bottom of the standings with a 0-14-0 record. Their only point came in their first conference game, an overtime loss to the St. Cloud State Huskies. They also have yet to win a game on the road.

“We want to be better,” Noreen said. “Do I think this group’s gotten better? I don’t even think it’s a question: I think they’ve gotten night-and-day better. I think we’ve tightened a lot of things up, but there’s absolutely zero satisfaction with where we are or how far that development has come. I think it’s an area we need to continue to improve, and no matter what the results are, we’re going to show up, get back to work and keep pushing.”

Through the first half of the season, the RedHawks rank toward the bottom of the NCHC in most statistical categories, primarily regarding their offensive output. Miami’s 45 goals scored is the lowest in the conference, and its 95 goals against is by far the highest, with Minnesota-Duluth next with 75.

Miami’s 22.67 shots per game is almost a full six shots worse than the Huskies, who are seventh in the conference with 28.38 shots per game.

One area where the RedHawks have been better than last is their special teams. Although they are still in the bottom half of the conference rankings, they are seventh out of the nine NCHC programs.

Graduate student forward and captain Ryan Sullivan was given the honor of donning the ‘C,’ giving him more of a prominent role in changing the culture. Since he transferred from the University of Massachusetts and began playing under Noreen this season, he has seen an improvement to the team’s culture.

“We’ve had our challenges, but a lot of guys are buying in,” Sullivan said. “That starts even with our O-zone play: Our defensive play lately has been better, and we’re managing pucks in a smarter way. A lot of guys are stepping into different roles and changing their style of game to fit the culture of the team, so it’s been growing, but there’s more to come.”

While the results for this RedHawks squad have been bleak, one of the most important parts of changing a program’s culture is continuing to overcome even the worst adversities. With a winless conference record and three total victories, it can be hard to stay focused during the last few series of the season. However, the Noreen-led RedHawks are not going down without a fight.

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“I can promise you that no one has given up on this season,” Noreen said. “No matter what the results are, we’re going to coach, play and practice hard and do it until the very end. We’d like to see the group stay engaged and realize that our goal at the beginning of the season is still completely attainable. The goal was to change the culture here. That is what this year was about.”

The RedHawks have five series left before the NCHC playoffs, three of which are at home. While the Miami faithful may be disappointed with another subpar season, it’s important to remember that this is the first year of a long road back to the college hockey promised land.

@jjmid04

middleje@miamioh.edu