Recap: Miami hockey continues winless streak following two losses to Arizona State

The Miami University RedHawks hockey team returned home on Jan. 31 after suffering a weekend sweep on the road against the No. 3 Western Michigan University Broncos.

An 8-3 loss on Friday and a much closer 2-0 defeat on Saturday put the RedHawks on a 16-game losing streak, matching their longest losing streak from last season.

With their sights set on breaking this extended skid, the RedHawks had to take on the newest addition to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), the No. 12-ranked Arizona State University Sun Devils.

Last season’s matchup between these two squads resulted in a 4-1 comeback victory for Miami on Friday and a 1-1 tie that finished with a Sun Devils shootout win. However, the new season brought different scores.

Game 1: 7-1 loss

The Sun Devils only scored one goal in the first period, but a shorthanded tally by junior forward Bennett Schimek just over three minutes into the second frame set the tone for what became a detrimental 20 minutes.

Arizona State scored two power-play goals to cap a three-goal period and head into the second intermission up 4-0.

First-year ASU forward Cullen Potter deposited a puck behind Miami graduate student netminder Brett Miller to put the Sun Devils up 5-0. Graduate student defenseman Dylan Moulton finally put the Red and White on the board early in the third period, but the damage was already done.

The visitors scored two more goals, including a second shorthanded tally, and won 7-1.

“It’s honestly embarrassing,” Moulton said. “It’s to a point where we beat up on each other all week every day, and it felt like we didn’t do that tonight against a different color jersey. The score wasn’t because they’re a way better team than us. I think it’s because we didn’t play good tonight at all.”

Miami head coach Anthony Noreen shared similar sentiments following the drubbing on Friday.

“To come out on home ice and play in front of a crowd like that, with the record we have and what we’ve been going through as a program: I don’t care if you’re playing the Russian national team, you have got to find a way,” Noreen said. “You have got to find a way to have more passion, finish and competitiveness regardless.”

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Game 2: 4-1 loss

The Saturday game was closer, just as it was a week prior, but Noreen acknowledged in his postgame press conference that it was a more “low event” hockey game.

Overall, the RedHawks finished with just 11 shots, two of which came in the final five seconds along with their only goal of the game.

Following a scary injury to Sun Devils graduate student forward Artem Shlaine from a hit by Miami senior defenseman Spencer Cox, Arizona State came out strong, scoring two goals in the first eight minutes of play.

Sophomore forward Kyle Smolen converted on the power play and first-year defenseman Sam Court scored backdoor on a tic-tac-toe goal to put the Sun Devils up 2-0 after the first period.

Arizona State scored just over halfway through the middle period thanks to first-year defenseman Brasen Boser, who skated around the net and worked into the slot.

The final Sun Devils’ goal came off junior forward Cruz Lucius’s stick on a drag-and-release shot from the middle of the offensive zone.

Cox scored the only RedHawks goal of the game on a rebound with 0.6 seconds remaining to break senior goaltender Luke Pavicich’s shutout bid.

“We had 11 shots, but that’s not good enough to win games,” Cox said. “We need to create more offense. We’ve been struggling with that. We scored at the end, but it’s like a roller coaster of when we can produce our offense, and that’s something I’m sure we’ll touch on during this off-week.”

Miami hockey has a bye week before its next series against Colorado College on Feb. 14 and 15.

@jjmid04

middleje@miamioh.edu