No. 18 Miami University will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on No. 7/8 Michigan University this weekend in their final road series of the year.
"They are a great team. I expect them to be firing on all cylinders," Head Coach Enrico Blasi said. "I expect us to go out there and see what we can do. We have to play our best hockey."
In their last meeting, the 'Hawks had their way with the Wolverines, who at the time were ranked No. 4, winning 2-1 on Friday and then winning again on Saturday in a shootout, as sophomore forward Bryon Palazzo scored the only goal in the shootout.
Michigan has greatly benefited from the return of sophomore defenseman Jon Merrill after serving a 22-game suspension, causing him to miss the first matchup.
"It's a big [series]. They are a much different team from when we played them before the break," senior defenseman Will Weber said. "We're going to have to play really well this weekend. We've been playing well but I think we have to take the next step here."
The RedHawks have had recent success against their rivals from up north the last few years. The 'Hawks are 8-3-1 since 2008 against the Wolverines and have not lost at Michigan since 2009 when they were swept.
"Every game matters. This is probably the biggest weekend so far this year," freshman forward Alex Wideman said, fresh off his first career multi-goal game. "It's Michigan. We think it is a rivalry, they don't think it is. It means a lot."
After splitting their series against Northern Michigan University (NMU), the RedHawks fell one spot in the USCHO.com poll to No. 18. In the PairWise Rankings, which reflect the process of determining NCAA Tournament seeds, Miami is tied for 10th. The Red and White are not listed in the USA Today Poll, which only ranks the top 15 teams.
Michigan is ranked No. 7 in the USCHO.com poll, No. 8 in the USA Today poll and No. 8 in the PairWise Rankings.
The RedHawks enter the series 15-11-2 overall and 11-9-2-1 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). The 'Hawks are tied for second place in the CCHA and are only one point behind first place Ferris State University. The Wolverines are 15-9-4 overall and 9-7-4-1 in the CCHA, which puts them in seventh place in the standings and five points out of first place.
"I think we are playing pretty well right now," Blasi said. "It should be a pretty good game."
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
Freshman forward Blake Coleman won CCHA Rookie of the Week after his three-point performance over the weekend against NMU. This is the fifth time a Miami player has won Rookie of the Week and Coleman is the third one to do so this year.
"It just means that I'm making strides and that the team is doing well," Coleman said. "It's a tribute to my teammates and the coaching."
The 'Hawks have now won a CCHA player of the week award 13 times this season.
Puck drop is set for 7:35 p.m. both Friday and Saturday at Yost Ice Arena.
Read More
How one professor and her classes are preserving Oxford’s Black history
By Sean Scott | March 20, 2024Jazma Sutton, an assistant professor of history, teaches The Black Midwest (HST 350Q) and Black Women in America (HST 450D) classes. In both courses, she has students working with the Smith Library of Regional History and Miami’s archives to document and preserve Black history in Oxford.
Miami faculty members recount Freedom Summer in new documentary
By Luke Macy | February 25, 2022After seven years of work, “Training for Freedom,” a documentary highlighting Oxford’s involvement in the Freedom Summer of 1964, premiered on PBS Western Reserve on Valentine’s Day.
“Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic”: History in the making
By Alice Momany | August 29, 2021In March 2020, Miami University’s archives launched “Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a collection focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.