Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

RedHawks oust Irish for trip to CCHA championship game

Hannah R. Miller, Senior Staff Writer

In Friday's game, the Red and White came out flying against the University of Notre Dame Irish, notching four goals in the first frame. On an early power play, junior Chris Wideman sent senior Andy Miele the puck in the corner, who found captain Carter Camper waiting in the high-slot. Camper fired a one-timer past Notre Dame net-minder Mike Johnson to put the 'Hawks on the board. Just one minute later, junior Alden Hirschfeld skated the puck at the circles, spinning away from an Irish defenseman and sending the puck to the front of the crease for freshman Bryon Paulazzo. Paulazzo tapped it in back door, giving the Red and White a two-goal lead. On another RedHawk power play at the halfway mark of the period, Miele took the puck behind the net, dished it to sophomore Reilly Smith in front who sent it quickly to Hirschfeld, waiting on the far side. Hirschfeld sent it in over the glove-side of Johnson for a 3-goal Miami lead.

The fourth Miami goal came with the 'Hawks a man-down, following a penalty given to junior Will Weber for holding. Camper pressured Notre Dame defenseman Sam Calabrese behind the Irish net, lifted his stick, picked up the puck and flicked it in behind Johnson. 

In the second period, with two penalties to the 'Hawks, Notre Dame had a two-man advantage, seven minutes into the frame. The Irish capitalized on the five-on-three, as CCHA rookie of the year T.J. Tynan picked up a pass to the left of junior goaltender Cody Reichard. Tynan sent it to the front of the net where the puck ricocheted off the skate of Billy Maday and into Miami's net. Five minutes later, Miele skated the puck into the Notre Dame zone, finding Smith open to his left. Miele got knocked-down by the Irish defenseman and was sliding towards the goal on his stomach when Smith sent the puck back to the center. Miele slid his stick on the ice and tapped the puck into the Irish net, putting the 'Hawks up 5-1. With less than two minutes to play in the middle frame, Notre Dame cut the Miami lead to three on a goal by Calle Ridderwall.

To start the third, Smith picked the puck off Irish defenseman Sean Lorenz in the corner and sent it to Miele in the high-slot for a one-timer and a four-goal Miami lead. With two goals and two assists in the game, Miele notched his fifth four-point game this year.

The ‘Hawks won Friday with a score of 6-2. Western Michigan University knocked off the University of Michigan by a score of 5-2 to set up Saturday's championship game.

Miami has a 2-1-1 series advantage over WMU for the year.