March 4, 2005

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio - Three Miami University (15-16-4, 11-13-3 CCHA) seniors played what could be the last games of their careers at Goggin Ice Arena on Friday night and were defeated, 3-1, by the sixth-ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State University (24-8-3, 21-5-1 CCHA). Todd Grant (Indianapolis, Ind.), Joe Pomaranski (Plymouth, Mich.) and Chris Busby (Kenilworth, Ill.) were honored before the game in front of a capacity crowd of 2,621.

In a game with CCHA playoff implications the Buckeyes struck first with a power-play goal at 9:09 of the first period on a shot from the point by Rod Pelley.

Miami didn't wait long to respond however, evening the score at the 15:32 mark of the first with a power-play tally of its own. Grant started the play with a pass from the left point to junior Chris Michael (Glenview, Ill.) who was stationed at the right faceoff dot. Michael redirected the pass through the slot to sophomore Matt Christie (Ajax, Ontario), stationed at the left post, who one-timed the puck past Ohio State's Dave Caruso for his 15th goal of the season.

Neither team lit the lamp in the second period, due largely in part to the goaltending of Miami's Brandon Crawford-West (San Diego, Calif.) who turned away 15 Ohio State shots in the period. For the game, Crawford-West made 39 saves but suffered the loss, dropping his record to 11-14-4 on the year.

Ohio State scored what would prove to be the game winner with 7:22 remaining in the third period when JB Bittner popped a loose puck in front of the Miami net over the head of Crawford-West. The Buckeyes scored on an empty net with just four seconds left in the contest, putting the nail in the coffin.

The Miami power play unit, which had been scorching over the previous three games, cooled off in the game, going just 1-for-10. The RedHawks held Ohio State to just one goal with the man-advantage in nine opportunities. The RedHawks were outshot 42-24.

Miami and Ohio State will finish the home-and-home series on Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Despite a 3-2 victory by Michigan State over Notre Dame on Friday night, Miami's hopes of hosting a first-round playoff series are still alive. The RedHawks and Spartans are now tied for the sixth spot in the league with 25 points each. A Miami win coupled with an MSU loss or tie, or a Miami tie coupled with an MSU loss would clinch home-ice for the Red and White.

Notes: SO Matt Christie has now scored a goal in each of Miami's last five games an d now has 15 on the season, tying him with SR Todd Grant for the team lead ... SO G Brandon Crawford-West made the 1500th save of his career at 7:44 of the third period.

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