Oct. 13, 2006
Final Stats
OXFORD, Ohio -- Freshmen Jarod Palmer (Fridley, Minn.) and Gary Steffes (Grand Blanc, Mich.) lit the lamp for the first time in their collegiate careers and three other RedHawks registered goals as the Miami University hockey team skated to a convincing 5-1 win over Canisius on Friday night. The ninth-ranked RedHawks (2-1) outshot the Golden Griffins (0-2) 35-20 as junior Charlie Effinger (Belleville, Ill.) made 19 saves and improved to 2-0 on the season.
Miami got on the board first midway through the second period on sophomore Justin Mercier's (Erie, Pa.) second goal of the season. With the RedHawks on the power play, sophomore Raymond Eichenlaub (Wilmette, Ill.) moved the puck across the point to senior Marty Guerin (Lansing, Mich.), who found Mercier knifing through the slot. Mercier took the pass and made a strong move to the forehand before depositing the puck behind Canisius' Bryce Luker at the 10:04 mark.
Junior Mitch Ganzak (Canton, Mich.) doubled Miami's lead at 12:55 of the first with a shorthanded tally that was the result of a great defensive effort by junior Nathan Davis (Rocky River, Ohio). Davis, one of Miami's most potent penalty killers, forced a turnover in the neutral zone and found Ganzak streaking alone at the Canisius blueline. With classmate Ryan Jones (Chatham, Ontario) to his right, Ganzak faked the pass before wiring a wrist shot between Luker's blocker and the left post for a 2-0 Miami advantage.
Jones tallied Miami's second power-play goal of the night early in the second period to give the RedHawks a 3-0 lead. Ganzak and Eichenlaub exchanged passes at the point before Eichenlaub fired a shot on goal that was blocked. The deflection found its way directly onto the stick of Jones, who tucked the puck just inside the near post at 5:42 for this team-leading third goal of the year.
Jason Weeks finally put the Golden Griffins on the board at 6:42 of the second period with a shorthanded goal that resulted from a Miami turnover in the neutral zone, but Palmer restored Miami's three-goal lead with his first collegiate goal at 15:14 of the second. Davis started the play as he carried the puck into the Canisius zone and made two defenders miss before sliding the puck to Jones at the bottom of the left circle. Jones drew two defenders and found Palmer alone in the slot where he one-timed the puck into an open net.
Less than two minutes later, Steffes became the second RedHawk of the evening to record his first collegiate goal when he took a pass from sophomore Brian Kaufman (Shoreview, Minn.) at the left post and wrapped it behind Luker at 17:04 to finish the scoring.
The RedHawks and Golden Griffins faceoff again on Saturday night at 7:05 at Steve Cady Arena at the Goggin Ice Center. Tickets are available by calling 1-866-MUHawks.
NOTES: Miami outshot Canisius 15-1 in the first period ... the RedHawks were 2-11 on the power play ... Miami has successfully killed 32-of-35 opponent power plays ... Ryan Jones and Nathan Davis each recorded their second two-point games of the season ... this marked the first meeting between the two schools.
