Nov. 17, 2006
Highlights
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio - Freshman Jarod Palmer (Fridley, Minn.) tallied a career-high four points on two goals and two assists on Friday as the Miami University RedHawks (9-4-0, 6-3-0 CCHA) skated to a 7-3 win over the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks (3-5-3, 2-4-1 CCHA). Palmer, who was one of seven RedHawks to register multi-point games, extended his point streak to four games and now has seven points in his last two games.
Just 1:16 into the first period, Nebraska-Omaha got on the board first with Brandon Scero's one-timer from the bottom of the left circle that beat sophomore Jeff Zatkoff (Chesterfield, Mich.) low on the stick side.
Palmer scored his first of two on the night when his pass through the slot towards sophomore Justin Mercier (Erie, Pa.) caromed off a UNO defender's skate and between the legs of Jeremie Dupont at 13:26 of the first. His first power-play goal of the season was assisted by sophomore Alec Martinez (Rochester, Mich.) and senior Marty Guerin (Lansing, Mich.) and was the first of four consecutive Miami goals.
With under a minute remaining in the first period, Palmer gave Miami a lead it would not relinquish on yet another goal that deflected off a defender's skate and in as his shot from the right half boards made it 2-1.
Guerin got into the act at 3:38 of the second period with his third goal of the season that was assisted by senior Matt Christie (Ajax, Ontario) and Mercier and made it 3-1. Mercier and Christie cycled the puck in the right corner before finding Guerin alone at the right faceoff dot, where he pulled the trigger on a wrist shot that lit the lamp.
Junior Ryan Jones (Chatham, Ontario), put Miami in front 4-1 at 5:21 of the second after a great individual effort by Palmer found Miami's captain alone in the slot. After winning a battle in the corner, Palmer skated the puck along the end boards before flipping a pass to Jones, who made a strong move on Dupont and slid the puck across the line for his seventh tally of the year. Junior Nathan Davis (Rocky River, Ohio) was credited with the second assist.
UNO finally responded at the 10:20 mark of the second on Jeric Agosta's first goal of the season. The goal was the result of a turnover in the Miami zone and made it 4-2.
Martinez restored Miami's three-goal lead at 16:06 of the second with his team's second of three power-play goals on the evening. After Davis and junior Mitch Ganzak (Canton, Mich.) exchanged passes on the left wall, Ganzak slid the puck across the blueline to Martinez, who fired a low wrist shot that found its way through traffic and inside the right post to make the score 5-2.
At 4:49 of the third, Davis tallied his team-leading 11th goal of the season to give Miami a 6-2 lead when he banged home the rebound of a shot from the point by Ganzak that deflected off Jones in front of the net.
Tomas Klempa tallied a power-play goal for UNO at 5:52 of the third that cut Miami's lead back to three goals at 6-3.
Late in the third, with freshman Gary Steffes (Grand Blanc, Mich.) in the penalty box for hooking, Mercier notched his fifth goal of the season when he banged home a loose puck in front of the net after Palmer narrowly missed his third of the game. Mercier's goal was his fifth of the season, and first that did not come on the power play.
Zatkoff turned away 24 shots and improved to 5-2-0, while Dupont made 27 saves and dropped to 2-4-2. Miami outshot UNO 34-27 and went 3-for-7 on the power play. The Mavericks were 1-for-9 with the man-advantage.
Miami and UNO wrap up the two-game series on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.
NOTES: FR Jarod Palmer extended his point streak to three games ... JR Nathan Davis tallied his ninth multi-point game of the season ... JR Mitch Ganzak had two assists ... Miami is 6-1-2 all-time vs. UNO in Oxford.
