Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami Slated to Battle for CCHA Championship
9/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Sept. 25, 2007
OXFORD, Ohio - - The Miami University hockey team has been picked to finish first in a vote of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's 12 head coaches and second by a list of 63 media members, as announced today at the annual CCHA Media Day. The event was held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich.
Miami garnered five first-place votes and 114 overall votes in the coaches poll, which was one point above Michigan State's point total (113). Notre Dame (105), Michigan (92) and Ohio State (77) rounded out the top five. Miami compiled 667 total points, including 21 first-place votes in the media poll, which ranked second behind only the 701 points tabulated by the defending national champion Spartans. Notre Dame (656), Michigan (596) and Ohio State (414) were picked to finish in the same spots in both polls.
 Miami head coach Enrico Blasi had a good day on Tuesday, receiving a 10-year contract extension in the morning and having his team ranked as one of the CCHA favorites in the afternoon.  | |
In addition to the team polls, Miami senior assistant captain Nathan Davis (Rocky River, Ohio) was a unanimous selections to the league's preseason all-conference team. A reigning Hobey Baker finalist and member of the RBK/American Hockey Coaches Association West All-America Second Team, Davis ranked fourth in the nation with 21-29--50 points in 42 games a year ago. He gained All-CCHA Second Team laurels and was presented the CCHA's trophy for the Best Defensive Forward. Miami's all-time leader in career shorthanded goals (9), Davis enters the season with 115 career points and is third among all active college players.
Two other RedHawks - senior Ryan Jones (Chatham, Ontario) and junior Alec Martinez (Rochester, Mich.) - were recognized on the first team.
One of just three RedHawks to have worn an `A' or `C' on his jersey for three straight seasons, Jones will serve as the team captain for the second time in as many years. Jones has suited for 119 straight games at Miami and is 37 games shy of the all-time school record for games played. An All-CCHA Second Team selection for the second consecutive season, Jones led the squad with 29 goals a season ago and his 48 points was second behind only Davis among RedHawk scorers. The winger finished with a team-high 10 power-play goals and added to his program-best eight game-winning goals with five game-winners. Jones needs two points to become the 39th member of the Miami 100-Point Club.
Martinez, who is coming off his first full season as a starter, was the RedHawks' highest-scoring defenseman in 2006-07 with nine goals and 15 assists. An honorable selection on the CCHA All-Conference Team as a sophomore, Martinez tallied six power play goals and was one of two Miami defenseman to score at least 20 points.
Under the tutelage of ninth-year head coach Enrico Blasi, who received a 10-year contract extension Monday (Sept. 24), the RedHawks return 18 letterwinners and 81 percent of their scoring prowess from last year's squad that posted a 24-14-4 overall record. In addition to securing an NCAA Tournament berth for the fifth time in the program's 27-year history, Miami finished third in the CCHA standings with a mark of 16-8-4.
The RedHawks kick off the 2007-08 campaign Oct. 6 when they host the University of Waterloo at Steve Cady Arena. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m.
2007-08 CCHA Coaches' Poll (first-place votes in parentheses) 1. Miami, 114 (5) 2. Michigan State, 113 (6) 3. Notre Dame, 105 (1) 4. Michigan, 92 5. Ohio State, 77 6. Nebraska-Omaha, 68 7. Lake Superior State, 52 8. Northern Michigan, 48 9. Ferris State, 44 10. Western Michigan, 41 11. Alaska, 25 12. Bowling Green, 13
2007-08 CCHA Media Poll (first-place votes in parentheses) 1. Michigan State, 701 (25) 2. Miami, 667 (21) 3. Notre Dame, 656 (13) 4. Michigan, 596 (4) 5. Ohio State, 414 6. Nebraska-Omaha, 412 7. Western Michigan, 352 8. Ferris State, 279 9. Lake Superior State, 270 10. Northern Michigan, 248 11. Alaska, 212 12. Bowling Green, 108
