Jan. 30, 2009

Final Stats

Knapp Postgame

OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami (15-8-4) beat Bowling Green (9-15-3) 6-1 Friday night at Steve Cady Arena to stay unbeaten in its last four games.

The RedHawks were led by Jarod Palmer (Fridley, Minn.), who scored twice - including one shorthanded - and dished out an assist, and Carter Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) who had two assists and one goal. Goalie Connor Knapp (York, N.Y.) turned away 16 of 17 shots he faced.

Gary Steffes (Grand Blanc, Mich.) picked up the first goal 5:22 into the first period. After Miami dumped the puck into the scoring zone, Bowling Green goalie Nick Eno left the crease to his left and tried to clear the puck around the net, but Steffes was there to intercept the puck and put it away for his ninth goal of the season.

Bowling Green tied it up at the 11:35 mark when leading scorer Dan Sexton scored a power play goal with assists to Nick Bailen and Falcon goalie Nick Eno.

Just over three minutes later, Miami recaptured the lead and would not look back. With the Falcons trying to move the puck out of their own zone, Justin Mercier (Erie, Pa.) tipped a pass ahead to Camper (Rocky River, Ohio) who found himself all alone at blue line with just the goalie to beat. Moving it up the ice, Camper fired a shot, beating Eno stick-side for his team-leading 17th goal of the season. The assist was Mercier's 98th point in 143 games for the RedHawks.

While on the power play in second period, a crossing pass found Pat Cannone (Bayport, N.Y.) all alone on the left side. Cannone faked a shot, then centered the puck to Camper, who tipped it ahead to Palmer, who stuffed it in the net.

Palmer broke open the floodgates with his second goal of the game at 8:52 in the third period. Though shorthanded, the RedHawks stayed aggressive keeping the puck in Bowling Green's zone for much of the power play. Camper picked up a loose puck at the Falcons' blue line and shot it down ice. Palmer, once again in front of the net, tried to redirect Camper's shot but missed wide left. The puck ricocheted off the glass behind the goal, hitting Eno's pad and bouncing into the net. Vincent LoVerde (Chicago, Ill.) was credited with the second assist.

At 16:34, Chris Wideman (St. Louis, Mo.) took a pass from Brandon Smith (Pepper Pike, Ohio) and fired a slap shot that hit both pipes and bounced away from the goal before Brian Kaufman (Shoreview, Minn.) was able to tap it home. Andy Miele (Grosse Point Woods, MI) concluded the scoring when he received a pass at Bowling Green's blue line from Palmer, skated between two defenders and beat Eno glove side for his 10th goal of the season.

Miami and Bowling Green will be back in action tomorrow night in Steve Cady Arena at 7:05 p.m. The game will be televised on the Ohio News Network (ONN).

Game Notes
Bowling Green at #10 Miami
Jan. 30, 2009 - Steve Cady Arena - Oxford, Ohio

• With the victory, this group of Miami seniors tied the class of 2008 as the winningest in program history. Friday marked the 98th victory over the last four years.
• Miami opened the scoring at 5:22 of the first period, when Gary Steffes found the net unassisted. It was the junior's ninth goal of the year and third in four games. Steffes entered the season with only 11 career goals.
• Miami has scored the first goal of the game 16 times this season, posting a 14-0-2 record in those games. Friday marked the third straight game that the RedHawks held a 1-0 lead.
• Miami improved to 10-1-2 when leading after the first period and 15-0-1 when ahead after the second period.
• With two goals in the first 20 minutes on Friday, Miami has now scored nine times in its last four first periods. The opening frame is still the least productive of the three for the RedHawks as they have tallied 27 goals, compared to 30 and 32, respectively in the last two periods.
• Carter Camper tallied a goal and two assists in the contest to increase his team-high point total to 35. He now has at least one goal and multiple points in three of the last four games.
• Justin Palmer tallied a pair of goals and an assist on the evening. His first score, coming on the power play, was the only one of the second period and put the RedHawks up 3-1. He added his first shorthanded goal of the season in the third period on an assist from Camper. All seven of Palmer's goals this season have come in special-teams situations (six power play, one penalty-kill).
• Connor Knapp registered 15 saves in goal for Miami. The freshman made his fourth straight start and 16th overall.
• Both teams were one of six on the power play. Bowling Green's goal came on its only power play goal of the night, while Miami registered seven shots when on a man advantage.
• Miami, second in the CCHA standings moved within two points of first-place Notre Dame, who lost tonight at home against Michigan. The Irish travel to Ann Arbor tomorrow to again play the Wolverines.
• Brian Kaufman and Andy Miele each added a single goal. Kaufman's goal was his sixth of the year, but first in nine games. Miele's scored was his 10th of the year and third in four games.
• First Star: Carter Camper, Second Star: Jarod Palmer, Third Star: Connor Knapp

Postgame Quotes

Bowling Green Head Coach Scott Paluch
On tonight's game:
"I thought we did a lot of good things for about 50 minutes of the hockey game, but I think mentally we just didn't finish the game off strong. For a 60 minute buzzer physically we stayed with them but mentally we just couldn't make enough good plays in the last ten minutes of the hockey game. Miami's too good a team and took advantage. We had some strange goals, some bouncy goals that we need to take look at. We just took too many penalties, and you can't do that in a game like this."

On Carter Camper:
"He's a terrific hockey player. He's so elusive and creative. He's got tremendous vision. He's just a terrific hockey player."

On tomorrow's game:
"I think tomorrow we just need to get more 5-on-5 play. We also need to shoot more; I think we had a few possessions where we had shots and passed off on them. I think we just need better play in the zone and more possessions down low."