No. 4/5 Miami Battles Colgate in First Road Test
10/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Oct. 12, 2011
THE GAME
No. 4/5 Miami (1-1-0) hits the road for the first time in 2011-12 when it travels to Hamilton, N.Y. for a two-game set with Colgate out of the ECAC Friday and Saturday at Starr Rink. The RedHawks opened the season at home with a series split with Bemidji State of the WCHA, dropping the opener, 5-3, before rebounding for a 3-2 win Saturday. Miami lost its season opener for the first time since 2005-06 and home opener for the first time in 10 years, last losing the 2001 season opener, as the Beavers rallied with four third-period goals. The `Hawks responded Saturday, however, to earn their first win of the year, overcoming a 2-1 deficit. Senior Matt Tomassoni had two goals in the game, his first-career multi-goal game, including the game-winner, which came short-handed late in the third period. Five RedHawks have two points on the year while 12 different `Hawks have at least one point.
Colgate (2-0-0) enters the weekend after capturing the Mutual of Omaha Stampede Tournament, knocking off Robert Morris to open the year, 3-1, before upsetting host and then-No. 14 Nebraska Omaha, 4-3, to claim the title. The Raiders, who are receiving votes in both national polls and would sit 19th (USA Today Poll) and 21st (USCHO Poll) if the polls were extended, will play their first home games of the year against Miami. Colgate is coming off an 11-28-3 campaign, which saw them finish 12th in the ECAC, but the Raiders return 21 letterwinners from last year's team that made a run to the ECAC Tournament semifinals. Leading Colgate early on is junior Kurtis Bartliff, who has three points and two goals while freshman John Lidgett has three helpers and classmate Joe Wilson also has a pair of goals. Like Miami, the Raiders used two different goalies in their games opening weekend.
THE COACHES
Enrico Blasi (Miami '94) is in his 13th season behind the RedHawk bench. He is a four-time CCHA Coach of the Year and was named National Coach of the Year in 2005-06. He stands 263-170-46 in 13 seasons at his alma mater, where he has led Miami to seven NCAA Tournaments, including two Frozen Four berths, a National Championship game appearance, a pair of CCHA regular-season titles and the school's first ever Mason Cup last year. Blasi is the the winningest coach in school history.
Don Vaughan (St. Lawrence `84) is in his 19th season at Colgate, compiling a record of 296-296-68 in his time behind the Raiders' bench, which is his only head coaching job. He was named ECAC Coach of the Year in 2000 and has guided Colgate to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths, most recently in 2005. The Raiders also won the 2005-06 ECAC regular-season title under Vaughan and have compiled four 20-win seasons during his time as head coach.
THE SERIES
The RedHawks are 1-1 all-time against Colgate, winning their only meeting at Colgate on Nov. 29, 1996 by a score of 14-2. The other meeting came on neutral ice on Dec. 27, 1998 when the Raiders won, 7-2. Head coach Enrico Blasi has never faced Colgate as a player or coach at Miami.
QUICK HITS
- The RedHawks are 10-20-3 all-time in road openers but are 5-5-2 in road openers under head coach Enrico Blasi. Miami has won its road opener each of the last two years and is 3-0-1 over the last four seasons. Miami's last road-opening loss came in the 2006-07 season at Michigan.
- Four RedHawks tallied their first career point last weekend. Freshmen forwards Jimmy Mullin and Alex Wideman each tallied their first career goal in last Friday's game. On Saturday, freshmen forwards Austin Czarnik and Blake Coleman each tallied their first career assist while Wideman also recorded his first assist as a RedHawk.
- Senior forward Alden Hirschfeld recorded an assist in each of Miami's games last weekend, extending his point streak from last year to five games, which is a career long.
- Miami has scored exactly one goal in all six periods it has played this year.
- The RedHawks will face an ECAC school this weekend for the first time since 2008-09 when Miami played both RPI and Clarkson that season. That year, Miami swept RPI in Oxford with 3-1 and 7-1 wins but fell to Clarkson on neutral ice, 4-2.
- Miami ranks sixth nationally on the power play, going 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) last weekend against Bemidji State. The RedHawks went 2-for-5 on the man advantage in their exhibition game as well. Miami ranked third nationally a year ago with a 24.7 percent conversion rate.
UP NEXT
Miami remains on the road next weekend as it begins CCHA play at Ferris State Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22 in the teams' only regular-season meetings. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. both nights.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Friday's game will be televised locally on Time Warner Cable Sports in the Hamilton, N.Y. region but will not be on the radio. Saturday's game is not on TV but will be broadcast on radio on WKBV-AM (1490) out of Richmond, Ind. Greg Waddell will have all the action while both games can also be heard through the Miami All-Access subscription package.
OPENING STATEMENT: The RedHawks are 10-20-3 all-time in road openers but are 5-5-2 in road openers under head coach Enrico Blasi. Miami has won its road opener each of the last two years, topping New Hampshire and St. Cloud State, respectively, and is 3-0-1 over the last four seasons. Miami's last road-opening loss came in the 2006-07 season at Michigan. On the flip side, the RedHawks lost their home opener on Oct. 7 to Bemidji State for the first time since 2001 when the RedHawks lost to Merrimack, as Miami had won nine straight home openers. The RedHawks also fell to 4-1-1 in their last six season openers, last falling in the 2005-06 season opener to North Dakota prior to the loss to BSU.
POWERFUL POWER PLAY: Despite losing three mainstays on Miami's top power play line from a season ago, the RedHawks are picking up where they left off on the man advantage. The `Hawks went 3-for-11 opening weekend against Bemidji State with at least one power play goal in each game. Miami ranks sixth nationally at a 27.3 percent conversion rate. In the Oct. 2 exhibition win over Windsor, Miami also went 2-for-5 with a man advantage. The RedHawks ranked third nationally a year ago with a 24.7 percent conversion rate.
FIRST TIME FOR FRESHMEN: Four RedHawks tallied their first career point Oct. 7-8 against Bemidji State. Freshmen forwards Jimmy Mullin and Alex Wideman each tallied their first career goal in Friday's season-opening game, with Wideman's coming on the power play, which tied the game in the third period. On Saturday, freshmen forwards Austin Czarnik and Blake Coleman each tallied their first career assist while Wideman also recorded his first assist as a RedHawk on the same play as Coleman, which was scored by Wideman's brother, senior defenseman Chris Wideman. Freshman forward Tyler Biggs and freshman defenseman Ben Paulides each saw their first action Oct. 7 as well while freshman forward Cody Murphy suited up for the first time Oct. 8.
EXHIBITION EXCELLENCE: In Miami's 4-1 exhibition win over Windsor Oct. 2, senior co-captain Alden Hirschfeld tallied two goals while recording a hat trick in Miami's exhibition win over Waterloo to start the 2010-11 season. He has three regular-season multi-goal games in his career, including one hat trick. Hirschfeld also had an assist in each game against Bemidji State Oct. 7-8 to start the regular season, giving him a career-long five-game (regular season) point streak dating back to last year.
PRESEASON PICKS: Four RedHawks were named to the Preseason All-CCHA Teams, while no other team had more than two players on either squad. Junior forward Reilly Smith, who was tabbed First-Team All-CCHA last year, was one of two unanimous selections. Joining Smith on the First Team was senior goalie Cody Reichard, the 2010 CCHA Player of the Year, who was a Preseason First-Team All-CCHA recipient last year as well. Miami grabbed both defensive spots on the Second Team as senior defensemen Will Weber and Chris Wideman were both tabbed Preseason Second-Team All-CCHA. Wideman was a Preseason First-Team All-CCHA honoree last year and earned Second-Team All-CCHA accolades at the end of 2010-11.
NATION'S TOP RETURNER: Junior forward Reilly Smith is the leading returning goal-scorer in the nation entering 2011-12 after leading Miami with 28 goals as a sophomore, which tied for fourth nationally. Smith is also second among returning point-scorers after totaling 54 points a year ago, as only Minnesota Duluth's Jack Connolly (59 points in 2010-11), had more points than Smith among returning players. Smith tied for seventh in the country last year in points en route to earning First-Team All-CCHA and All-America honors from College Hockey News (Second Team) and Inside College Hockey (Third Team).
DYNAMIC DUO: Senior goalies Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard are two of the top goalies in Miami history, despite splitting time in net during their careers. Reichard's 44 career wins rank third, as he needs 11 more to tie for second in Miami history and 17 victories to become Miami's all-time winningest goalie, surpassing David Burleigh (60). With a win Oct. 8, Knapp moved into a tie for seventh in Miami history with Alain Chevrier, Brandon Crawford-West and Charlie Effinger. Reichard also has 10 career shutouts, needing two more to tie Burleigh for Miami's career whitewashes record. Reichard and Knapp currently rank second and third, respectively, in career save percentage and are tied for second in career GAA (2.03).
GOING POLLING: Miami enters the weekend ranked No. 4 (USA Today) and No. 5 (USCHO.com) in the two national polls. Over the last 50 weeks/polls (since the start of 2009-10), the RedHawks have been ranked in the top five 34 times. For the second time in three years, Miami started the season ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, marking the 21st time in the last 50 polls that the `Hawks have held the top spot, doing so 18 times in 2009-10 and twice last year. The RedHawks did still receive one first-place vote in the USCHO.com Poll this week. Miami was also selected No. 1 in the College Hockey News Preseason Top 10 and the Preseason INCH Power Rankings.
CONSISTENTLY AT THE TOP: Miami finished 2010-11 CCHA regular-season play with a 16-7-5-2 record, earning them third place in the standings. Miami has finished in the top three in the CCHA standings each of the last six years, something no other team in the league has done. During that stretch, the `Hawks have won the regular-season title twice, finished runner-up once and have three third-place finishes. That trend is expected to continue in 2011-12 as Miami was picked to finish second in the CCHA in both preseason polls (coaches and media) this year while Notre Dame was picked first in each preseason poll.
WINNING WAYS: Miami has the best winning percentage among Division I college hockey teams over the last six years (since 2005-06), compiling a record of 159-63-27 (.693), ahead of Boston College, who has gone 159-68-21 (.683) during that span. CCHA foe Michigan ranks third over the last six years with a record of 167-76-15 (.676). The RedHawks have had at least 20 wins in each of the last six seasons, including a school-record 33 wins in 2007-08, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament each year as well. The six straight NCAA Tournament appearances ranks fourth among active streaks behind Michigan (21), New Hampshire (10) and North Dakota (9).
CODY'S ALL CLASS: Senior goalie Cody Reichard was named one of 20 candidates for the 2011-12 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for ice hockey. The 10 finalists will be announced mid-season with the winner being declared on April 6 at the Frozen Four. To be considered for the prestigious award, a senior student-athlete must exemplify excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN: Senior forward Alden Hirschfeld and senior defenseman Will Weber have been named co-captains for Miami for the 2011-12 season. Both were assistant captains on the 2010-11 squad. Hirschfeld has now played in 95 career games as a RedHawk while Weber has suited up for 116 career contests.
BROTHERLY LOVE: The RedHawks have a pair of brothers on their team for the first time since 2005-06, as freshman forward Alex Wideman joins his brother, Chris Wideman, a senior defenseman, on the Miami roster in 2011-12. The last pair of brothers to play at Miami together was Matt and Nathan Davis when Matt was a senior and Nathan was a sophomore. In Miami's exhibition win over Windsor Oct. 2, the duo each had an assist on Miami's third goal while on Oct. 8, Alex had the primary assist on Chris' game-tying power play goal.
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--MURedHawks.com--
