Dec. 9, 2011

Box Score
Postgame Press Conference

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Miami University's hockey team scored within the first four minutes of each period while five different RedHawks notched a goal, including three freshmen, as Miami never trailed in a 5-3 win over No. 4 Ohio State Friday night at Value City Arena. With the victory, the RedHawks (9-8-2, 5-6-2-1 CCHA) snapped the Buckeyes' (12-4-1, 9-3-1-1 CCHA) nine-game winning streak and 11-game unbeaten streak. The win also gave Miami its 600th win in program history.

Sophomore forward Bryon Paulazzo and freshman forward Jimmy Mullin each had a goal and an assist while junior forward and newly named captain Reilly Smith dished out a pair of helpers. The two points matched career highs for both Paulazzo and Mullin as they led the `Hawks to their second win over a top-five team this year, also beating No. 4/5 Michigan back on Nov. 11.

Miami continued its trend of scoring early as freshman forward Austin Czarnik lit the lamp for the seventh time this year just 3:47 into the game. Junior defenseman Joe Hartman fired a shot from just inside the blue line that OSU goalie Cal Heeter saved but the rebound snuck loose in the crease and Czarnik buried the puck after a couple hacks at it from him and Mullin to make it 1-0 RedHawks.

"On the road it's huge," head coach Enrico Blasi said of scoring early. "It's tough sledding when you're playing a good team like Ohio State and you're trying to get on top and force them out of their game a little bit."

The lead was short-lived however as the Buckeyes pulled level at 1-1 just 29 seconds later. Justin DaSilva sent in a blast from above the circles that senior goalie Connor Knapp stopped but the rebound bounced right out to Darik Angeli, who beat Knapp with a wrister stick-side.

The `Hawks regained the lead at 2-1 just 1:33 into the second stanza off the stick of freshman forward Blake Coleman. Paulazzo circled around the net and sent a pass through the crease to Coleman, who was sitting on the doorstep to Heeter's left for the easy put-in, his sixth of the season.

Miami then added to its lead with exactly three minutes left in the middle period on its fifth short-handed goal of the year and second in as many games. Smith intercepted a pass on the defensive blue line and poked the puck ahead to senior forward Matt Tomassoni for a breakaway. He deked Heeter and beat him back-hand, five-hole to make it 3-1. The goal was Tomassoni's third of the year and second short-handed score.

Again Ohio State had a quick answer just 43 seconds later, making it 3-2. The Buckeyes had a 5-on-3 power play and the `Hawks killed the first penalty but just as Miami returned a man to the ice, Nick Oddo found the back of the net on a wrister from the circle to Knapp's left with the man advantage. Assists went to Max McCormick and Curtis Gedig on Oddo's fourth goal of the year.

As the RedHawks had done each of the first two periods, Miami scored quickly in the third to once more push its advantage to two at 4-2, 2:43 into the final frame. Junior forward Curtis McKenzie picked up the puck behind the net and skated along the boards where he centered to Paulazzo, who one-timed a low drive passed the outstretched right skate of Heeter for his second tally of the year, which turned out to be the game-winner.

With just under 11 minutes remaining in the game, OSU closed within one again, benefitting from a lucky break. Sean Duddy sent the puck into the zone and Knapp went behind the net to play it, but the puck took an odd bounce off the back boards and ricocheted right back in front of the net where Chris Crane put the puck in the empty net to make it 4-3. Less than three minutes later the Buckeyes nearly drew even with another beneficial bounce. A shot hit off the glass behind Knapp and landed on his back. He quickly fell to the ice to cover it before the puck slid into the goal, keeping Miami up by one.

Mullin then tacked on an insurance goal with 5:40 left in the game to make it 5-3. Smith stole the puck from Heeter behind the OSU net and centered to Mullin, who was crashing toward the net. He took a few swings at it and was able to get the puck past a recovering Heeter to secure the victory. OSU pulled Heeter with two minutes to go but a too many men on the ice penalty quickly forced Heeter back into net for the remainder of the game.

"I thought last weekend was disappointing but this has been one of those years where you really have to put things behind you and focus on the next day. We've tried to do that," Blasi said. "We've had a tough first half and our guys have been pretty good about letting things go and just getting ready. We knew we were going to play a great Ohio State team and it was a battle tonight. We got a little lucky on a couple of bounces and that's how the game goes."

Miami finished with a 38-30 advantage in shots on goal, with the 38 shots the most the Buckeyes have given up all year while the five goals allowed tied their season high. Knapp totaled 27 saves to earn his third win of the year and 34th of his career, which ties him for sixth in school history. Heeter ended with 33 saves in defeat, his first loss since Oct. 20. The `Hawks were 0-for-5 on the power play while going 5-for-6 on the penalty kill, including a 5-on-3 kill.

The two rivals square off again Saturday back in Oxford to finish off the home-and-home series, as the RedHawks go for the sweep of the first-place Buckeyes at 7:05 p.m. at Steve Cady Arena.