Feb. 11, 2012

Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery
Video Highlights | Postgame Press Conference

OXFORD, Ohio - Despite falling behind early in the second period, the No. 20 Miami hockey team scored four unanswered goals to complete the series sweep of the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a 4-1 win Saturday night at Steve Cady Arena. The RedHawks (17-13-2) scored twice in a span 14 seconds late in the second stanza to take the lead as they went on to the victory in the Chargers' (2-28-1) last game of the season. Miami topped UAH Friday, 3-1.

After a scoreless first period in which Miami outshot Alabama-Huntsville by an 11-6 margin, the Chargers struck first when Sebastian Geoffrion wristed a puck past senior goaltender Cody Reichard's glove, far-side at 1:28 of the second period on the team's first shot on goal of the frame. The 1-0 lead was UAH's only lead of the weekend.

Miami rallied late in the period as freshman forward Alex Wideman back-handed the puck in from a sharp angle to tie the game at 1-1 on the power play with 3:27 left in the middle stanza. Junior forward Reilly Smith sent a shot in from the right point that Charger goaltender Clarke Saunders turned aside. Freshman forward Tyler Biggs, positioned in front of the net, pushed the rebound to Wideman on the right side of the crease where he sent it into the net top-shelf for the equalizer and his fourth goal of the season.

Just 14 seconds later, senior forward Matt Tomassoni scored the go-ahead goal with a back-hand shot between the pipe and Saunders' left blocker. Freshman forward Cody Murphy sent the puck behind the net, chased it down and fed Tomassoni, who quickly moved to the front of the net before sending the shot in for the 2-1 Miami lead at 16:47 of the second period. It was his fifth goal of the season and turned out to be the game-winner.

"It was really big for us, especially in the PairWise rankings," Tomassoni said of the sweep. "With the wins against them it could help us out a lot or it could really hurt us (with a loss), so it was really important for us, not only for that but for team confidence coming off of a bad weekend at Michigan."

Miami dictated play in the second period, as it heavily outshot the Chargers, 19-3, in the frame and went 1-for-2 on the power play while taking no penalties.

The RedHawks again scored goals less than a minute apart in the third period. Sophomore forward Bryon Paulazzo recorded his second goal of the weekend and sixth of the year when he took a pass from fellow California native, freshman defenseman Ben Paulides, and flipped the puck past Saunders to give the `Hawks a 3-1 lead at 8:49 of the third frame. Paulides found Paulazzo at the bottom of the right circle, where he lifted the puck into the air, beating the goaltender glove-side to score in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Senior forward Alden Hirschfeld then added to the Miami lead when he beat Saunders near side for the 4-1 lead just 49 ticks after Paulazzo's goal. Freshman forward Blake Coleman intercepted a clearing attempt in the offensive zone. He pushed the puck to Hirschfeld at the doorstep of the Charger net, where the captain buried the puck for his ninth tally of the year.

With 3:27 left in the game and Miami comfortably up by three goals, senior goaltender Ben Saksa replaced Reichard for just the second game of his career. Saksa saved the one shot he faced, earning the first save of his career as a RedHawk. Reichard ended with 14 saves while Saunders finished with 44 stops in defeat.

"It was an opportunity for him (Saksa) to play. He practices every day without really any reward," head coach Enrico Blasi said of putting the third-string netminder in. "It was actually Reichard's idea, so Cody thought it would be nice to have him play."

The `Hawks outshot UAH, 48-16, for the game with the 48 shots a season high. Miami went 1-for-6 on the power play while killing all four of Alabama-Huntsville's man advantages. By winning both games over the Chargers, the RedHawks earned their fourth weekend sweep of the season.

The Red and White donned special Swoop's Stoop jerseys for the game on Swoop's Stoop Night to help promote Reichard's foundation, which helps children at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The jerseys will be auctioned off to raise money for the foundation on www.MURedHawks.com starting Sunday.

"It was pretty amazing," Reichard said of the night as a whole. "A lot of credit goes to the guys playing in front of me. They help out with Swoop's Stoop as much as possible."

Miami returns to CCHA action next weekend as the `Hawks host No. 9/9 Notre Dame Friday and Saturday. Puck drop Friday is at 7:35 p.m. in Steve Cady Arena.