Miami Postgame Notes vs. Michigan State
3/11/2012 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
March 10, 2012
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery 
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Oxford, Ohio - Steve Cady Arena
Miami Hockey Postgame Notes
Miami moves on to the CCHA Tournament semifinals at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit for the third-straight year and fifth time in the last seven years with the sweep of Michigan State. It is the second time in school history that Miami has advanced to Detroit three times in a row with the other stretch from 1992-94. The RedHawks, seeking to repeat as Mason Cup Champions, have now won seven-consecutive CCHA playoff games, including both this season, all four last season and the consolation game in 2010.
The RedHawks won their second-straight postseason game against the Spartans. Before this series, MSU had won all nine previous postseason meetings, all in the CCHA Tournament. This season Miami went 4-0 against Michigan State and outscored the Spartans by a 16-2 margin.
Miami won its eighth-straight game, dating back to Feb. 10 vs. Alabama-Huntsville. It is the team's longest winning streak since an eight-game win streak from Jan. 23-Feb. 19, 2010. During Miami's win streak the RedHawks have outscored its opponents, 32-5.
Senior goaltender Connor Knapp made 21 saves on 22 shots. The only goal he surrendered was on an MSU power play, which snapped a streak of 174 minutes of shutout hockey against the Spartans, dating back to Jan. 6, 2012 (Miami's first game vs. MSU). Knapp has not allowed an even-strength goal since Feb. 4, 2012 against Michigan, a span of seven games. Over those seven games, he has allowed just four goals overall and three in his last six games.
Knapp has allowed one or fewer goals in 14 of his 22 games this season and 12 of his last 14. He has a 0.89 goals against average and .964 save percentage in his last 15 games (14 starts) since the start of 2012. Knapp leads the NCAA with a 1.43 GAA and is second in save percentage with .943, both of which would be Miami single-season records. He now has a career-high 15 wins on the year, which ties for ninth in a single season at Miami.
Junior forward Reilly Smith extended his point streak to a career-long eight games with a goal at 5:58 of the first period. The eight-game streak is the longest by a RedHawk this year. He has scored a goal in five of his last six games and ranks second nationally with 27 goals. He added assists on goals by senior defenseman Chris Wideman and senior forward Matt Tomassoni to bring his point total to 43, which leads the CCHA. It was his 12th multi-point game of the season and fifth multi-assist game. He now has five games this year with at least three points.
Freshman forward Jimmy Mullin assisted on Miami's first goal by Smith, stretching his point streak to a career-long five games. During his point streak, he has tallied 11 points on three goals and eight assists.
Miami's freshman were held without a goal for just the 13th time in 38 games this year, but Jimmy Mullin, Austin Czarnik and Blake Coleman all registered assists. RedHawk rookies have 115 of the team's 301 points this season, good for 38.2 percent, and have scored 47 of the 113 total goals this season for 41.6 percent.
Reilly Smith's first-period goal marked the 26th time this season in 38 games Miami has scored first. The RedHawks are 20-5-1 when scoring first and have done it in six-straight games.
The senior class of Will Weber, Cameron Schilling, Chris Wideman, Patrick Tiesling, Trent Vogelhuber, Alden Hirschfeld, Matt Tomassoni, Cody Reichard, Connor Knapp, and Ben Saksa won its 98th game as members of the Red and White, to tie the 2007-08 class in fourth-place all-time among Miami's winningest classes.
Freshman forward Austin Czarnik had an assist Saturday, extending his point streak to a career-long four games. He has seven points in those four games. Classmate Blake Coleman also had an assist, giving him a career-long four-game point streak.
--MURedHawks.com--
