Miami Ohio University Athletics
Preview: RedHawks Primed for Rebound Season
9/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
Follow: @MiamiOH_Hockey | @MiamiRedHawks
OXFORD, Ohio – It is hardship, not success, that is ultimately the true test of character. The Miami University hockey team is hoping the trials it faced in 2013-14 pave the way for a resurgence this season.
After winning the final Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title and making the NCAA Midwest Regional final in 2012-13, big things were expected for the RedHawks as they entered the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Miami opened the season as the favorite to win the first NCHC title, earned a preseason No. 2 national ranking and spent a week as the top-ranked team in the country. Despite all that, a talented squad was hampered by injuries and numerous one-goal losses to end up finishing eighth in the conference.
“When you go through a season the way we did, you have to take a step back and evaluate your structure,” head coach Enrico Blasi said. “We did that as a team and the players were a big part of that. Everyone made a commitment to step up their game and put in time off the ice mentally and physically to make sure we are ready to go this year so we can focus on the things that are important for our program, which are daily improvement and being ready for the weekend.”
After a 5-2 loss at Denver on March 7 clinched a last-place finish in the conference standings, it would have been extremely easy to fold up shop and make preparations to get better for the 2014-15 season. However, if there is one noticeable trait that Blasi has established in his first 15 seasons behind the bench, it’s that his teams do not take the easy way out of a tough spot.
Defiantly, Miami came out with renewed purpose the next day for a seemingly meaningless regular season finale at Denver. The RedHawks poured 44 shots on goal and snapped a 1-1 tie 7:33 into the third period to top the Pioneers 2-1. At first glance, all the win did was cap a 12-19-3 regular season that featured a 6-17-1-1 mark against the NCHC. However, that triumph proved to be the start of something special for the Red and White.
Miami was sent north to face regular season NCHC champion St. Cloud State in a best-of-three playoff series. After seeing the Huskies end their 2013 NCAA Tournament run a win shy of the Frozen Four, the RedHawks enjoyed a little payback. MU opened the series with an exhilarating 5-4 overtime victory and finished a two-game sweep with a stunning 4-3 comeback win to advance to the inaugural NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
The march continued in Minneapolis, where the RedHawks took down second-seeded North Dakota, 3-0, in the NCHC semifinals, which moved them one game away from salvaging their ninth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. In a rematch against Denver, Miami erased a 2-0 second-period deficit to even the score 2-2 after 40 minutes of play. However, an two-goal deficit in the third proved too much to overcome as the Red and White’s furious comeback fell short in a 4-3 loss, ending their season prior to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
While the run at the end of the season was inspiring, the RedHawks entered the offseason determined not to let the disappointment of last year repeat itself. Top scorers Austin Czarnik, Riley Barber and Blake Coleman put off their pursuit of professional hockey for another year to ensure that the talented core would remain intact as Miami began its offseason conditioning in earnest. The finish of a new, hockey specific weight room at the rink and the addition of assistant strength and conditioning coach Justin Roethlingshoefer have provided all the resources for Miami to look like a completely different team come opening night.
Additionally, Czarnik’s return also means the RedHawks’ captain is back in the mix. While his jersey was the only one that had a letter stitched on consistently last season, coach Blasi has seen Coleman and junior forward Sean Kuraly emerge as leaders over the months and they were both named alternate captains for the 2014-15 season.
“Both Sean and Blake have stepped up their visibility in terms of how they go about their business,” Blasi said. “We don’t look at a leadership spot as just a reward, it’s a responsibility and one that all of our captains takes seriously. We’ve worked with them off the ice on how to handle situations. I think we have a good mix of everything we need in that role to be the guys that have good relationships in the locker room, hold guys accountable and be good liaisons between the players and the coaching staff. All of them have different roles and they understand those roles. They have the respect of the locker room for what they do on a day-to-day basis.”
As far as the on-ice product, Miami’s roster is loaded with upper classmen as 20 of the 28 players are a junior or senior. Nineteen letter winners return to the fold for the RedHawks, which lost only four goals (out of 111) and 14 points (out of 299) to graduation. The offense returns eight players who put up 14 or more points last year. Czarnik (13 goals, 34 assists and 47 points) and Barber (19-25-44) were the NCHC’s top two scorers a year ago and garnered All-NCHC first and second-team honors, respectively.
“There’s something to be said for experience and going through the things this group has gone through,” Blasi said. “Hopefully our guys can lead the way in terms of how to prepare, play, get through the weekend and be ready to go again the next weekend. College hockey is a grind at times and you have to understand that. We’ve always been big believers that the locker room is a sacred place and somewhere to hold each other accountable and that’s what we hope happens with this group.”
Beyond those two, Coleman is back in the mix after scoring a career-high 19 goals and 28 points. After missing 11 games due to injury, Coleman was a major catalyst upon returning to the lineup, scoring nine goals and posting 12 points in the final 10 games of the season. Kuraly (12-17-29) and sophomore Anthony Louis (12-13-25) also return to the fold after combining for 54 points a year ago. Louis came on in the second half of his freshman campaign, recording 18 points in the season’s final 21 games while Kuraly put up seven points and three multi-point outings during the NCHC Tournament.
While the RedHawks’ scoring offense improved by 12 spots from its 2012-13 performance, they are expecting to improve on their No. 26 overall rank in scoring. Outside of the top-five scorers from last season, seniors Alex Wideman (7-9-16) and Cody Murphy (5-9-14) have both flashed scoring ability in their careers. Wideman began last year as a nice scoring complement, netting 12 of his 16 points and all seven of his goals in the season’s first 18 games, and more consistent production would help deepen the Red and White’s attack. Meanwhile, Murphy is only two seasons removed from an 11-goal, 20-point 2012-13 campaign.
“The reality is we did not play well as an offensive group, so there is a lot of room for improvement,” Blasi said. “There are things offensively we did that you can’t do at this level or it will hurt you on the other side. It’s great to have everyone back, but we need improvement out of all of those players. We have to play more focused and determined hockey in all three zones.”
Four more Miami forwards return after skating in at least 20 games a year ago with the expectation to continue developing with another year under their belts. Sophomore Justin Greenberg posted all eight of his points in the second half of the season and showed a flair for the dramatic when he scored the series-winning goal against St. Cloud State with 2.6 seconds left to send Miami to the NCHC Semifinals. Juniors Alex Gacek and Kevin Morris both suited up in 37 out of 38 games and provided valuable work along the boards and responsible play in all zones. Another junior, John Doherty, suited up in 20 games and his speed was utilized on various lines.
Special teams wise, the RedHawks hope to continue their improved execution with the man advantage. After consecutive seasons sitting would outside the top 30 nationally, Miami converted on 21.6 percent of its power plays a year ago, the ninth-best figure in the country. That was its best performance on the power play since the 2010-11 season when the unit finished third. With so much experience back on the ice this year, the expectation is that the man advantage continues to execute at a high clip.
With senior Jimmy Mullin redshirting this season as he recovers from an injury suffered in the second half of the 2013-14 campaign, there will be competition for at least one of the remaining forward spots in the lineup. Sophomore Devin Loe posted a pair of multi-point games and finished with five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in the seven games he played. Meanwhile, junior Michael Mooney has been shifted to forward after played 22 games on defense over his first two seasons. The RedHawks also have a pair of towering newcomers that could dress up front. After sitting out for a year due to his transfer from Omaha, junior Andrew Schmit and his strong 6-5 frame will be available to wreak havoc on the fore check. The RedHawks also signed his cousin, the 6-6 freshman Conor Lemirande, who can provide more of the same.
The biggest statistical culprit to the Red and White’s tough 2013-14 campaign was that they allowed far more goals than they are accustomed to. After finished 2012-13 as the second-best defensive team in the country (1.74 goals against per game), Miami allowed 42 more goals in four fewer games to drop to 41st nationally at 3.03 goals against per game. That marked the first time the RedHawks have been outside the top-10 in scoring defense since the 2006-07 campaign.
Six defensemen who played 24 or more games and three talented newcomers are all in the mix with a focus on cleaning things up inside the blue line this season. Among the returners, juniors Matthew Caito, Chris Joyaux and Taylor Richart all logged significant minutes on the nation’s second-best defensive team as freshmen. That trio combined to play 123 games with a +24 rating while blocking 161 shots two years ago. Caito has also performed capably in the offensive end, with 37 points from the blue line in his first two seasons.
After spending his first two seasons being shuffled in and out of the lineup, senior Ben Paulides suited up in all 38 games for the RedHawks and responded with a career-high six points and a respectable +4 rating. Other returners include sophomores Matt Joyaux and Trevor Hamilton, who played 65 games at a combined +8 rating between them in their freshman seasons. Joyaux posted six of his seven points in the season’s final 20 games and was +2 in his final 10 contests to finish at a +3 overall. After flirting with both ends of the plus/minus spectrum for his first 20 games, Hamilton was a steady +4 in the last 10 games of the year to lead all Miami defenders with a +5 rating overall.
A trio of newcomers will provide the RedHawk blue line with much needed depth and intense competition for playing time. Junior Colin Sullivan, a Montreal Canadiens’ draft pick, already boasts NCAA experience after playing in 32 games at Boston College during the 2012-13 season. One of the prizes of last year’s signing class is freshman Louie Belpedio, who was one of the top defensemen on the U.S. National Team Development Program last year. He also served as captain of the U.S. U18 team that won gold at the U18 World Championships in the spring. His smooth skating and ability as an asset in all three zones caught the eye of the Minnesota Wild, who took him with their third pick (80th overall) in the NHL Draft this summer. Capping the defensive newcomers is Scott Dornbrock, a rugged 6-3 defenseman that can provide size and strength that the blue line lacked a year ago. He also showed an improving offensive game in his final junior season with Minot, posting a career-high 24 points last year.
“I think competition is good for any team and that’s what those three will provide us as we elevate our defense core,” Blasi said. “Hopefully that improves our execution and our defensive awareness. Ultimately, they are freshmen and you have to remember that. It’s going to take time to adjust, but I expect them to be a part of the mix and be players we can rely on. How much and how quickly will be determined by them.”
With all the internal improvement and added talent in place, the RedHawks are counting on bounce back seasons from junior goaltenders Ryan McKay and Jay Williams. As freshmen, the duo backstopped Miami to a Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title by compiling a 1.72 goals against average and .933 save percentage. McKay himself posted a 1.39 goals against average (second in the nation) in his debut season. Last year was a different story, however, as the duo struggled to a collective 2.99 goals against average and .899 save percentage. Ability is certainly not lacking from the two of them as their freshman years indicated and it is expected that the improvements made in front of them will lead to strong seasons just as much as their own individual improvement. Anthony Jacaruso also returns as the team’s third netminder.
Miami begins its 2014-15 schedule with a pair of exhibition contests against the U.S. National Team Development Program (Oct. 4) and Simon Fraser (Oct. 5). The RedHawks’ non-conference slate includes home-and-home series against in-state rivals Bowling Green (Oct. 10 and 12) and Ohio State (Oct. 17-18), a home set against St. Lawrence (Oct. 24-25), a trip to RPI (Jan. 2-3) and a stint at the Florida College Hockey Classic against Notre Dame (Dec. 28) and either Cornell or Lake Superior State (Dec. 29). Among the 24 NCHC games, one contest that stands out is Miami’s return to Soldier Field for the Hockey City Classic against Western Michigan (Feb. 7).
“Our two exhibitions are against two talented teams,” Blasi said. “The U.S. development team has skilled players that will play in the NHL in the near future. We have a good mix of non-conference games. Bowling Green is a team that fits as a top-three program in the WCHA, Ohio State played well a year ago and nearly made the tournament, St. Lawrence is always very competitive. Notre Dame is a top-10 program, Cornell is solid as well and Lake State is a team we are familiar. RPI, minus some injuries, could have made the tournament. We designed our non-conference schedule to be tough and prepare us for the rigors of league play.
“The NCHC is a first-class league. Every school has similar philosophies in how they treat their hockey programs. We are all in the same boat and want the same things. All the institutions are fun places to go and the teams are always well prepared. It’s a tough league and there are no easy weekends or hoping to win. You have to be ready to win and be well prepared because your opponent will be.”
Miami was pegged to finish second in the NCHC Preseason Media Poll last week, an indication that those covering the team expect the talent on hand to shine through in a bounce back campaign. Nationally, the Red and White open the season ranked ninth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and 11th in the USCHO.com preseason polls.
