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OXFORD, Ohio – Jay Williams made his first start of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Playoffs an impactful one as he made 35 saves to lift the No. 5 Miami hockey team past Western Michigan, 4-0, on Sunday evening.
The shutout is Williams’ fifth of the season and moves the RedHawks (23-13-1) to next week’s NCHC Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis, Minn.
The first 10 minutes of the game were extremely fast paced featuring very few whistles. Miami had a great chance near the midway point of the period when Austin Czarnik fed Anthony Louis on the right wing side for a partial breakaway, but his backhand shot went just wide. Miami got on the board 10:30 into the contest when Scott Dornbrock held the puck in at the point and ripped a slap shot through Frank Slubowski for his second goal of the year to put MU up 1-0. Alex Gacek picked up the assist on the tally that gave the Red and White a 1-0 lead for the third-straight night.
Western Michigan (14-18-5) countered with a 3-on-2 rush that appeared to tie the game 40 seconds later as Williams made a tremendous sliding save on Frederik Tiffels from in close, but Justin Kovacs fired the rebound through traffic into the net. After a video review, the officials waived the goal off due to Tiffels making contact with Williams in the crease to keep it a 1-0 Miami lead.
The RedHawks got a late power play opportunity to extend their lead, but were unable to capitalize. Miami finished the period with a slight edge in shots (9-8) and held its 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Miami struck twice in rapid succession in the second period. Riley Barber finished a nice cycling play by circling the net and wristing a shot top shelf for his 19th goal of the year to up the lead to 2-0 just 1:57 into the middle stanza. Blake Coleman started the cycle by forcing a turnover on the forecheck and Cody Murphy also drew an assist by working the puck to Barber. Czarnik got into the scoring 1:15 later when he beat Slubowski far side in finishing a 3-on-2 rush. Kevin Morris and Louis each earned assists on the tally that made it a 3-0 lead and chased Slubowski from the crease in favor of Lukas Hafner.
The Broncos got their first power play of the evening at the 4:37 mark of the frame, but the RedHawks did not let them get back into the contest there as they held WMU without a shot on goal during a scoreless two minutes. That began a stretch where both teams traded scoreless off scoreless power plays, which left MU still on top 3-0 after two periods.
A Western Michigan penalty at the end of the second period allowed Miami to begin the third period with a full power play. Despite solid puck movement, MU was unable to get one by Hafner, leaving the score still 3-0.
Two RedHawk penalties 1:11 apart gave the Broncos a golden opportunity with a 5-on-3 to claw back into the contest. Williams made a big blocker stop on a Kenney Morrison one-timer from atop the left circle and the MU defense was able to keep WMU to the outside as it killed off both penalties unscathed.
The Broncos put the puck in the net with 9:01 remaining as the puck deflected in off Justin Kovacs. Once again, this goal was reviewed and ultimately waived off as Kovacs kicked the puck into the net, keeping WMU off the board.
Facing the end of its season, WMU pulled Hafner for an extra skater with five and a half minutes to go. Miami responded well defensively and eventually Morris was able to work the puck ahead to Coleman for an empty net goal with 4:53 remaining to seal the win and move the Red and White onto Minneapolis.
Western Michigan outshot Miami 35-26 on the evening and neither team converted on five tries on the power play. Williams turned aside each WMU attempt to post his fifth shutout of the season and seventh of his career. Coleman (1g, 1a) and Morris (2a) each posted multi-point nights for the Red and White.
Miami’s NCHC Frozen Faceoff draw is a rematch of last year’s championship game against Denver at the Target Center.
