Jan. 9, 2016 Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio - While getting off to a strong start defensively, No. 19 Minnesota Duluth scored the first four goals and down the Miami hockey team 5-2 on Saturday night.
The RedHawks drop to 6-11-3 with the loss and 2-8-2-2 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Like in Friday's series opener, both teams played things pretty close to the vest as only five total shots found the net in the first eight minutes of play (3-2 UMD). The RedHawks started putting some pressure on by recording five-straight shots, including a couple from in close that Kasimir Kaskisuo had to stop.
One such surge led to a Miami penalty in the offensive zone that gave Minnesota Duluth a power play at the 10:50 mark. While Tony Cameranesi wristed a shot off the post, the Bulldog (8-7-4, 5-5-2-1 NCHC) man advantage did not record a shot on goal as the contest remained scoreless in the latter stages of the period.
Shortly after the penalty was killed, a loose puck got to Neal Pionk at the right point and he flung a wrist shot that caromed in off a body to put UMD on top 1-0 with 6:08 to go in the opening frame.
Kevin Morris had a good look to try and even the score as
Alex Gacek fed him with a cross-ice pass on a well-executed 3-on-2 rush. The Bulldogs then came back the other way and
Ryan McKay was forced to make a great sprawling save on a back-door chance by Cameranesi, but the rebound came back to him and he potted a goal on the second shot to make it 2-0 at the 16:31 mark. UMD held a 10-9 advantage in shots and took the 2-0 lead into the locker room at intermission.
Play went back and forth with few chances on either end for the early stages of the second period. The Bulldogs' lead ballooned to 3-0 with 7:22 gone by in the middle stanza on a Dominic Toninato goal at the 7:22 mark after a turnover in the slot. Officials reviewed the play to see if UMD was offside before the goal, but ultimately ruled it good. The score moved to 4-0 2:04 later as McKay tried to push the puck up ice from the corner, but Parker Mackay intercepted the puck just past the blue line and caught him out of the net with a wrist shot to end his night with 10:34 remaining in the middle stanza.
Louie Belpedio got Miami on the board with a power play goal at the 16:37 mark, but Miami entered the locker room needing to dig out of a three-goal deficit.
Ryan Siroky's first career goal cut the deficit to 4-2 midway through the third period after strong work on the forecheck by
Michael Mooney created possession in the offensive zone. Despite the strike, Miami had a hard time getting pucks to the net as it recorded just two shots on goal for the first 16 minutes of the final frame. The Red and White got set up in the offensive zone and pulled
Jay Williams for an extra skater with under four minutes left, but Alex Iafallo was able to force a turnover and score on the empty net from center ice to put the game away.
The Bulldogs outshot the RedHawks 22-15 overall, holding them to six shots on goal in the final 40 minutes. Miami went 1-for-2 on the power play to snap an 0-for-18 slump while holding Minnesota Duluth to 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
Miami concludes its five-game home stand with a non-conference game against in-state rival Bowling Green on Saturday. Puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
