Box Score Nov. 12, 2017 Box Score | PDF Box Score
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - After a tough loss on Friday, the Miami hockey team took a 2-0 lead nearly midway through Saturday night's series finale at No. 2/4 North Dakota, then rallied from a late deficit to earn a 3-3 tie at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Josh Melnick scored when Miami (4-5-1, 1-2-1-0 National Collegiate Hockey) was playing with an extra attacker with 1:24 left to force overtime and an eventual tie. North Dakota (7-2-3, 2-1-1-1 NCHC) took two of three points for the night by prevailing in a four-round shootout.
"We battled hard tonight," head coach Enrico Blasi said. "The team played well to earn a 2-0 lead and we valued our process throughout the night. We took a push back from North Dakota, but stayed together after we fell behind to get the tying goal."
The Fighting Hawks took four of the first five shots on goal in the first 10 minutes of the contest even though the RedHawks got the lone power play in that span. UND was able to kill off that MU man advantage without allowing a shot on goal and got a man advantage of its own with 11:13 gone by. Miami managed to hold North Dakota without a shot as the contest remained scoreless entering the latter stages of the opening frame.
After weathering something of a storm, Miami recorded the next seven shots on goal. The RedHawks' speed forced a turnover in the Fighting Hawks' zone as Josh Melnick picked up a loose puck and fed Gordie Green in the middle. The sophomore forward blasted a slapshot that eluded UND goalie Peter Thome for his fifth goal of the season to make it a 1-0 game with 3:53 left in the opening stanza. While the score held at intermission, a penalty on MU with less than a second left in the frame meant it would start the second period shorthanded.
Miami was able to kill off the carryover penalty with relative ease to start the second period, keeping its lead intact. The Fighting Hawks had a grade-A scoring opportunity when Jordan Kawaguchi was fed in the middle by Nick Jones, but Ryan Larkin flashed leather to keep the RedHawks in front.
A new look line with Ryan Siroky centering it put Miami ahead by two when a Grant Frederic shot caromed off the boards and squirted to Siroky's stick at the left side. The junior forward settled it down cleanly and backhanded home his first goal of the season with 7:46 gone by in the middle frame.
Trailing by two, the Fighting Hawks came right back 37 seconds later and cut the deficit to 2-1 as Colton Poolman one-timed a shot from the right point through traffic and in. UND recorded nine of the final 10 shots on goal in the frame after Siroky's goal, but a late MU power play allowed it to breathe a bit. The RedHawks held possession in the zone for a good chunk of the man advantage and attempted four shots. However, none of those bids were on target as UND recorded three blocked shots to keep it a 2-1 game after 40 minutes of play.
North Dakota tied it up on the rush 33 seconds into the third period as Dixon Bowen got the puck on the rush from the right wing to make it a 2-2 game. The Fighting Hawks continued to pour on pressure and Grant Mismash got fed for a breakaway just over four minutes in, but Larkin made a big pad stop to keep the score even.
Shane Gersich put North Dakota ahead with 3:38 to go as Mismash fed him behind the net on a back door feed to make it three unanswered goals. With two minutes left, the RedHawks pulled Larkin for an extra skater and that paid off when Louie Belpedio found Melnick below the left circle. The junior forward flung a backhand that beat Thome upstairs to even the score at 3-3 with 1:24 to go in regulation. Casey Gilling also picked up an assist on the tally. Melnick got an opportunity to win the contest later, but Thome made a close in save to keep it tied and send the contest to overtime.
The Fighting Hawks nearly won the contest in overtime as they crashed the net and jammed away at the puck in Larkin's equipment. UND felt the puck crossed the line at the end of that scramble and it forced a replay review, but officials maintained their no goal call as the game wore onto a 3-on-3 overtime with a tie officially in the books. Play opened up as expected with some end to end rushes in the extra session, but neither team could find the net as the game wore on into a sudden death shootout. Larkin stopped the first three shooters he faced, but Miami was unable to follow suit with a winning goal. Eventually Christian Wolanin scored in the fourth round while Thome stopped Carson Meyer to secure an extra point in the NCHC standings for UND.
North Dakota finished with a 32-23 shot advantage on the night. Neither team converted on their two power play attempts as Larkin stopped 29 of 32 shots while Thome finished with 20 saves at the other end.
The RedHawks return home for a showdown with Minnesota Duluth in NCHC play. The series begins Friday night with the opening faceoff at 7:35 p.m.
