Box Score Jan. 13, 2018 Box Score | PDF Box Score
OMAHA, Neb. - Despite a valiant third-period rally, the Miami hockey team was unable to erase a four-goal deficit and dropped a 4-3 decision to Omaha on Saturday night.
The Redhawks (9-11-2, 4-7-1-0 National Collegiate Hockey) scored three unanswered goals in the third, but were unable to salvage a weekend split in suffering their first NCHC weekend sweep of the year.
Following last night's offensive display, Miami and Omaha (12-9-1, 5-7 NCHC) played a much more low key first period in the finale. The RedHawks got an early power play that came and went and both teams in fact had a pair of man advantages go by the wayside in the opening frame.
It appeared MU would draw first blood when Rourke Russell's backhand went through traffic and found the net with under two minutes to play, but officials determined the puck was redirected with a high stick and waived the goal off. The teams skated into the locker room the way they entered the ice, scoreless as UNO held an 11-6 advantage in shots.
Things took a turn for the worse in the second period as the Mavericks netted four goals. After Zach Jordan got UNO on the board at the 7:47 mark, MU got a two-man advantage with 9:04 left in the second, but could not convert for a tying goal. After killing things off, Jake Randolph netted one on a rebound at the 13:26 mark. The Mavericks then got a goal from Grant Gallo and a power play tally by Tyler Vesel to get into the dressing room ahead 4-0 with just 20 minutes left to play.
Trailing by four, Miami took the first step towards a miracle comeback when Phil Knies buried a rebound into an open net on the power play just 1:41 into the third period. Kiefer Sherwood and Grant Hutton both drew helpers on Knies' sixth goal of the year.
The hope was built upon by Josh Melnick as the junior batted a puck out of the air from a Russell point shot and netted his eighth of the year with 13:30 remaining in regulation. Austin Alger also drew an assist digging the puck out of the half wall on the play.
The RedHawks got a power play opportunity with 6:19 left, but were unable to get a critical goal to pull within one. With time winding down, MU pulled Ryan Larkin for an extra attacker and it paid off when a Chaz Switzer point shot was tipped in by Knies for his second of the night, cutting it to 4-3 with 2:32 remaining. Ben Lown also had an assist on the tally.
The RedHawks continued pressing with an extra attacker, but the Mavericks managed to hold on despite getting outshot 16-4 in the final 20 minutes of play.
Miami's third period surge gave it a 31-27 shot advantage for the night. Both teams scored a power play goal with MU going 1-for-6 and UNO finishing 1-for-4 with the man advantage. Larkin stopped 23 shots while Evan Wenninger made 27 saves for the Mavericks.
The Red and White are off until Jan. 26 and they open a weekend series at Colorado College.
