OXFORD, Ohio – Balanced scoring and strong goaltending paved the way in the Miami hockey team's 4-1 victory over Colgate on Friday night.
The RedHawks improve to 5-2 with the win.
Both teams traded shots over the first five minutes with
Ryan Larkin and Mitch Benson each made five saves in the early going. Colgate got the first power play of the evening with 5:29 gone by. The RedHawks were equal to the task, holding the Raiders without a shot over the course of a scoreless man advantage.
The RedHawks outshot the Raiders by a 14-10 margin in the first 20 minutes and finally broke through when
Gordie Green corralled a great
Derek Daschke pass in the slot, worked around a defender and buried his second goal of the season with 5:56 left in the opening stanza.
Josh Melnick also picked up an assist on the tally as the Red & White skated to the dressing room up by a goal.
Second period action began with Miami shorthanded, needing to kill off over a minute of a Colgate carry over power play. MU did so without incident and quickly went to work offensively as
Phil Knies took the puck in transition down the right wing, button hooked at the circle and fling a shot by Benson with a partial screen in front to make it a 2-0 contest with just 1:36 gone by in the second.
Brian Hawkinson assisted on the tally along with Daschke as Knies netted his second of the year.
Play was fast paced for the second period as the teams played long stretches without whistles and the sides took turns establishing a presence in the offensive zone. A Miami penalty allowed Colgate to get on the board with 7:30 left Josh McKechney banged home a rebound to cut the deficit to 2-1.
A man advantage late in the second period allowed the RedHawks to answer that tally as
Josh Melnick raced up ice with steam and flung a shot from between two defenders and in for his second of the season.
Alec Mahalak and
Gordie Green each picked up assists as the Red & White took a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.
The Raiders pressed to claw back into the game in the third period, firing 12 of their 29 shots in the final 20 minutes of play.
Ryan Larkin was equal to the task, making several big stops to keep the RedHawks' lead at two.
An offensive zone faceoff allowed Miami to add some insurance as
Zach LaValle fired him a
Monte Graham win from the left circle for his first goal of the season, upping the lead to 4-1 and allowing the RedHawks to seal away the series opening win.
Miami outshot Colgate 32-29 on the night and went 1-for-2 on the power play while CU finished 1-for-3 on the man advantage. Daschke (2a), Green (1g, 1a) and Melnick (1g, 1a) each finished with multiple points while Larkin stopped 28 shots to earn his third-straight win. Benson finished with 29 saves at the other end.
The RedHawks wrap up their series with the Raiders on Saturday. Puck drops at 5 p.m.
