Years to Remember: 2008-09 Hockey

Introduction
After making three-straight NCAA Tournaments and two-straight regional finals, the Miami hockey team was looking to take another step forward on the national stage in 2008-09.

Early Expectations
After winning a school-record 33 games and dropping an overtime heartbreaker in the regional final to Boston College in 2007-08, Miami was again expected to be in the national mix as it was picked to finish third in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings and opened the year eighth in the national rankings. While MU returned six players who notched 29 or more points the year prior, it still had to fill the shoes of the graduation of Ryan Jones, a Hobey Hat Trick finalist who netted 31 goals, along with the early pro departures of All-American defenseman Alec Martinez and record-setting goaltender Jeff Zatkoff.

Finding Their Footing
It took a couple weeks for the 2008-09 version of the RedHawks to gel. After going 1-1-2 against Ohio State and Vermont, Miami scored its first impact weekend by sweeping eighth-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend during the third week of the season. That confidence got tested afterwards, however, as MU went 1-2-1 over the next two home series against Alaska and Ferris State to sit 4-3-3 on the young season.

What came next was remarkable as the RedHawks found their stride with a strong road series at 17th-ranked Michigan State where they dominated the Spartans to pick up a sweep by scores of 5-1 and 3-1. Those results proved a shot in the arm for Miami as it followed that by sweeping No. 9 Michigan at Steve 'Coach' Cady Arena. MU added sweeps against Western Michigan and Rensselaer to close the first half with eight-straight victories as it hit the break with a gaudy 12-3-3 record and one point out of first place in the CCHA standings at 10-2-2-1. The RedHawks' surge moved them up to No. 2 in the national rankings entering the 2009 portion of the schedule.

Second Half Stumble
Having won the Ohio Hockey Classic in 2007-08, the stage was set for the RedHawks to feast on the field in Columbus again. Miami began the second half against a Clarkson squad that had only won twice all year, but dropped a 4-2 decision to the Golden Knights despite a 42-19 shot advantage. The RedHawks left Ohio's capital winless by dropping a 3-2 contest to a four-win Army team 24 hours later.

Miami's struggles continued the following week as it got outscored 9-1 in suffering a sweep at No. 10 Michigan. MU's losing streak reached five games after it fell in its series opener to Michigan State the following week before rebounding to topple MSU 6-1 in salvaging a split. That win seemed to stabilize things as the RedHawks went an unbeaten 6-0-1 in their next seven contests and wrapped up a first-round bye for the CCHA Playoffs. MU also still held some hope for a regular season CCHA title with two weeks left in the season.

Season's Over
After a 1-2-1 finish saw Miami finish third in the regular season CCHA standings, the RedHawks still figured they were in fine shape at No. 8 in the polls and hosting a second round CCHA Playoff series against Northern Michigan. While MU topped NMU 3-2 in the best-of-three opener, the Wildcats bounced back to prevail in overtime in game two and stunned the RedHawks in the winner-take-all game three by a 3-1 count to eliminate the RedHawks from the conference tournament. That stumble looked like it would prove costly as several experts looked at MU's PairWise position and concluded that its 2008-09 season ended that night.

New Life, New Perspective
While watching the rest of the conference tournaments play out, the deck was shuffled enough by results that happened around the country to bump the RedHawks into the NCAA Tournament field for the fourth-straight season and fifth time in six years.

Having gotten a second chance for postseason play, the RedHawks were sent to Minneapolis as the No. 4 seed in a field that featured No. 3 overall seeded Denver and Western Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament champion Minnesota Duluth, both current conference foes of Miami in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Miami opened up the tournament by stunning Denver in the first round as Justin Mercier and Alden Hirschfeld scored first period goals and Bill Loupee put MU on top 3-0 early in the second period of an eventual 4-2 victory that moved the Red & White to the regional final for the third-straight year. The next day in front of a hostile crowd fervently supporting Minnesota Duluth, Miami got two goals from Mercier while freshman goaltender Cody Reichard stopped 25 shots to preserve a 2-1 win and the RedHawks' first trip to the Frozen Four.

Not Just Happy to be There
While the field's top overall seed (Boston University) emerged from its region unscathed, three other Cinderella stories descended onto Washington, D.C. for the Frozen Four in the form of a three seed (Vermont) and a pair of four seeds (Miami and Bemidji State). The RedHawks squared off with the Beavers of Bemidji State in both program's first Frozen Four games at the Division I level (and Miami's first at any level).

Following a scoreless first period of play, Tommy Wingels put Miami on the board 3:56 into the second period and a goal by Hirschfeld put the Red & White on top 2-0 nearing the midway point of the contest. BSU pulled within 2-1 moments later, but a diligent MU defense kept it from getting any closer as goals by Loupee and Wingels sealed a 4-1 win and Miami's first national championship game appearance in any NCAA sport.

The Chance of a Lifetime
To win its first national title, Miami had one more hurdle left to clear, No. 1 Boston University. At 34-6-4 and boasting several future NHL regulars, the task was tall, but Miami was playing at its best. Miami outshot Boston University 10-9 in the opening frame, but BU's Chris Connolly was the only one to find the net as MU went to the dressing room trailing by a 1-0 score.

Undeterred, Miami would rally in the second as Gary Steffes jammed home a loose puck 2:01 into the middle stanza to even the score. The RedHawks once again outshot the Terriers (9-7) in the period, but the teams were tied entering the third.

The game remained tied well into the latter stages of regulation before Wingels buried a rebound near the net with 7:29 showing on the clock to give the Red & White their first lead of the night. Things looked even better for the RedHawks as Trent Vogelhuber netted his second goal of the season with 4:08 left in regulation to put them ahead 3-1.

Time can seem to take an eternity to pass when you want it to and that appeared to happen for the Red & White down the stretch. With the Terriers needing a spark, they pulled their goalie with a few minutes left to try to find some more offense. BU got back to within a goal with just over 59 seconds remaining, but MU was still less than a minute away from its first national championship. That all changed when Nick Bonino tied it up with 17.4 seconds showing on the clock and forced overtime.

The Terriers wound up ending the game and capturing the championship on a goal that deflected off a RedHawk defender's block 11:47 into overtime, ending the heartbreaking finish for the Red & White. Even so, the 2008-09 Miami team achieved something that had never happened before in Miami's NCAA history. It also firmly entrenched Miami University's current expectation of elite level hockey and its Frozen Four appearance the following year along with five more NCAA Tournament appearances since that run were a big part in putting MU into the NCHC today.

Key Players
Carter Camper (20g, 22a, 42p, All-American)
Pat Cannone (11g, 24a, 35p)
Andy Miele (15g, 16a, 31p)
Justin Mercier (14g, 15a, 29p)
Tommy Wingels (11g, 17a, 28p)
Chris Wideman (0g, 26a, 26p, CCHA All-Rookie)
Cody Reichard (2.11 GAA, .914 SV%)
Connor Knapp (2.09 GAA, .904 SV%, CCHA All-Rookie)

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