Frozen Four Familiarity

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It's often said that there is no substitute for experience.

So as Miami Hockey enters the 2024-25 season looking to climb back toward the NCAA Tournament a decade after its most recent appearance in the event, the Red and White will lean on three veterans who have already 'been there, done that.'

New head coach Anthony Noreen added 13 new faces to his roster this season, including a group of six transfers highlighted by graduate students Colby Ambrosio (Boston College) and Christophe Fillion (Quinnipiac). Ambrosio and Fillion, both of whom Noreen considered to be among the top players available in the portal, join former UMass forward Ryan Sullivan to give Miami three players who have previously advanced to the Frozen Four.

Sullivan won the 2021 national title with the Minutemen, while Fillion and the Bobcats claimed the crown in 2023. Most recently, Ambrosio's Eagles finished as runner-up in 2024.

And now, all three players will team up in Oxford with the goal of building on the RedHawks' proud tradition as a new era of Miami Hockey gets underway.

Christophe Fillion — *FILLION (photo by LT Productions/Ferris State Athletics)*

"As an older guy now, I just want to bring back a winning culture here. That's my main goal," said Fillion, a product of Sherbrooke, Quebec. "I'm obviously looking for individual success as well, but the main thing is getting this program back on the right track, and I think I can be a part of it.

"If I do [that] with this team, I think all of us can be almost like legends at this school for getting this program back to where it was.'"

Both Fillion and Ambrosio said that Noreen and his coaching staff were a significant part of their decision to make the move to Miami. "I have the utmost respect for them, and I can tell that they have that same respect for me," said Ambrosio, who played under Noreen and associate head coach Troy Thibodeau for two years at Tri-City and put up 50 points for the Storm in the 2019-20 campaign.

"Honestly, I didn't really need much of a pitch," he continued. "Once I knew that Noreen was going to be the head coach here and 'Thibs' would be joining him, it was almost a no-brainer for me to come…

"There's no other coaches I'd rather play for than them."

For Sullivan, who grew up in Grosse Pointe, Mich., Miami University was always one of his dream schools. He joined the RedHawks in 2023, putting up nine points (5-4-9) in 29 games last season and earning the program's George Gwozdecky Blue Line Award. "It was a no-brainer to come near home and try to help restore a program and just enjoy being in a top conference in college hockey," he said. "You want to play the best to be the best."

Ryan Sullivan vs. Canisius — *SULLIVAN (photo by Bella Sagarese)*

Sullivan was a freshman when UMass won it all in 2021, producing the primary assist on what would prove to be the game-winning goal against St. Cloud State in the national championship game. "It was definitely intense," Sullivan recalled. "It was electric: Just a cool experience in front of fans and representing your school on a big stage…a surreal moment."

Fillion remembers injuring his shoulder in the 2023 national title game, but said he didn't feel a thing when he eventually jumped off the bench to celebrate Quinnipiac's game-winning tally just 10 seconds into overtime.

"It's crazy, because you talk about it the whole year with your friends –how nice would it be to win a national championship— and then when it actually happens, it took me two weeks [for it to sink in]," Fillion said.

"When I sit back and realize that not everyone gets this opportunity, I just felt so lucky to have my family there. Seeing them in the crowd after we won was really special…something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."

"Obviously everyone is so dialed in during the games all year and then the playoffs, but once you get to the Frozen Four, it's just a complete other level," Ambrosio said. "You've finally reached what you've been working toward all year and something you've dreamed about ever since you were a kid."

While Ambrosio's Boston College squad came up just short of its ultimate goal last spring, the experience of playing on college hockey's biggest stage should prove invaluable for the Welland, Ontario native as he tries to lift the RedHawks toward sustained success this winter.

Colby Ambrosio at Ferris State — *AMBROSIO (photo by Bethany McKinney/Ferris State Athletics)*

"[I want to lead] by example…my work ethic on and off the ice, and my details on and off the ice," said Ambrosio. "Actions speak louder than words, and I'm [focused on] showing all the things I've learned over the years."

Ambrosio's draft rights expired in August after the Colorado Avalanche selected him in the fourth round in 2020, so he should have quite an audience of scouts from around pro hockey as he plays his final collegiate season and tries to add to his 69 career points (29-40-69 after a three-point weekend at Ferris State). "It's time for me to show what I can do to not only one team, but to all the teams," Ambrosio added.

He entered this season ranked third nationally among active players in career appearances (now 140 and counting), while Fillion has played in 126 games —just ahead of Sullivan's 121— and is also among the national leaders in career plus-minus rating (ninth at +41 heading into the season, according to College Hockey, Inc.).

"You can even see it in practice, when we were doing summer skates altogether: If all three of us were on the same team, we were winning," said Fillion. "We just try to battle every day. Those guys…are trying to win every possible game they can.

"It shows even off the ice, if we go play tennis or something like that: You can see with those guys that it's all about winning."

That's exactly what Noreen was hoping for and expecting as he assembled the roster for his first season at the helm.

"Up front, we wanted to add some speed and some playmaking ability…but just as (if not more) importantly, we wanted to get some guys from some programs who have lived it," Noreen said. "Guys who have done what we all want to do —me included— which is consistently win at this level and consistently be competitive at this level.

"And moreso than that, be a part of a culture and have a foundation…every single day that's going to make you better-suited, not just for Friday and Saturday night games, but for life beyond hockey, whatever comes next."

After opening the campaign with a pair of ties at Ferris State (featuring a goal apiece from Ambrosio, Fillion and Sullivan), the new-look RedHawks will take the ice at Steve "Coach" Cady Arena for the first time this weekend, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Fillion hopes Miami can grab some momentum early in non-conference play as the RedHawks prepare to navigate the grind of a league that featured eight nationally-ranked NCHC teams in the preseason poll.

"These games at the beginning of the year are as important as the ones in February in the Pairwise [ratings]," he said. "You've got to get those wins under your belt early. Obviously, I think that would bring a lot of confidence into our group…

"Every game needs to be almost like a Game Seven for us…just seeing what we can do from there and then just keep climbing up every week."

And if anyone can bring a 'Game Seven' mentality to this year's Miami RedHawks, it's three forwards who have already played in the final contest of the season with the biggest trophy in college hockey on the line…and are hungry to try and do it again.

Find more Front Row Features at: MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures

Miami Hockey plays the first of its 19 home games this weekend at Steve "Coach" Cady Arena – reserve your seats today to watch Ambrosio, Fillion, Sullivan and the RedHawks in Coach Noreen's home debut! Season, half-season, Pick-9, Pick-5, single-game, and group tickets are available now, along with premium suites and club seating options.

Players Mentioned

Colby Ambrosio

Christophe Fillion

Ryan Sullivan

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