Smith Hat Trick Propels RedHawks to Sixth-Straight Win

Saturday, October 25

Maryland Heights, Mo.

8:10 p.m.

Miami University

6-0-0

Lindenwood

3-5-0

OT 1

Miami (OH)

Lindenwood

Photo by: Lexie Cunningham

Smith Hat Trick Propels RedHawks to Sixth-Straight Win

10/25/2025 10:55:00 PM | Hockey

Box Score Purchase Discounted Tickets to ASU Series

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo.– Ryan Smith finished off a hat trick in style, netting the game-winner 3:28 into overtime as (RV/RV) Miami edged (RV/NA) Lindenwood 5-4 Saturday night. Smith's three-goal game, the first by a RedHawk since Dec. 9, 2022, helped Miami improve to a perfect 6-0-0 on the season; Smith added an assist to finish with a game-high four points. The RedHawks' back-to-back overtime victories mark the first time Miami has accomplished that feat in program history. Matteo Drobac won his sixth straight start for the Red and White, stopping a career-high 33 shots from the Lions (3-5-0).

HOW IT HAPPENED

7:43 1st (Lindenwood 1-0) | The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the opening period, as Olivier Houde finished off a give-and-go with Charles Savoie on his left in a 3-on-2 scenario. Giovanni Morneau added the second assist for the Lions.
15:08 1st (Miami 1-1) | Miami battled back to knot the score at 1-all when Vladislav Lukashevich won the puck and found Maximilion Helgeson, who sent a pass ahead to spring Smith and Ethan Hay on a 2-on-2 break. Smith cut inside and kept the puck himself, firing a shot past Lindenwood's Klayton Knapp to make it 1-1.
2:27 2nd (Miami 2-1) | The RedHawks got off to a fast start in the middle stanza, eventually taking their first lead on Smith's second goal of the evening. Hay won a faceoff that Smith tracked down, and although the first shot attempt was no successful, the sophomore finished a tough-angle rebound to put Miami up 2-1.
2:52 2nd (Lindenwood 2-2) | Lindenwood answered back just 25 seconds later, as Ethan Zielke won a battle along the boards and worked the puck free to Jake Southgate. His pass across set up the finish in front by Louis-Philippe Fontaine.
6:35 2nd (Lindenwood 3-2) | The Lions went on top 3-2 later in the period when Houde found the back of the net once more, converting a 3-on-1 break off a feed from Savoie.
9:55 2nd (Miami 3-3) | The RedHawks responded again, as a solid minute-and-a-half of possession in the offensive zone eventually helped the visitors equalize. A hustle play by Lukashevich led to a shot from Smith that Helgeson redirected in front to tie the game at 3.
10:50 2nd (Miami 4-3) | It took less than a minute for Miami to take the lead back, as Doug Grimes teed up Justin Stupka for a close-range shot. Stupka grabbed his own rebound and fired to give Miami a 4-3 advantage. Kocha Delic had the second assist for the Red and White.
15:17 2nd (Lindenwood 4-4) | The back-and-forth action continued, as the Lions leveled the game at 4-4 when Adam Raesler tapped home a rebound off assists by Jaeden Mercier and Jacob Fletcher, marking the sixth goal of the period between the two teams combined.
3:28 OT (Miami 5-4) | After a wild few minutes of overtime, Ilia Morozov took a pass from Ryder Thompson and maneuvered his way to the LU net. Although Morozov wasn't able to score, he kept the puck alive and fed Smith in front for the game-winner from point-blank range.

NOTES

Smith entered the night with three goals in 39 collegiate appearances before matching that total in tonight's action; he finished with a career-high eight shots on goal in the contest.
With three goals and an assist, Smith became the first RedHawk in two years to post a four-point game (Matthew Barbolini, Oct. 27, 2023).
Helgeson had his first multi-point game as a RedHawk and produced a season-high five shots on goal.
Delic extended his season-opening point streak to six games, while Grimes, Lukashevich and Morozov each own current point streaks of four games.
Lukashevich produced his second multi-point outing of the weekend and his third as a RedHawk.
Grimes' assist was the 10th point of his college career.
Brayden Morrison made his season debut for the Red and White.
The zero combined penalty minutes between the teams was the first time that's happened in Miami Hockey history (the previous record for fewest combined penalty minutes was four, on multiple occasions including Oct. 11, 2025).
In the 2017-18 season, the RedHawks defeated North Dakota in overtime on Feb. 23 and then won a three-on-three OT the next night for a point in the conference standings, but the rules of that era still mark the latter game as a tie; this weekend's results will stand as the first-ever back-to-back overtime wins in Miami's varsity hockey era.

UP NEXT:
The undefeated RedHawks return home to open NCHC play against Arizona State next weekend (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1).

For the Friday, Oct. 31 game at 7:05 p.m. against the Sun Devils, Miami Athletics is making a limited number of tickets available for $6 in honor of the RedHawks' 6-0 start. Additionally, single-game tickets for the 6:05 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1 game will also be rolling back to 2007-08 pricing for single-game tickets ($17) as Miami looks to continue its best start since 2007-08.

Access MiamiRedHawks.com/promos with the promo code SPOOKYSAVINGS for both deals. These deals will be available as supplies last or through Thursday, Oct. 30. Additionally, youth 12 and under who come to the October 31 game in costume will get free admission with an adult ticket purchase at the door.