OXFORD, Ohio– No. 4 Western Michigan held on down the stretch to edge RV Miami 3-1 Saturday night in NCHC action at Steve "Coach" Cady Arena. David Deputy converted a shorthanded opportunity late in the second period to score the only goal for the RedHawks (17-9-2, 8-8-2), who saw their five-game winning streak snapped. Bobby Cowan and Alex Calbeck each had two points for the Broncos (20-8-0, 12-6-0 NCHC).
HOW IT HAPPENED
1:53 1st (WMU 1-0) | Cowan opened the scoring for the defending national champs, backhanding a long shot through traffic in front to make it 1-0 less than two minutes into the contest. Calbeck and Zack Sharp had the assists. Western Michigan had two apparent goals later in the first period that were both overturned after video review, keeping the score at 1-0 heading to the first intermission.
8:46 2nd (WMU 2-0) | Western Michigan doubled its lead in the middle stanza, capitalizing on a 4-on-2 rush to make it 2-0. Calbeck started the play forward and Cowan fired a long shot that deflected off Cole Spicer on the rebound and in. The play was also reviewed but ultimately stood as a goal.
19:28 2nd (Miami 2-1) | Deputy had a chance to get the RedHawks on the board near the game's midway point, but was unsuccessful on a penalty shot attempt. However, the freshman winger broke through for a shorthanded goal later in the second period to cut WMU's lead to one. Ilia Morozov won the puck in his own end and started up the ice with Deputy on his right before sliding a perfect pass between the legs of WMU's Samuel Sjolund to Deputy for the finish.
19:00 3rd (WMU 3-1) | Liam Valente closed the scoring with an empty-net goal with a minute to play. Valente worked the puck free along the boards and then got it back from Zach Nehring and Grant Slukynsky to find the back of the net and make it 3-1.
NOTES
Deputy, the Third Star of the Game, scored for the third-straight game; he produced a shorthanded goal for the second consecutive home series (Jan. 17) and now has a team-high 14 goals this season.
Miami out-shot WMU in all three periods and by a 29-23 margin for the game; six different RedHawks were credited with at least three shots on goal, including Shaun McEwen (who matched his career-high with three).
RedHawk goaltender Matteo Drobac faced 22 shots and made 20 saves.
Morozov collected a point for the second consecutive game.
The Red and White played in front of a sellout crowd (3,453) for the second consecutive night.
Miami recognized its returning hockey alumni at the first intermission and also celebrated all-time leading goal-scorer, the late Rick Kuraly, during a ceremonial puck drop with Kuraly's sons, pictured below (including Boston Bruins forward and former Miami standout Sean Kuraly).
UP NEXT:
The RedHawks travel to North Dakota next weekend to take on the Fighting Hawks in a two-game series. Puck drop on Friday, Feb. 13 is set for 8:07 p.m. ET in Grand Forks, N.D. Sean Kuraly (center) and his brothers at the ceremonial puck drop with WMU's Owen Michaels and Miami's Blake Mesenburg
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
