No. 7 Pioneers Outlast (RV) RedHawks in Game One

Friday, March 6

Denver, Colo.

9 p.m.

Miami University

18-15-2

Denver (Best-of-3 Quarterfinals)

22-11-3

Miami (OH)

Denver

Photo by: Liv Kakabeeke

No. 7 Pioneers Outlast (RV) RedHawks in Game One

3/6/2026 11:45:00 PM | Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

DENVER– (RV/NA) Miami and No. 7/7 Denver went down to the wire Friday night, but the Pioneers held off the RedHawks 3-0 after two empty-net goals to claim game one of the teams' NCHC Frozen Faceoff quarterfinal series.

Matteo Drobac made 33 saves between the pipes for the seventh-seeded RedHawks (18-15-2). Johnny Hicks stopped all 23 shots he faced for the second-seeded Pioneers (22-11-3).

HOW IT HAPPENED

9:21 1st (Denver 1-0) | Clarke Caswell opened the scoring for Denver just before the midway point of the first period. Sam Harris maneuvered up the middle of the rink and sent a pass ahead to Caswell. Caswell then relayed the puck over to Cale Ashcroft and got it back on a diagonal pass for a shot from the right circle.
18:31 3rd (Denver 2-0) | After a flurry of Miami chances around the Denver net looking for an equalizer, the Pioneers earned some breathing room late. Rieger Lorenz took the puck up the left side boards and came away with an unassisted empty-net goal.
18:57 3rd (Denver 3-0) | The hosts closed the scoring 26 seconds later, again with the net empty, as Eric Jamieson grabbed the puck behind his goal and flung it the length of the ice to make it 3-0.

NOTES

Drobac became the fourth different goaltender in Miami history to play 2,000 minutes in a single season (David Burleigh twice, Jeff Zatkoff, Ryan Larkin); he is also now tied for fifth on the RedHawks' single-season list with 34 appearances.
Both teams were 0-for-1 on the power play.
Michael Phelan was credited with a career-high three shots on goal.
Ryder Thompson matched his career high with five blocked shots.

UP NEXT:
The RedHawks and Pioneers will face off in game two on Saturday, March 7 at 8 p.m. ET.

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