Wolverine Hockey Travel To Face CCHA Nemesis Miami RedHawks
Posted at 6:00am — 11/11/2011
Wolverine Hockey Travel To Face CCHA Nemesis Miami RedHawks
#4/5 Michigan (7-2-1, 3-2-1-1 T-4th CCHA) vs. Miami (4-6-0, 2-4-0-0 8th CCHA)
7:35 p.m. Friday & 7:05 pm Saturday, Goggin Ice Arena, Oxford, Ohio
TV: None.
The Wolverines return to Oxford to meet their current CCHA nemesis, Miami. The RedHawks (also known as tDynasty in the Michigan hockey blogosphere) join Notre Dame as the programs that have given the Wolverines the most fits in the last decade of CCHA action. Michigan holds an overall 69-25-3 series advantage, but has been rather anemic against Miami in the last four seasons posting a dismal 3-7 record in the last ten games, 1-5 in the last six games and has dropped the last three meetings. Miami has defended their ice well in the past three seasons, posting a 0-4-1 mark vs. Michigan, including a sweep last February.
The teams meet at least four times this season, with a return weekend series at Yost scheduled for February 3-4, 2012.
Rewinding Michigan’s Previous Action:
The Wolverines met previously unbeaten WMU last weekend and came away with a split in the series. Friday night’s tilt was a tight checking battle that saw the Broncos leap to a 2-0 lead. Michigan roared back in the second period on goals by Kevin Clare and Mac Bennett to tie the game after two. The third period mostly belonged to the Broncos, though, as penalty issues and sloppy play kept Michigan from developing any type of offensive attack. WMU pinned the Wolverines in their own zone in the last two minutes and scored a greasy goal that actually was punched in off of a Michigan stick during a goalmouth scramble with :57 remaining to take a 3-2 victory. The Maize and Blue probably deserved a better fate until that last shift cost them the contest. Michigan out-shot the Broncos and out-chanced them, but failed to connect on their opportunities.
Saturday night the Wolverines skated to a Maize out in their classic home yellows and bested Western 5-2. The Broncos probably outplayed the Wolverines in this game in every category but the score. Michigan earned a 1-0 lead on a Derek DeBlois rebound tally after one period, but promptly gave up an early goal in the second and then another midway through the period. Alex Guptill re-tied the game on a PPG late in the second. The Wolverines appeared to be outworked in the third period until penalty issues stalled the Broncos. First, Michigan took the lead for good on a Mac Bennett PP laser. AJ Treais followed that with a one timer in the close slot from a nice Kevin Lynch feed and Lynch put the game away with an empty netter for the final margin. Broncos coach Andy Murray was not amused by the officiating as his team was assessed with seven penalties vs. only two for the Wolverines. It was a reversal from the night before.
Yostmeister Three Stars Of The Weekend:
1. Michigan – Greg Pateryn – a steady 0-4-4 offensive display with an ironman like defensive series
2. WMU – Chase Balisy – the dangerous forward scored a goal and added an assist in the series
3. Michigan – Alex Guptill – added a 1-1-2 output with a physical edge the Wolverines needed without Chris Brown in the lineup
Scouting the RedHawks:
Pre-season polls are like noses in that every sports blog, website or magazine seems to have one. Incredibly, most of those polls are worthless after the season starts, especially when it comes to the unpredictability of college hockey. Count the fans at Miami as firm believers in this theory. Once heralded as the team with the inside track to the national championship, the RedHawks are seeking consistency after their worst conference start in fifteen seasons. Coach Enrico Blasi’s squad is trying to swim out of the quicksand (and their 8th place position) by building off of last week’s road sweep against Alaska. Enter the Wolverines- which haven’t been such a bad thing for Miami as of late.
The Hawks have established themselves as a prominent CCHA foe, not the occasional opponent that rises up to bite the heavyweights now and then. Blasi has built the program over his 12 previous seasons and has an impressive resume now: 266 wins, four time CCHA COTY, National COTY ‘05-‘06, seven NCAA tourney berths including two Frozen Four appearances and one national title game. Blasi has also captured two CCHA regular season titles and brought home the first Mason Cup CCHA tourney championship in school history last season. He also coached the program’s first ever Hobey Baker Award winner Andy Miele who won the award last season. The program has been set up for greatness… or as a writer for a Miami student newspaper reported several years ago… Miami has built a “dynasty” that should win multiple national championships. Well, many fans can truly debate that bit of puffery, but the Hawks have been impressive and have had to go through the CCHA powers like MSU, Michigan and Notre Dame to accomplish it. Despite the strength of an experienced and offensively explosive attack, the RedHawks failed to advance past their regional last season and have yet to hang that elusive National Championship banner.
That leads me to this season again, where the talent level had to be replenished- yet returned ten experienced seniors including the all-conference tandem in net and a trio of talented defensemen that buoy an already stingy defensive system. The goaltenders I refer to are Cody Reichard (3-3-0, 2.46 GAA, .902 sv. %) and Connor Knapp (1-3-0, 3.17 GAA, .888 sv. %) Both seem to have hit adversity in the early going, modeling a microcosm of the issues the RedHawks have faced this season. The defense is still talented, but hasn’t had the same lock down effect on their opponents. Chris Wideman (1-3-4), Will Weber (0-1-1) and Cameron Schilling (1-3-4) still provide Miami one of the best bluelines in the country- along with junior stay at home type Joe Hartman. The offense, much like the Wolverines, had question marks to fill but had enough returning talent to make it formidable. Seniors Alden Hirschfeld (2-5-7), Matt Tomassoni (2-0-2) and Trent Vogelhuber (1-2-3) lead the charge with leading goal scorer (junior) Reilly Smith (5-1-6). Freshmen Austin Czarnik (2-3-5) and Tyler Biggs (1-4-5) have stepped in to also round out Miami’s top three lines.
So what is wrong with the Hawks? Well… if you look purely at the numbers, it appears that everything is wrong. It isn’t as if they opened the season with a daunting schedule, splitting a series at home against Bemidji St and on the road at Colgate. Upon entering CCHA play, they were promptly swept at a good #14 Ferris State and got broomed at home by a resurgent #18 Lake State before last week’s triumphs at Alaska.
Not exactly #1 worthy results… and as a matter of fact not worthy of any poll currently. So, diving into the numbers- Miami is not scoring- averaging only 2.30 GPG (43rd). Their goals against is a mediocre 2.90 GPG (26th). The RedHawk special teams have been awful, with a 14.1% conversion on the PP (40th) and an 81.4% PK rate (31st). Coincidently, they are also T-2nd in penalty minutes per game (20.1). Ironically, they have scored three shorthanded goals this season.
Good things emerged last week, though, as the RedHawks have killed 16 straight penalties and won two games (2-1, 2-1) on a long, exhausting trip. Alaska is not exactly playing well, so this may only be a reprieve. Miami has kept things close, though and will be in most of their games, especially at Goggin. All ten games this season has been decided by two goals or less. It appears that Michigan is catching them as they begin to emerge from their slumber. Maybe the incentive of shaking Miami’s stranglehold on the rivalry will add the zest to take some points in Oxford.
Charting The Wolverines:
Michigan had to come away from last weekend’s home split with WMU with a bitter taste, especially after post game comments from the Broncos suggested that they were the team that should be disappointed in a split. Still, the Wolverines continue to improve and have played six consecutive games against ranked opponents and have emerged 3-2-1-1. This will be their second road test of the season, though, and they must treat it as if they are playing another top five team.
Scoring has not been an issue as the whole lineup is chipping in with key points. Greg Pateryn (2-8-10) continues to lead both on the blueline and in the boxscore. Lindsay Sparks is pacing the forwards with 5-8-13 but was shutdown last weekend. Kevin Lynch emerged with a two point weekend and Mac Bennett netted two goals and is playing with Pateryn now. The Wolverines now sit 3rd in the country averaging 4.6 GPG and only trail #1 Minnesota in total goals scored. Look for veteran David Wohlberg (3-1-4, ten games) to lead the offense against Miami. AJ Treais, Kevin Lynch and Luke Glendening have chipped in 3 points each in games against the RedHawks.
The defensive play has been solid also, as they pretty much neutralized a real good WMU offense. They are tied for 6th in the country only allowing 2.00 GPG. The PP is emerging also, up to a 19.1% conversion (27th) to go with an improving 83% PK (25th). The Wolverines have stymied the last 15 opponent PP chances including a perfect 9-9 last weekend.
Shawn Hunwick continues to post steady numbers in goal. He now is 7-1-1, with a 1.62 GAA (5th) and a .941 save%, 4th best in the country. He’s tasked to take on yet another opponent netminding duo this weekend. Goggin wasn’t kind to Hunwick last season, nor has Miami been kind in general. Hunwick is 1-3 with a 2.53 GAA and a .902 sv. % all time against the RedHawks.
Michigan found their discipline last Saturday, only taking two penalties. On the average, they take 14.5 minutes per game and stand 27th in the country. They will need the same type of performance to keep Miami from gaining any offensive momentum.
Expectation:
The Wolverines are going to have to prove that their top five ranking can be executed away from Yost arena. Miami is primed for a rebound and will attempt to utilize their momentum from last weekend unless the Maize and Blue can shut them down defensively. Based on the way Miami has executed, this shouldn’t be an impossible task. Bury the offensive chances early and I feel that Miami will be fragile. Otherwise, that team is still dangerous and will use their recent success against Michigan as a rally point. Michigan could gain a huge psychological edge by jumping on this team… but then again, strange things happen down in Ohio. I want to say they will emerge with six points, but…
Friday: Miami 3-2. Saturday: Michigan 4-2.
Yost Bits:
-Derek DeBlois (2-2-4) and Mac Bennett (2-3-5) are the hottest points makers going into this weekend
-Miami is looking for their first four game winning streak against Michigan since their series started
-The Wolverines return home next weekend to face another resurgent program- the hated Buckeyes from Columbus.
-No further news on Jon Merrill this week… but that may be good news.
-Miami announced that they have signed a nine member recruiting class for next season including a big time defenseman from the USNDT in Ann Arbor. One other member of the class also resides in Michigan.
-Chris Brown is expected in the lineup this weekend after sitting out last weekend’s games with an undisclosed upper body injury (presumed to be a shoulder.)
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff — Yostmeister
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