Blogcritics

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Jakaitis, Rainville Lead Lakers Past RedHawks

M.D. Sandwasher — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 14:12:10 EDT

OXFORD, Ohio -- Lake Superior State swept No. 9 Miami out of the CCHA playoffs Saturday night. Propelled by another dominating performance by goaltender Jeff Jakaitis (43 saves), the visiting Lakers stunned the RedHawks 2-1. LSSU's first-year coach, Jim Roque was ecstatic with his team's effort, especially considering the condition of his troops. "We had guys hurt. Our leading scoring (Troy Schwab) didn't play all weekend. [Defenseman] Ryan Baird was puking all game on the bench. We didn't even have a full lineup. We only dressed 17 skaters."Senior Jeff Rainville continued his torrid tear, scoring two goals for a total of three this weekend. The Ontario native is surging since the start of the CCHA playoffs. He totaled five assists last weekend against Ferris State. LSSU jumped out to an early lead 11:51 into the first period thanks to a Miami defensive lapse in its zone. Rainville forced a turnover right in front of the net and scored easily, glove side. After Miami evened the score with five minutes left in the contest, Rainville once again found the back of the net less than two minutes later, firing a shot over RedHawks' netminder Jeff Zatkoff's left shoulder from the slot.This was another instance where LSSU capitalized on a Miami mistake. The RedHawks were unable to clear the puck from their zone. Forward Trent Campbell was able to secure the puck and find Rainville for the assist. "Jeff Rainville scored two huge goals." Roque said, elated with his senior's recent play. "[The seniors] had tough seasons. [Rainville] thought he could have scored more. Dominic [Osman] and Trent Campbell, they thought they would have bigger years. It is just the perfect time to have a great playoffs. I'm so glad for them." Daydreaming through most of the game, the arena came to life after the announcement that MU's men's basketball team claimed the MAC tournament title against Akron on a thrilling last-second shot, 53-52. This seemed to add a little spark to the RedHawks. Moments later, 14:45 into the third period, the Red and White were finally able to break through. Ryan Jones deflected an Alec Martinez shot for his first goal of the series. It appeared that the RedHawks were destined for overtime at the very least, before a costly mistake in their own zone led to Rainville's winning score. Roque felt the RedHawks were a little off this weekend. "They were not sharp, like as far as crisp, you know? A lot of their passes weren't where they needed to be. Even their defensive guys, [the puck] bounced over their sticks. The puck wasn't exactly were it needed to be. They had a tough weekend, I think. I don't know why." The sweep in the second round of the CCHA playoffs may have cost the RedHawks a spot in the 16-team NCAA tournament, as Miami head coach Enrico Blasi conceded. "I'm thinking our season is over," Blasi said, before allowing a little bit of hope to remain. "I have no idea, but the RPI and PairWise ranking, the way it works, sometimes it benefits you not playing." NUMB3RS� It took referee Kevin Hall almost 30 minutes to call a penalty Friday night; he called four in the first five minutes Saturday. Hall only called four more penalties the remainder of the match.� The announced attendance of 2,264, approximately 200 fewer than Friday night, was slightly surprising. With Miami's students away on spring break, plenty of good seats were available and being a Saturday night, it was thought that the Steve Cady Arena would be closer to capacity. It was so uncharacteristically quiet, RedHawks' play-by-play announcer Greg Waddell could be heard live calling the entire game.� After platooning goalies Zatkoff and Charlie Effinger most of the season, the RedHawks scrapped the goalie-by-committee approach this series in favor of Zatkoff. � Miami outshot Lake State 45-26. � Jakaitis' play was nothing short of remarkable. The senior, ranked second nationally in save percentage, stopped a combined 79 of 81 shots this weekend. � All four CCHA second-round contests ended in sweeps Saturday. With the exception of Miami, the favorites all advanced (Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Michigan). � This season MU and LSSU were placed in the same four-team CCHA cluster. As a result, MU and LSSU faced off with one another four times during the regular season in two home-and-away series. MU won three of the contests, including a February 10-11 home sweep.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

LSSU Strikes First vs. Miami U. In CCHA Quarterfinals

M.D. Sandwasher — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:15:49 EST

OXFORD, Ohio — The Lake Superior State Lakers shocked the heavily-favored No. 9 Miami RedHawks 2-1 Friday night in the first contest of their best-of-three-game series.Steady goaltending from senior Jeff Jakaitis allowed Lake Superior State to hang around for most of the game before the Lakers took the lead with two third-period goals. Jakaitis, ranked second nationally in save percentage, fended off 37 of 38 shots.Afterwards, Miami head coach Enrico Blasi gave high praise to the Lakers' senior netminder. "Jakaitis played well for them. We've got to find a way to get to him tomorrow night." While forward Jeff Rainville was in a giving mood last week with five assists in the three-game CCHA first-round series against Ferris State, he was on the receiving end of the Lakers' first goal Friday.Shortly after allowing a power play to expire without a shot on goal, senior defenseman Barnabas Birkeland forced RedHawks' goalie Jeff Zatkoff to lean to his right before sliding the puck across the crease to Rainville for the open-net equalizer 3:33 into the third period. At the 9:57 mark in the final stanza, Derek A. Smith, one of three candidates for the CCHA's Offensive Defenseman of the Year Award, rifled a shot from the right circle for the game winner. The goal gave the junior 10 for the season. The Lakers played like they had nothing to lose. Lakers head coach Jim Roque said, "There's not a lot of pressure on us. We are the road team."After the loss, Miami head coach Enrico Blasi emphasized execution. "Bottom line, we did not execute ... [Saturday night] It's do or die. We need to come out and play with some urgency. We need to pay more attention to detail and see what happens. I think they executed and we didn't. The two goals they scored; they executed beautifully on. Miami broke a nil-nil tie late in the second period on a rare Kevin Roeder goal when Ryan Jones skated around the net and found Nate Davis in front of the net. Jakaitis was able to fend off but not secure Davis' shot, and "Roads" collected the rebound to the left of the goal and scored on Jakaitis' stick side, picking up his first goal of the season. Miami quickly surrendered the lead and shortly after found themselves in a one-goal hole. Thanks to ferocious play, the RedHawks created several scoring chances in the game's final 10 minutes, but Jakaitis and the Lakers' defense proved too formidable of a foe on this night. Blasi did not have any trouble finding positives from his team's performance."I thought we played pretty good in the second period and for the most part we did a good job," he said, before reemphasizing his team's need to execute. "But, in playoff hockey you have to execute, and we did not execute tonight and they did." Roque knows that his troops have to bring the same intensity Saturday night."[Miami is] going to be crappin' bullets tomorrow night," he said. "They are coming, right? They've got to be. I think so. They are a good team; a proud team. [We need to] get a good night's rest and go to work." The squads will resume action in Oxford Sunday night at 7:05 p.m. If the RedHawks force a third and deciding game, it will be played at 7:05 p.m. Sunday. NUMB3RS• Referee Kevin Hall called a miniscule number of penalties, punitively blowing his whistle only seven times on the night. The first penalty was called almost halfway through the game. Even though the Lakers came away with the victory, Roque would still like to see more consistency in this department. "I'll be honest. I got in trouble last week," he said. "I think the kids are very confused in the game — I think they are really confused with penalties. You know what I mean? They are. I know that refs don't want to decide the game, but it's getting confusing. For every penalty, I could find you five more of the same ones that are not being called. I know the refs don't want to determine the game, but the kids are having a hard time out there. It's frustrating." • LSSU offered the lone upset in CCHA second-round action Friday night. Notre Dame clobbered Alaska 7-1 thanks to five first-period goals, Michigan State skated to a 4-2 victory over Nebraska-Omaha, and Michigan defeated visiting Northern Michigan 4-1. • Miami frequently sells out the 3,642-seat Steve Cady Arena; however, with students away on spring break, the RedHawks only drew 2,501 fans. With "Ricoville" half empty, the stadium lacked the typical buzz and electricity.• This season MU and LSSU were placed in the same four-team CCHA cluster. As a result, MU and LSSU faced off with one another four times this season in home-and-away series. MU won three of the contests, including a February 10-11 home sweep.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

#11 Miami University Defeats Robert Morris University 7-3

M.D. Sandwasher — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 04:22:20 EST

OXFORD, OH – On a rare Thursday night contest against Robert Morris University, the Miami University RedHawks (21-10-4) crushed the hottest team in the country 7-3. Robert Morris (13-14-1), owners of the nation’s longest winning streak at five, had not allowed an opponent more than two goals during their surge; however, the Colonials found themselves behind three to nil within the first six minutes of the non-conference matchup. The Colonials braved the storm but were never able to fully recover from their gargantuan early game breakdowns. The RedHawks jumped out to a three goal lead thanks in large part to the newly formed first line of Ryan Jones, Nathan Davis, and Marty Guerin. An injury to starting forward Brian Kaufman against the Alaska Nanooks forced Miami’s head coach Enrico Blasi to shuffle around the offensive lines. After playing inconsistently for three games, the line seems to be starting to gel. Jones’ first goal came just 1:10 into the game. Guerin brought the puck into the offensive zone, before finding Jones in the slot. Jones skated in front of the net and scored glove side on Colonial netminder Joe Tuset. A little over two minutes later, on a power play, Jones and Guerin teamed up again to give the Red and White a two goal lead. Guerin rifled a shot from the left point and Jones deflected the shot for his second goal of the game. The first line was at it again two minutes later with a goal from Davis. Defenseman Ray Eichenlaub took a shot from the point and Davis poked the rebound in for his 18th goal of the season for a 3-0 lead. After stopping a flurry of shots, RedHawk goalie Charlie Effinger let one pass on a rebound shot by sophomore Chris Margott 14:03 into the first period. The goal moved the Colonials within two at 3-1. The score would stay that way after one period. MU took a 4-1 lead on a shorthanded goal by Guerin 7:31 into the second period. Already with two assists, Guerin scored on an incredible individual effort. In between the circles with a defender separating him from the goalie, Guerin passed the puck by the defender and to himself, making the defender look absolutely ridiculous, scoring above Tuset’s outstretched glove arm. Pushed to the brink, RMU scored two goals in the next five minutes, pulling within one at 4-3. The Colonials responded less than a minute after Guerin’s goal on a tic-tac-toe pass to Aaron Clarke. Clarke scored with three seconds remaining on an Eichenlaub penalty. Kyle Frieday pulled the Colonials within one on an even strength goal from the right circle 12:30 into the second via the five hole. Senior center Geoff Smith’s gave the RedHawks a little breathing room on a power play goal 16:36 into the second, extending the lead to 5-3. Near the crease, Smith gathered Davis’ shot from the point, and with Tuset off balance, patiently put placed a backhand shot into the empty net. The goal marked Smith’s second in back-to-back games. Like the first period, the RedHawks exerted their will in the third period for a pair of goals on 14 shots. Naturally, the goals came from the first line. The first came courtesy of captain Jones. 4:30 into the final stanza, Jones scored his third goal of the contest, giving him his second career hat trick and 23 goals on the season. Guerin added his second goal of the night four minutes later to put the finishing touches on the night. Like Jones, Guerin finished with four points on the night. Overall, RedHawks head coach Blasi seemed pleased with his team’s performance against the Colonials. “[Robert Morris] played hard tonight. They got back into the game. It was tight there for a little bit. I thought we played really well in the third. We controlled our turnovers and made goal scoring chances.” MU will travel to Pittsburgh to finish the home-and-away series with RMU this Saturday at 7:35 ET. MU will make the long trek to Northern Michigan next weekend for the final regular season series. Next weekend, RMU will host Wayne State. NUMB3RS While the Colonials saw their win streak come to an end, the RedHawks pushed theirs to three consecutive games. Miami’s penalty killing unit is the second best in the country behind Vermont, but the unit has given up a goal in back-to-back-to-back games. Miami outshot Robert Morris by a whopping 51-27. That marked the second straight game the RedHawks amounted more than 40 shots on goal.Miami’s first line accounted for a combined 10 points. After the contest, Guerin said, “We’re definitely starting to find each other out there.” RMU’s senior forward Clarke extended his consecutive point streak to eight games with the second period goal.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

#12 Miami University Defeats Lake Superior State 3-2

M.D. Sandwasher — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:55:40 EST

OXFORD, Ohio – Playing in their last regular season Central Collegiate Hockey Association home game, Miami RedHawk fans bid adieu to seniors Andy Nelson, Joe Cooper, Geoff Smith, Marty Guerin, and Matt Christie. With senior night and a first round playoff bye on the line, the RedHawks (20-10-4, 15-7-4 CCHA) emphatically jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first 28 minutes on the Lake Superior State Lakers (15-14-3, 9-11-3 CCHA) and then held on for dear life for the last 32 minutes, winning 3-2. The seniors were a big reason for Miami’s early success. It took Miami 10 minutes to warm up Friday night, but the RedHawks wasted little time forcing their will Saturday evening. Miami’s play in the first period, both offensively and defensively, was as dominating of a performance as I have seen from a squad in recent memory. The Red and White were all over the ice, finishing off checks and seemingly gaining control of every lose puck. While holding the Lakers scoreless, including three penalty kills, the RedHawks outshot the Lakers 22 to 13 on their way to a 2-0 lead. Four-year letterman Matt Christie was the first to light the red lamp thanks to a nifty pass by line mate Justin Mercier. Lakers’ forward Josh Sim was unable to handle the puck in the neutral zone, and Mercier was the benefactor. Mercier and Christie led a 2-0 attack into the offensive zone. Mercier skated to the right of Lakers’ netminder Jeff Jakaitis and he unselfishly found Christie right in front of the crease for an easy score on stick side. “[Mercier] was a step ahead of me,” Christie said describing the play. “I thought he was going with the backhand but he slid it over to me.” Three minutes later, the second line was at it again. After another LSSU turnover, this time in the Lakers’ zone, freshman Jarod Palmer put the RedHawks up two to nil on an unassisted, 4-on-4 goal. The goal gave Palmer 10 for the season. Early into the second period, Nathan Davis made an incredible individual effort, skating around the front of the net patently waiting for an opening. He found a slight slit stick side and put the puck in the back of the net; however, the goal was waved off because there was a RedHawk in the crease before Davis took the shot. Seniors Geoff Smith and Christie officially made it a 3-0 game 8:08 into the second period, cashing in on a power play opportunity. Christie skated along the left boards before setting up Smith in the slot for a stick side goal. After pushing the Lakers around for the first half of the game, it appeared the RedHawks eased off of the accelerator, allowing the Lakers to jump back into the game. The second best penalty killing unit in the country was victim to a goal on consecutive nights 16:43 into the second. Miami goaltender Jeff Zatkoff had been stellar all night, but he finally let one through at the end of a LSSU power play. The PK unit was a mere 13 seconds from killing off their sixth penalty of the night before senior forward Jeff Rainville notched his 10th goal of the season. Rainville rifled a shot in between the circles, scoring to the left side of Zatkoff and bringing his mates within two goals. LSSU’s fourth line center Troy Schwab pulled the Lakers within a goal 13:41 into the third period. From the right faceoff circle, Schwab scored over Zatkoff’s left arm for his fifth goal of the year. The RedHawk faithful had to sweat out the last six minutes of the contest, including an open net for the last minute of the game that felt like an eternity. In the end, Zatkoff and Miami’s defense were able to stop a flurry of shots on their way to a weekend sweep of LSSU. NUMB3RSIt was fitting that two RedHawk seniors earned star of the game honors. Christie took the first star and Smith the third star respectively. LSSU’s Jakaitis earned the second star after saving 44 of 47 shots and holding the RedHawks scoreless for the second half of the game. Last weekend’s injury to starting forward Brian Kaufman during Friday night’s game with the Alaska Nanooks forced head coach Enrico Blasi to shuffle around the offensive lines. Blasi moved Marty Guerin to the first line and Mercier up to the second line. The second line accounted for seven points over the weekend (3 goals and 4 assists). The chemistry of the line may be directly related to Christie’s and Mercier’s close friendship off of the ice. With the weekend sweep, Miami improved to a 3-1-0 record over Lake State this season. Lake State holds the overall record at 52-28-10. With the 20 wins, Blasi, the former RedHawk player, has won 20 or more games five times in his eight seasons as head coach.Going into the weekend, Michigan held second place in the CCHA by two points, but a loss to lowly Bowling Green and a tie to intrastate rival Michigan State allowed the RedHawks to leap frog the Wolverines from third into second. The RedHawks have played two more CCHA games than the Wolverines.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

#12 Miami University Defeats Lake Superior State 4-1

M.D. Sandwasher — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 13:20:35 EST

OXFORD, Ohio -- On a frigid Friday night in the state-of-the-art Steve Cady Arena, the Miami RedHawks scored three third period goals to run away from the Lake Superior State Lakers 4-1. On Parents’ Night, the RedHawks were cordial hosts to their families but were not so affable to their Central Collegiate Hockey Association foes. Nathan Davis scored the game winner four minutes into the third period on an even strength goal. Davis took a pass from defenseman Kevin Roeder in Miami’s zone and raced along the right boards uncontested. When Davis reached the top of the right faceoff circle, he made his move towards the goal, scoring in the crowed crease.Junior captain Ryan Jones put the game away in the middle of the third. The RedHawks were able to clear the puck into the Lakers’ zone, and Jones had a step on the defense. Lakers' netminder Jeff Jakaitis came way out of the net to avoid Jones’ rush, but came up just short in his attempt to clear the puck out of harm’s way. Jones made an incredible play, knocking Jakaitis’ pass down. The puck caromed off the boards back to the streaking Jones, whom beat Jakaitis to the net for his 20th goal of the season. “[Jakaitis] definitely had the step on me. A few more feet my way, and he probably would have stayed in [the net],” Jones, the fourth round Minnesota Wild draftee, said. “I just got lucky, made a good guess, kind of put it off the shaft of my stick, and tried to not hit the [defender] who was sliding into the net.” With the contest no longer in doubt in the waning minutes of the game, Matt Christie added the third and final goal of the period. Miami played a languid first ten minutes of the game, giving up countless odd-man rushes and shots on goal. In the early stretch, LSSU was dominating every facet of the game. RedHawks head coach Enrico Blasi did not have to say anything to get his team turned around. “[The players] did all the talking. I didn’t have to say anything. It was a matter of our guys getting going. Give [LSSU] credit. [LSSU] came out flying. I thought our guys essentially figured it out, and then it became a really good hockey game.” After Miami was able to kill back-to-back power plays midway through the first period, their intensity level increased dramatically. Miami turned the tables on Lake Superior State and became a force on both sides of the puck. Miami’s momentum carried over to the second period. Three minutes in, the RedHawks were the first squad to light the red lamp. Freshman forward Gary Steffes and defenseman Alec Martinez broke free in the neutral zone. Steffes skated to the left of Jakaitis, before centering the puck in the slot to Martinez. Wide open, Martinez nailed the shot, giving the sophomore nine goals on the season. LSSU answered eight minutes later. Just 11 seconds into a power play, the second best penalty killing unit in the country surrendered a goal. Junior defenseman Derek A. Smith scored his seventh goal of the season from the top of the right circle at 10:46. The score was netted at one entering the third period. The RedHawks turned a closely contested game into a runaway victory. NUMB3RSThe RedHawks snapped their season-long winless streak at four games. The RedHawks also snapped their overtime streak at three games. LSSU goalie Jeff Jakaitis entered the contest as the nation’s leader in save percentage at .941. MU nearly doubled LSSU in shots, 37 to 19. LSSU and MU split a weekend series this past November. LSSU was able to cash in on one power play opportunity in five chances, while MU was scoreless on five tries. Miami’s Charlie Effinger saved 18-of-19 shots on goal. After the game, Effinger, the platooning goaltender, characteristically deflected praise to his teammates. “The credit belongs to the guys in front of me. They worked hard, allowing only [19 shots]; I just sat back and did my job.”

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

#9 Miami University Outlasts Ohio State 2-1

M.D. Sandwasher — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:25:03 EST

#9 Miami (18-8-2, 13-5-2 CCHA) broke a 1-1 stalemate 1:38 into the third period thanks to a Ray Eichenlaub goal. After taking the lead, Miami held off a flurry of scoring chances by Ohio State (9-10-5, 7-7-4 CCHA), surviving four OSU power plays to win 2-1. The victory not only ensured the weekend series for the RedHawks but also the season series. Playing five games in a little over a month, Miami won the season series 2-1-2.Furious back-and-forth action does not even begin to describe the first period. Each team scored a goal and combined for 23 shots and penalties while clashing frequently in an intense 20 minutes. That’s exactly the type of play expected in a rivalry matchup.Just like Friday night, Miami was the first to light up the scoreboard on a Ryan Jones goal. Jones exited the penalty box and quickly raced to Miami’s zone, joining teammates Nathan Davis and Dane Hetland. Davis, Miami’s leader in points with 41 points, skated into OSU’s zone and lost the puck in front of the net. Hetland swooped in but was unable to get good wood on the puck; however, he was successful in pulling Buckeyes’ netminder Joseph Palmer out of the net. The puck finally found its way to Jones. Jones gained control of the puck with his skate, allowing him to score into the open net. It did not take long for the Buckeyes to respond. OSU answered a little over two minutes later at 5:06 on an even-strength, unassisted goal by forward Tommy Goebel. Goebel scored after a costly Miami turnover in their zone. Marty Guerin was unable to handle an Eichenlaub pass, and Goebel jumped all over the puck, rifling a shot from the right circle over RedHawks’ goalie Jeff Zatkoff’s right shoulder. Goebel also had a goal Friday night in the 4-4 tie in Columbus.After a scoreless second period, where both teams let scoring chances come and go, OSU’s forward Bryce Anderson came within inches of giving the Buckeyes a 2-1 lead. The left-handed forward skated up the right boards before firing a shot over Zatkoff’s right arm, hitting the left post, and rolling behind Zatkoff and out of harm's way. At the time it appeared that Anderson’s shot hit the net and bounced out; however, replays showed the puck clearly hit the post. Even though the Central Collegiate Hockey Associate has the technology to review all goals this season, the officials elected not to review the sequence, much to the chagrin of Buckeye’s head coach John Markell. Markell, still visibly upset after the contest, rhetorically asked, “Why do we have video equipment? I am disappointed that something that was reviewable was not reviewed.” Markell paused, and then added, “Every goal is reviewed in the NHL because they have the equipment. This season, we do too, and it should have been reviewed.” To add more insult to injury for Markell and his Buckeyes, Eichenlaub’s goal came right after Anderson’s near miss. The sophomore defenseman took a pass from freshman forward Jarod Palmer in Miami’s zone and skated the length of the ice on a 3-on-1 attack. In OSU’s zone, Eichenlaub weaved his way to the left of the net before unleashing a laser over Palmer’s right arm, giving Miami the decisive goal. Eichenlaub had three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in the weekend series, earning a second star Friday night and a first star today. The modest Wilmette, Illinois native deflected praise afterwards, saying, “[my teammates] had a lot to do with it.” After skating to a 4-4 tie Friday night, the RedHawks did a much better job defensively, cutting down on the odd-man rushes and shots on goal. Miami’s coach Enrico Blasi said the squad worked on that aspect during Saturday’s practice. “We practiced pretty hard yesterday. You can’t give a team that many chances.” Markell complimented the RedHawks’ performance, saying, “We weren’t given as many odd-man rushes today. I thought our power play was tough, but Zatkoff stood tall.” NUMB3RS:• Miami snapped OSU’s four-game win streak and six-game unbeaten streak. • Miami was outshot 39-27 Friday night, but won the shot-on-goal battle 32-27 Sunday. • The RedHawks rank second nationally in penalty killing at 90.4 percent, worst only to Vermont’s 90.8 percent. Miami held OSU scoreless in <strike>eight</strike> 10 power play opportunities this weekend. • Miami also won last year’s season series 3-1-1. • With the win, Miami moves within a point of CCHA leader Notre Dame (29). OSU remains tied for fifth with Nebraska-Omaha. • This coming weekend Miami will travel to South Bend with the conference lead on the line for a pair of games against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. OSU will visit Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan for a weekend series with Lake Superior State.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

#9 Miami, Ohio State Skate To A 4-4 Tie

M.D. Sandwasher — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 01:27:45 EST

The Miami University and Ohio State matchup is quickly becoming one of the best rivalries in college hockey. After three periods of passionate hockey, an additional five minute overtime period was not enough to determine a winner. The clubs walked away with a 4-4 tie. After a hard fought battle, it almost seemed fitting that neither team lost. It was the fourth game this season between the intrastate rivals and second game that ended in a tie. After the game, both coaches seemed relieved to come away with a point in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings. RedHawks' coach Enrico Blasi said, "Any time you're on the road and get a point, that's a positive." OSU's coach John Markell shared similar sentiments, "We were down 3-1, and we battled back. We did what was necessary to get the point." Miami had leads of 3-1 and 4-2 before allowing Ohio State two unanswered goals. With a commanding 4-2 lead late in the second period, it appeared that Miami would put the game away with an OSU penalty. Miami leads the CCHA with 27 power play goals, scoring at a 25% rate. OSU's senior forward Mathieu Beaudoin had other plans. Beaudoin scored a shorthanded breakaway goal, pulling the Buckeyes within a goal. That marked the Buckeyes 10th shorthanded goal of the season. 10:04 into the third period, OSU's senior defenseman Matt Waddell brought the Buckeyes all the way back, tying the game at four. Waddell scored through the five-hole from the right point. Even though OSU dominated the first period shots on goal 17-7, the Buckeyes found themselves in a 3-1 hole. On just the RedHawks second shot, right winger Nino Musitelli scored an even-strength goal. That was the junior's fifth goal of the season. Musitelli was assisted by Justin Mercier and the game's second star Ray Eichenlaub. The Buckeyes quickly answered two minutes later on forward Andrew Schembri's even- strength goal. That marked Schembri's sixth goal of the season and first in over a month. Schembri was assisted on the play by second-line mates junior forwards John Dingle and Matt McIlvane. The RedHawks second goal came courtesy of the power play. Just 10 seconds into a Domenic Maiani cross-checking penalty, the Buckeye freshman goalie Joseph Palmer allowed a soft goal by Miami defenseman Mitch Ganzak. Ganzak scored unassisted through the five-hole. The RedHawks pushed their lead to two goals, 3-1, at 16:18, on a Brian Kaufman goal. Kaufman was set up beautifully by center Nathan Davis. Davis skated along the left boards before effortlessly finding the streaking Kaufman in front of the net for a backhanded goal. Davis had two assists on the night.OSU's forward Tommy Goebel started off the second period scoring with a wrap-around goal on Effinger's stick side. Goebel was assisted by Waddell and Sean Collins. Collins leads the Bucks in scoring with 20 points. The RedHawks pushed their lead back to two with another Ganzak's second goal. Palmer was unable to secure a Musitelli shot from the right point. Ganzak collected the rebound and scored just inside the blue-line 6:24 into the second. MU had a two-goal lead and the momentum, but OSU was not going to go away quietlySunday, the teams travel to Oxford, Ohio, for their final regular season battle. The 4:30 game will be televised on ESPNU.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

No. 5 Ohio State Rallies To Beat No. 16 Tennessee 68-66

M.D. Sandwasher — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 01:53:25 EST

Clinging to a one point lead on the road at Value City Arena, Tennessee had a chance to put Ohio State away with free throws. But the Volunteers missed the front ends of two one-and-ones, giving the trailing Buckeyes renewed hope. After Tennessee sharpshooter Chris Lofton missed the front end of the one-and-one, without calling a timeout, OSU raced down the court. With the sellout crowd on their feet, OSU's Ron Lewis was left wide open at the top of the key. The senior guard buried the three to give the Bucks a 68-66 lead. It was definitely an "oh no... yes!" shot. With 14 seconds remaining, the Volunteers had a couple of opportunities to tie the game up but came up just short. Lofton, sixth in the nation in scoring average, was every bit as good as advertised. With four minutes remaining and OSU clinging to a precarious 59-57 lead, the Vols' leading scorer took over. Lofton scored eight of the teams final nine points via layups, recorded a steal, and snatched a rebound -- practically willing the Volunteers to victory. Lofton finished with a team-high 23 points. Ohio State's heralded freshman center Greg Oden scored eight of the team's first 10 points. Oden even showed some uncharacteristic emotion, clapping his hands after dunks in a vain attempt to get the subdued fans involved in the game.UT went up 28-22 on a 9-2 run thanks in large part to their full court pressure, forcing OSU into two turnovers and a timeout with 4:42 to go in the first half. The Volunteers looked like they were going to take a lead into the locker room before freshman point guard Mike Conley Jr. propelled the Buckeyes to a 36-33 halftime lead with consecutive threes. Conley and the Buckeyes started the second half with the same intensity they finished the first, going on a 13-6 run. Junior point guard Jamar Butler started the action with a fastbreak lay-in off of a long UT miss; guard/forward Ivan Harris hit a mid-range jumper; Oden and Conley hooked up on a nifty give and go (and 1); Oden hit a pair of free throws; Columbus native Lewis scored on a fast break layup; and an Oden dunk made it 49-39.With 11 minutes to play and Conley on the bench, UT's head coach Bruce Pearl called the full court pressure back on, cutting OSU's lead back to single digits. With OSU's chances of putting the game out of reach long gone; both teams dug their heels in for a dogfight. NUMB3RS: UT only made seven out of a whopping 31 three-point shots (almost half of their total shots) ... OSU shot 43% from the field to UT's 39% ... The Buckeyes decidedly won the battle of the boards over the vertically challenged Volunteers 46-29 ... OSU beat a ranked opponent for the first time in four tries, previously falling on the road to then-ranked No. 7 North Carolina 98-89, at then-ranked No. 5 Florida 86-60, and earlier this week in Madison to No. 4 Wisconsin 72-69 ... With the victory, OSU head coach Thad Matta improves to 29-0 in non-conference home games.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

#4 Miami Sweeps Weekend Series Against Ferris State

M.D. Sandwasher — Sun, 3 Dec 2006 00:13:46 EST

Miami University smothered beleaguered Ferris State 7-2 in the second game of the weekend series in beautiful Steve Cady Arena. The Bulldogs, three points away from last place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings, allowed five unanswered goals, falling to the RedHawks for a sixth consecutive time. Miami took advantage of the power play, scoring 4 out of 10 times (7-for-19 in the weekend). Miami also scored a shorthanded goal (MU leads the nation in shorthanded goals) in addition to two even strength goals. After a slow start on Friday night, Miami didn’t waste anytime clocking in to work against FSU. Sophomore defenseman Alec Martinez scored a mere 17 seconds into the game just inside the blue line to the left of Bulldogs’ goalie Mitch O’Keefe. Head coach Enrico Blasi emphasized the importance of the early goal. “We needed to play a disciplined 60 minutes tonight. The big players had to be ready to go and set the tone for the game.” After becoming the 37th member of the 100-point club, Matt Christie gave the RedHawks a two-goal lead 12:54 into the first period. Christie was assisted by first line forwards Brian Kaufman and Nathan Davis. Christie also had two assists on the night for a three-point performance, tying Andrew Miller for 36th on the all-time list with 104 points.The RedHawks added two more goals in the second, taking a 4-0 lead into the second intermission. After peppering O’Keefe on for six shots on the power play, Miami was finally able to punch it in on a Nino Musitelli goal. Forward Marty Guerin rifled a shot from the blue line, deflecting off of Musitelli’s leg for a goal. O’Keefe was pulled after giving up the third goal. O’Keefe cannot be solely blamed for the defeat. O’Keefe was shorthanded for two goals, and his defense permitted Miami 18 shots in the second period alone. Ryan Jones pushed his scoring streak to seven games with an even strength goal 15:45 in the second. Jones, with a team leading 14 goals, had two goals on the night and five total over the two game series. Afterwards, Jones deflected praise to his teammates, saying, “I was just at the good end of a great team effort.” Even though both squads combined for five goals, the third period was highlighted by penalties with a combined 13, including a game disqualification to Miami’s Joe Cooper and FSU’s Chris Zarb (both players will be required to sit out the next game).The RedHawks added a fifth goal 36 seconds into the third off streaking left-wing Jones; however, two minutes later, the Bulldogs ruined goal Jeff Zatkoff’s shutout bid on a Cody Chupp power play goal. Davis, the assistant captain for Team USA at the 2006 IIHF World Jr. Championship, added the seventh goal to go with three assists. Davis was named the first star of the game. The Bulldogs closed out the scoring with a Brendan Connolly power play goal 14:19 into the third. Game Notes:• The RedHawks have an upcoming home-and-home series against Ohio State next weekend with the Friday night game in Columbus. Ferris State will host Lake Superior in their weekend series. • Davis’ five game point streak came to an end Friday, but he quickly started a new one with a goal and three assists. Davis is one point away from becoming the 38th RedHawk to reach the 100-point mark. • Martinez’s goal was a mere five seconds behind Miami’s all-time record to start a game. • Kaufman had three assists to join teammates Christie and Davis with three-point performances. • The University of Michigan, second in the conference, kept pace with the CCHA-leading RedHawks by winning on the road 6-5 over Western Michigan. The Wolverines trail the RedHawks by two points in the table.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.

#4 Miami University Defeats CCHA Foe Ferris State 5-3

M.D. Sandwasher — Sat, 2 Dec 2006 00:21:22 EST

Fourth-ranked Miami University exerted their power over visiting Ferris State University 5-3. An announced attendance of 3,436 witnessed team captain Ryan Jones’ first collegiate career hat trick. With the win, the RedHawks improved to 9-2-0 in the brand-new, $34.8 million state-of-the-art, Steve Cady Arena. With the score locked at three entering the final stanza, Jones appeared to will his team to victory, scoring two even-strength goals. After the game, RedHawks head coach Enrico Blasi said, “Jones sensed something needed to be done and stepped up.” 4:05 into the third, Jones tapped in the game winner in front of a crowded net. After a lengthy review, the goal was counted. When asked if he was nervous the goal was going to be overturned, Jones said, “I really didn’t see the puck. I kept poking at [the puck]. It was sitting on [O’Keefe’s] pad, hit one of their players, and went in. The [referee] was reviewing the play for a long time; you always worry.” Leading by one 11:16 into the third, Jones gave the Red-and-White breathing room with a dazzling shot past goalie Mitch O’Keefe’s stick-side. After surrendering a rare short-handed goal (Miami is ranked first nationally in penalty-killing efficiency), the RedHawks scored three unanswered goals to start the second period, taking a 3-1 lead. All three goals were products of the team’s power-play unit, which has been responsible for approximately half of Miami’s offense this season. Defenseman Matt Case scored on a 5-on-3 man advantage and Jones gave Miami the lead 32 seconds later. After assisting Case on a goal, defenseman Ray Eichenlaub scored on a man-advantage to give the RedHawks a two-goal lead. Although Miami dominated most of the second period, Ferris State was not to be denied. Trailing by two with fewer than three minutes remaining in the second, FSU fought back with two goals. Senior defenseman Joe Van Culin netted an even-strength goal at 17:25, and less than two minutes later, left-winger Dan Riedel netted the game at three with a four-on-four goal. Game notes: • With the victory, Miami takes control of the Central Collegiate Association standings. • Jones pushed his scoring streak to six consecutive games. During the stretch, Jones has six goals and three assists. • While Jones extended his scoring streak, Davis, the nation’s CCHA's points leader with 30 (13 goals, 17 assists), saw his streak end at five games. During Davis’ run, he had four goals and five assists. While Davis was not technically awarded a point on the night, Jones received Davis’ face-off winner on his way to his third goal. • Senior Matt Christie became the 37th RedHawk to reach the 100-point plateau, assisting Jones in the second period. • Junior defenseman Charlie Fetzer added three assists. When asked about Fetzer’s play, his teammate, Jones, had rave reviews. “He always makes the right play.” Blasi credited Fetzer’s recent play, especially during an injury-plagued time. “When you have injuries, you need guys stepping up, and that’s exactly what Charlie is doing right now.” • Jeff Zatkoff manned the net for the sixth consecutive game, posting a 5-1 record over that span. Zatkoff stopped 23-of-26 shots on the night. Zatkoff had been platooning with junior Charlie Effinger (out with illness). • Due to Effinger’s illness, he did not make last weekend’s road trip, but he was dressed for tonight’s action. • After blanking the RedHawks in the first period, Bulldogs’ goalie Mitch O’Keefe extended his shutout streak to four periods. O’Keefe, under tremendous pressure during the second and third periods, stopped 30-0f-35 shots on the night. • After the holiday weekend against non-conference foes, all 12 CCHL teams are paired up this weekend.

Blogcritics' M.D. Sandwasher moonlights as a freelance writer and is an avid lover of sports and music. He regularly contributes to Blogcritics and maintains his own blog.