Three CCHA series, and a clearer picture of the league emerges already. Perhaps the single thing to take away from it? Miami really is that good.
Thriving
The RedHawks didn’t just sweep the visiting Wildcats; Miami crushed Northern, 13-1.
As you probably know by now, junior defenseman Will Weber was injured in Saturday’s 9-1 game when he was cut accidentally from “chin to ear,” according to a Miami press release, by a Wildcat skate. He went to a hospital in Oxford, was transferred to University Hospital in Cincinnati where he underwent surgery and returned to the Miami campus Sunday.
The incident at 2:59 in the first caused a lengthy delay that turned into the first intermission, as both teams were sent to their locker rooms. The remainder of the period was played out after the break.
The RedHawks led 3-0 after one and just kept it coming; sophomore Reilly Smith earned his first career hat trick in the game. With his goal and seven assists on the weekend, senior Carter Camper has already put up numbers in six games that many guys don’t see all season: 7-10–17. He’s leading the nation in points per game (2.83).
Michigan State is another team that made a league statement, of sorts. The No. 16 Spartans took four points from the No. 9 Nanooks with Friday’s 1-1 tie and solid, no-doubt-about-it 4-1 win Saturday. Friday’s game was pretty dull, but the shootout added drama that no one expected when Dean Chelios’ goal was waved off because referee Keith Sergott thought Chelios’ forward motion had stopped.
Whatever. Three Spartan defensemen scored in the win, as MSU continues to spread the offensive love around. Eight different Spartans have contributed to MSU’s 12 goals this season, with no one guy having scored more than two total in four games so far.
Western Michigan is now undefeated in five games (4-0-1) with the Broncos’ win and tie against St. Lawrence. In five overall games, sophomore Nick Pisellini has a 1.56 GAA and .938 SV%, third and eighth in the country, respectively. Greg Squires had the game-tying goal in Saturday’s 3-3 contest.
Then there’s Notre Dame and Calle Ridderwall. Ridderwall’s two second-period goals Saturday were all the Irish needed to beat visiting No. 1 Boston College, 2-1. I was optimistic in my call of a 3-2 Irish win. I’m just greedy that way.
Surviving
No. 4 Michigan split a home series with No. 10 Nebraska-Omaha, losing 4-2 Friday before a satisfying 6-1 win Saturday. The Wolverines were down 4-0 after two in the loss, until Kevin Lynch and David Wohlberg scored a minute apart late in the third. Coach Red Berenson said that it was a “tough” start and that the Wolverines were “out of synch” in the early going.
Wohlberg’s goal gave UM a 1-0 lead after one Saturday before the Wolverines exploded for three unanswered to make it 4-0 by 10:00 in the second. Scooter Vaughan had two goals in the game.
Taking nothing away from Shawn Hunwick, it was nice to see Bryan Hogan get the win Saturday with 35 saves.
After the game, UNO head coach Dean Blais said of the Wolverines, “There wasn’t one position on the ice where they weren’t better than us tonight.”
I’d hate to be a Maverick in practice this week.
Add Bowling Green to the survivors’ camp with its sweep of visiting Alabama-Huntsville. The Falcons had a 4-1 lead early in the second period of Friday’s 5-4 overtime win before the Chargers scored three to tie it. Sophomore Ryan Peltoma’s first career goal won it for BGSU at the 31-second mark in OT.
Saturday’s 4-2 win saw a three-goal spirt from the Falcons in the third. Nick Eno had the nets Friday, Andrew Hammond Saturday.
“It just felt like it was our time for the pucks to go in,” said head coach Chris Bergeron.
The Falcons didn’t have a five-goal game last season, had one in 2008-2009 (an 8-5 loss to OSU) and haven’t scored nine goals in a regulation weekend since two games against Wayne State Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2007.
Stayin’ Aliving
The Lakers earned their first wins of the season with two one-goal games over Colgate on the road. In Saturday’s 5-4 decision, freshman Dan Radke’s first collegiate goal was the game-winner with 14 seconds left in regulation.
And look who’s decided to show a little backbone. The Buckeyes gutted out a 5-3 win Saturday, coming from behind with three third-period goals, to split on the road against Ferris State.
It’s OSU’s second win of the season, and it’s no surprise that Sergio Somma was in the mix, as he appears to be the beating heart of that team. Somma had the tying goal and assisted on John Albert’s empty-netter. Albert also had the game-winner.
