The Goggin Ice Arena streak now stands at 13 straight since Miami (3-0-0, 1-0-0 CCHA) last lost in the friendly confines after the RedHawks netted two third-period goals on Friday night to defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 4-2. The Red and White capitalized on 3-of-8 power plays in a penalty-filled contest that had a total of 34 penalties whistled.
Same as its first two games of the 2004-05 season, Miami opened the scoring when junior Chris Michael found the back of the net at 10:41 on the power play to give his team a 1-0 lead. His first goal of the season was created when junior Andy Greene passed him the puck from the blueline to his position outside of the crease. Also assisting on the RedHawks’ seventh power-play goal of the season was sophomore Marty Guerin.
Notre Dame (0-2-1, 0-1-0) evened the game, 1-1, at 12:10 in the first period on a putback off a shot from the blueline. Left wing Tim Wallace gathered in the rebound on the right post for his first goal of the season after Chris Trick’s initial shot was saved by sophomore netminder Brandon Crawford-West.
In the second period the RedHawks regained the lead, 2-1, when senior Todd Grant netted Miami’s second power-play marker at 15:15. Grant connected on a one-timer from just above the faceoff circle on a cross-ice pass from freshman Matt Christie. Recording his second assist of the contest on Grant’s goal was Guerin.
A little under two minutes later Notre Dame tied the game once again, 2-2, when it capitalized on a long 5-on-3 power play. Scoring the power-play goal for the Irish and ending Miami’s streak of 24 opposition power plays without a goal was Josh Sciba at 17:09 in the frame. Sciba waited patiently for the puck to work its way around to him on the right post for his second marker of the season.
Christie pounded home a rebound at 11:15 in the third period to give the RedHawks their third lead of the game, 3-2, on a 5-on-3 power play. Both Michael and Greene had good scoring chances, only to be thwarted by Notre Dame goalie Morgan Cey, before the puck finally came to Christie just outside the crease.
With an empty net and on the power play, Notre Dame played for 34 seconds on a 6-on-4 man advantage. Guerin had different ideas in mind for the RedHawks as he poured in an insurance goal at 19:13 into the empty net to give Miami the final score of 4-2.
Crawford-West, who was named the Defensive Player of the Game, turned aside 32 Notre Dame shots in his third victory of the season and 14th in Goggin Ice Arena. The sophomore goalie is now 14-0-2 lifetime in his home arena.
The RedHawks, off to their first 3-0-0 start since 2002-03, finish of the weekend set against the Irish on Saturday in Goggin Ice Arena.
