The unbeaten streak in old Goggin Ice Arena now stands at 14 games after the Miami RedHawks(4-0-0, 2-0-0 CCHA) wrapped up a series sweep of Notre Dame (0-3-1, 0-2-0) on Saturday night with a 5-0 victory. Its first shutout of the 2004-05 season, the Red and White netted three power-play goals and outshot the Irish, 43-23, to win its fourth game in a row.
In all four games this season Miami has scored first and on this night in Goggin it was sophomore Matt Christie who got the puck sliding for the RedHawks. Christie gave the RedHawks a 1-0 advantage when he netted the first of three power-play markers at 2:57 in the first period.
The RedHawks tacked on three goals to their tally in the second period to break the game wide open and take a 4-0 lead over the visiting Irish. Two of the three goals were scored on the power play with junior Chris Michael netting the first at 7:09 in the frame and junior Taylor Hustead scoring the second at 13:41. Sandwiched in between Michael’s and Hustead’s goals was an even-strength marker by Guerin at 12:11.
Guerin’s team-leading fifth goal of the season, which at the time gave the Red and White a 3-0 lead, was a thing of beauty. All it took for Guerin to find the net was for Christie to win the draw in Notre Dame’s zone. Christie won the face-off with ease and Guerin darted in to take the puck. He quickly backhanded a shot over the near shoulder of Notre Dame goalie David Brown for the goal.
Miami put a final exclamation point on the game in the third period when junior Stephen Dennis found the back of the net from the blueline at 7:09. Dennis pinpointed his shot from the point just past the outstretched pad of Brown to give Miami the 5-0 win, as well as net his fourth career goal and first since his rookie season. The prime player involved in the play and solely responsible for finding Dennis at the point was Michael, who dug the puck out of the boards off the face-off and passed it to his classmate when he broke free from the crowded wall.
Sophomore Brandon Crawford-West continued his fine play between the pipes as he stopped all 23 shots he faced to record his fourth career whitewash. The second-year netminder is now 15-0-2 all-time in Goggin Ice Arena and through four games this season is ranked third nationally in save percentage (.960) and fifth in goals-against average (1.25).
The RedHawks, off to their first 4-0-0 start since 1997-98, play a home-and-home series next weekend with intrastate rival Ohio State. Miami is in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, Oct. 21, for a 7:05 p.m. game against the Buckeyes, and then returns home to Goggin Ice Arena the next night for a 7:35 p.m. face-off.
