Top Ranked Miami Edges No. 14 Notre Dame, 1-0

Top ranked Miami used a Joe Hartmann shorthanded goal and a 26 save performance from goaltender Cody Reichard to slip by No.14 Notre Dame, 1-0, on Friday night at Steve Cady Arena.

The win moved Miami to 10-2-5 overall and 7-1-3-1 in the CCHA. Notre Dame freshman goaltender Mike Johnson added 25 saves for the Irish, as they fell to 7-6-4 overall, 4-3-4-2 in the CCHA.

The first period got off to a fast start, as Notre Dame went on the power play early when Miami’s Steven Spinell was called for a hooking penalty at 1:35 of the period. The Irish threw three shots on net during the man advantage, as they tested Miami netminder Cody Reichard early.

Notre Dame continued to pressure the Miami net after the power play, and nearly scored the first goal of the contest after a shot from Irish junior winger Calle Ridderwall beat Reichard but the puck found the goal post to keep the game scoreless.

Miami had their first scoring chance of the period after back-to-back Notre Dame penalties gave the RedHawks a two-man advantage. Miami fired six shots on net, but saw them all turned away by Irish goalie Mike Johnson. The first period remained scoreless until the 18:42 mark, when Miami senior winger Tommy Wingels forced a turnover by Notre Dame on an Irish power play.

Wingels took the puck into the Notre Dame zone, and found a trailing Joe Hartmann, who put a one-time shot past Johnson to give the shorthanded RedHawks a 1-0 lead heading into the second.

Notre Dame started the second period off on a five minute power play after Miami captain Tommy Wingels was handed a game misconduct penalty for checking from behind at the end of the first. Miami, who scored a short-handed goal in the first period, had a great chance to double their tally a man-down early during the five minute major when RedHawk junior Carter Camper earned a penalty shot after being tripped by a Notre Dame defender on a breakaway.

Camper’s backhand try on the penalty shot was turned away on a great save by Irish goalie Mike Johnson to keep the Miami lead at 1-0.

The Irish went on their third power play of the second period at 15:39, but were unable to put a puck past Miami netminder Cody Reichard, although putting four shots on goal. The Irish forced Reichard to make eight saves during the second period, including a great glove save with under a minute to go on Notre Dame’s Riley Sheahan on a breakaway.

Irish goalie Mike Johnson stopped six RedHawk shots in the second, including Camper’s penalty shot.

Both goalies picked up in the third period where they left off in the second, as Reichard and Johnson each made key saves early. Reichard turned away three early Irish chances, which included an Irish short-handed 2-on-1. Johnson stopped two point blank RedHawk shots to keep the Miami lead at one.

“Mike played really well in goal for us tonight,” said Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson. “He made some great saves and kept us in the game. It’s unfortunate we get that kind of effort and we can’t score for him. We had some chances and we just didn’t finish,” added Jackson.

With the Miami lead still 1-0 with a minute left to go in the third, Notre Dame pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. The Irish managed two shots on net, but were unable to put the puck in the Miami goal.

After giving up three power play goals last weekend in games against Bemidji State and North Dakota, Miami held the Irish scoreless on their man advantage opportunities (0-13).

“The difference for us was on the penalty kill tonight,” said Miami head coach Enrico Blasi.

“We blocked shots and got pucks out of our zone more often,” he continued. “We let up three power play goals last weekend so a big thing for us tonight on the penalty kill was to get down in front of their shots and stop them from getting good looks at the goal.”

The two teams square off again tomorrow night in Oxford at 7:05 p.m.