OXFORD, Ohio — More than any other sport, hockey is about capitalizing on the chances your team is given. It’s likely that any member of the Miami Redhawks would agree with that statement after the evening’s performance – both shots taken on the power play by the Redhawks resulted in goals, while the visiting Cornell Big Red’s four power plays and 10 shots on goal during man-advantage play proved futile.
So, too, did the trip to the Goggin Ice Center Friday; No. 5-ranked Cornell (9-2-0) suffered its second loss of the season, 2-1, while the win moves the Redhawks (7-6-2) into winning territory for the first time this season.
“We didn’t really get the start we wanted,” Miami forward Gordie Green said. “Playing the No. 5 team at home, going down early and they’re taking it to us. We just stuck with our game plan.”
It was the Big Red, however, who were the ones to get things started in their third road game of the season. Roughly four minutes into the opening frame, Alex Rauter waded down to the top of the circles from the point and beat a screened Ryan Larkin clean on the glove side. From that moment on the period belonged to the Big Red, who controlled play in the Redhawk zone seemingly at will at even strength. They explored the offensive zone on the man-advantage, too, when Grant Hutton was issued a game misconduct for hitting from behind at the 6:33 mark of the first period – a big blow to the Redhawks, who had enjoyed the junior’s NCAA-leading six power play markers thus far this season. That loss mattered little to the Redhawks’ Casey Gilling, who tickled twine in the closing minutes of the opening frame with a well-placed, power play wrist shot to tie the game at one.
“After that five-minute kill, we kind of got the momentum,” Green explained. “Our [penalty kill] played great all night.”
With nowhere to hide on a depth chart devoid of Hutton, the young Miami defensive corps answered the call as they funneled high-percentage looks wide and sacrificed bodies in shooting lanes; 19 blocked shots by the home team were bolstered by Larkin’s 29-save effort.
“Any time you play good teams, you’ve got to block shots,” Miami head coach Enrico Blasi explained. “When we did give them opportunities, Larkin was big in net. It was just one of those games you’ve got to find a way to win.”
And finding a way to win was exactly what Gordie Green had in mind as he stepped onto the ice for his last shift of the second period. The sophomore pinched in on the blueline to disrupt a Cornell clear on Miami’s second power play and was able to swipe the puck, walk down the left circle and beat Matthew Galajda with a glove-side look. Two goals on 10 shots was enough to chase Galajda from the net in favor of Hayden Stewart, but the goaltender switch yielded little more than a frenetic last few minutes of renewed offensive effort from the Big Red.
“Right now, it’s a struggle for [Galajda] tonight,” Cornell head coach Mike Schafer said. “He’s been so good for us early in the year, which is why our penalty kill was so hot. He’ll bounce back; he’s a good goaltender. And our guys will bounce back. We’ve got a lot of pride.”
Cornell will attempt to escape its first-ever trip to Oxford, Ohio with its pride intact following the conclusion to the weekend series on Saturday evening. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
St. Cloud State – 7, Omaha – 4
Despite enjoying a 44-30 advantage in the shot count, the University of Omaha-Nebraska fell to St. Cloud State at home Friday night. Mikey Eyssimont and Jake Wahlin both enjoyed two-goal, three-point evenings for the Huskies, while Ryan Jones registered three assists for the Mavericks. All seven St. Cloud goals came at even strength. Omaha will attempt to even the series Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. at Baxter Arena.
Denver – 1, Minnesota-Duluth – 0
The action in Omaha might have been offensively-oriented, but the goaltenders ran the show Friday evening a few hundred miles north in Duluth. Tanner Jaillet recorded his first shutout of the year, turning 28 Bulldog shots away in the process to bring his save-percentage up to a .917 mark on the season. Hunter Shepard turned in a heroic, 25-save effort for the home team, but Logan O’Connor’s lone, second-period tally proved enough for the Pioneers to take the contest. Denver will attempt the series sweep on the road at AMSOIL Arena on Saturday.
Western Michigan – 3, North Dakota – 4
A six-on-three power play for the Broncos in the waning moments of the game wasn’t enough to force overtime at The Ralph. Austin Poganski opened the scoring for the Fighting Hawks with a pair of power play goals in the first period. Jordan Kowaguchi added a couple assists, as did Western Michigan’s Corey Schueneman. The second and final game of the weekend series will be played Saturday evening at 8:07.
