Miami Hawk Talk News

Miami Ice Hockey Ranked #1 in the Nation

After sweeping the University of Nebraska-Omaha this weekend by scores of 7-2 and 5-2, Miami Ice Hockey has jumped to the #1 ranking in both the new USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and the new uscho.com/CSTV poll. Miami now has a record of 6-0-0, which includes sweeps of then-#20 Vermont and then-#12 Ohio State.

Early in the season Miami has been led statistically by junior Justin Mercier (team leading six goals and a co-team leading eight points) and freshman Carter Camper (team leading five assists and a co-team leading eight points). Junior Jeff Zatkoff has been in net for five of Miami's six games, and sports a save percentage of .951 and a goals against average of 1.20. As a team, Miami is averaging 4.7 goals on 32 shots per game while allowing only 1.3 goals on 26 shots per game. Of note, Miami has remained undefeated even with preseason all-CCHA senior Nathan Davis out with an injury for all but a portion of the first game.

Miami hockey next plays this weekend when the RedHawks travel north to play Northern Michigan University. Prior to Thanksgiving, the RedHawks have key CCHA matchups at home versus Notre Dame and at Michigan State.

Congratulations to the Miami Ice Hockey team on achieving its #1 national ranking. Here's hoping this is the first of many honors for the RedHawks between now and April.

http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=PL_03_01_01&id=203764

http://www.uscho.com/rankings/?type=d1

Pictures from Alaska

Here’s something to keep you interested in the winter. The first set of pictures are from Jess Bechard, Miami Hockey SID. The current set is of the Frozen Six as captured from the Arctic Cam. To see different sets of images, click on the gallery icon in the lower left corner of the playback window.

Further pictures from the Frozen Six will be posted as they send them to us.

Nathan Davis Chat on CSTV.com

I just received the following from Elliot Olshansky, one of CSTV’s hockey editors. Enjoy!

Hello all,

CSTV.com is pleased to announce that Miami University forward Nathan Davis and University of North Dakota defenseman Brian Lee will be the guests for this week’s “Tuesday @ the Rink” chats, presented by CSTV.com and USCHO. The chats move back an hour starting this week, as Davis will join us at 1 p.m. ET and Lee will chat at 2 p.m. ET.

Davis, who leads the nation in points with 34 (14g, 20a), will lead the RedHawks against Ohio State in a home-and-home this weekend, with Saturday night’s game at Steve Cady Arena in Oxford being televised live on CSTV (8 p.m. ET). Lee, who leads North Dakota in defenseman scoring with 12 points (1g, 11a), will be in action when the Fighting Sioux host Wisconsin this weekend in a meeting between the defending WCHA and NCAA champions. Both chat rooms are open now, so fans can submit questions in advance.

Nathan Davis Chat: http://www.cstv.com/chat/120306aaa.html

Brian Lee Chat: http://www.cstv.com/chat/120106aaa.html

Thanks.
-Elliot Olshansky

Accolades Roll in for MIAMI Hockey

The season is over, but the honors keep rolling in for Miami’s CCHA champion hockey team. Earlier today, US College Hockey Online named Miami coach Enrico Blasi its coach of the year. USCHO also named Senior captain and Hobey Baker finalist Andy Greene to its first-team all-American squad and tabbed two other Miamians—sophomore defenseman Mitch Ganzak (third team) and senior defenseman Matt Davis (honorable mention)—for national honors. Inside College Hockey also named Greene to its first-team squad. Finally, Greene signed with the New Jersey Devils earlier today. He will report to the Devils immediately and remain on their active roster for the rest of the regular season.

Congratulations to Coach Blasi, Andy Greene, and the entire RedHawk hockey team on these well-earned honors!

Car! Miami Bows Out of NCAA Tourney

Miami ended a great hockey season on Friday night with a 5-0 loss to Boston College in hockey’s Sweet Sixteen. (We take some solace from knowing that BC blasted BU in the regional final to make the Frozen Four.) The season was full of milestones—a CCHA championship, a week at the top of all the major polls, and the last games at the old Goggin—but the last two weeks have served as a reminder that there is still some hill left to climb to establish Miami hockey as a consistent national program. We look forward to seeing the new Goggin open in the fall and to seeing Miami resume that climb to national prominance.

Game On!

The puck drops on the NCAA tourney in Worcester tonight, where your CCHA-champion Miami RedHawks take on East Coast power Boston College. Thanks to your help, you should hear the Miami pep band (and plenty of traditional Goggin cheers!) as you watch on ESPNU. Get your pre-game fix by reading and enjoying all of the coverage linked below.

Off to Worcester to Win the Beanpot

After falling in the CCHA title game to Michigan State last weekend, Miami hockey continues one of the best seasons in school history as the second-seed in the Worcester regional of the NCAA tournament, where the RedHawks will take on Boston College tomorrow night and, if form holds, move on to face Boston University. It’s not too late for you to join our effort to help send a little home-ice advantage up to New England in the form of the Miami pep band. As you get ready to settle down in front of ESPNU to watch the games, read up on what happened last weekend and what’s coming up.

(My apologies for not having an update sooner. The gnomes have been quite busy this week working on behind-the-scenes projects.)

Headin' to the Joe

As Miami’s CCHA-champion hockey team prepares for the league’s final four in Detroit, we’ve got you covered with previews. Click the headline to read and enjoy! (And check back for updates later.)

Closing Goggin in Style

Miami won its last regular-season game at Goggin Ice Arena on Saturday, a 5-4 victory over Bowling Green. With the win, your CCHA champion RedHawks finished the regular season 23-7-4 (20-6-2) and now await the winner of this weekend’s playoff series between Alaska-Fairbanks and Notre Dame. Click the headline for a roundup of recent coverage.

MIAMI Bandwagon Flats a Tire in East Lansing

Fresh off clinching the CCHA championship, the RedHawk icers struggled to generate any offense this weekend, dropping a pair of games at Michigan State. Here’s hoping the team takes this as a reminder of how difficult the “Road to the Joe” and beyond will be and that they get back on form as the regular season concludes. Click the headline for all this weekend’s coverage.