A major question mark for Miami entering 2021-22 was whether it could score enough.
Halfway through the season, the offense was been OK, but the RedHawks are hemorrhaging in the goals against department.
MU has given up 4.18 of them per game, the second-worst rate in the NCAA only to first-year D-1 program St. Thomas.
The RedHawks have allowed at least four goals in nine of their last 10 contests.
Miami is among the NCAA’s worst in average shots allowed (34.2) and way too many have been of the Grade-A variety.
The excessive number of quality shots against are largely due to poor defending and turnovers leading to high-percentage chances.
Hopes are that 6-feet-6 senior Bray Crowder can return to the blue line after missing the entire first half of the season with an upper-body injury.
Goaltending has only been decent. Even factoring in degree of difficulty, starter Ludvig Persson’s .883 save percentage is less than exceptional. Backup Logan Neaton is at .896.
And there’s the axiom about goalies needing to be the best penalty killers, and MU was just 75.0 percent on the PK.
The offense has been the good news: In their last five games, the RedHawks are averaging 4.2 goals, largely without injured Chase Gresock, who went 3-3-6 in his first nine games.
Miami returns to action with an exceedingly-rare three home-game slate.
Mercyhurst travels to Oxford for a 6:05 p.m. game on Tuesday to complete that home-and-home series.
The RedHawks also host Colorado College this weekend. Opening faceoff is at 7:05 p.m. and 5:05 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Miami is four games under .500 but already outmatched Mercyhurst in Erie, and the Tigers only have one league win as well.
View From the Glass 