After 4 1/2 years largely serving in a backup role, not to mention battling injuries, Logan Neaton earned his first career shutout.
Neaton turned aside all 20 shots he faced in Miami’s 2-0 win at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Sunday, snapping a seven-game losing streak and eight-game winless skid.
The graduate senior, who stopped 12 shots of those shots in the second period, notched his sixth collegiate win.
RECAP: With 8:51 left in the first period, John Waldron buried a shot off a quick tip pass by Max Dukovac to give Miami the lead.
Following a scoreless second period, the RedHawks’ Matthew Barbolini capped the scoring by blasting a shot past Mercyhurst goalie Owen Say for an unassisted goal with 4:52 remaining in regulation.
STATS: Behind Neaton, Miami (5-8-1) snapped a string of six straight games in which it had allowed at least four goals.
The RedHawks’ last clean slate came on Dec. 10, 2022 vs. St. Cloud State. Their last road shutout was Oct. 22, 2022.
Barbolini, who leads the team with eight goals, netted three in this series and is 4-2-6 in his last four games.
Waldron snapped an eight-game goal drought but is still 1-3-4 in Miami’s last six contests.
— Dukovac and William Hallen both were credited with assists. Dukovac has three points in five games and Hallen had not picked up a point in six contests.
— Blake Mesenburg went 10-0 on faceoffs after struggling on draws at times early this season.
— It was the third time this season Miami outshot an opponent, edging Mercyhurst, 31-20.
— The RedHawks finished 0-for-6 on the power play, slipping to 3 of 32 (9.4 percent) their last nine games. But Miami didn’t allow a goal on the man-advantage for the third straight game and is 12-for-13 (92.3 percent) in its last five.
— While Miami is 0-2 on home ice all-time vs. Mercyhurst (4-7-2), MU improved to 2-0 all-time in this building and is 3-0 vs. the Lakers in Erie (the RedHawks also blanked Mercyhurst in the 2018-19 Ice Breaker on the OHL Erie Otters’ home ice).
ANALYSIS: Neaton stopped 28 shots on Friday but let in a decisive overtime rip from the blueline, so the good news is that he quickly put that goal behind him two days later and stifled the Mercyhurst offense.
Another very positive stat for Miami was the 14-5 shots-on-goal margin in the third period, as the RedHawks not only held their slim lead, they extended it to seal the win.
Holding late leads has been MU kryptonite for a number of years.
LINEUP CHANGES: In addition to the same injury scratches, defenseman Axel Kumlin did not dress for the first time since hitting the ice in Game 5 last season.
Fellow D-man Dylan Moulton returned to the lineup in his place, as Miami again suited up eight blueliners.
FINAL THOUGHTS: A sweep obviously would’ve been optimal here, but unburdening itself from its mounting losing streak with a road shutout has to provide Miami a huge momentum burst.
Following this much-needed win, the RedHawks are off next week before returning to the gruel of the NCHC schedule, with a Duluth team that has just three wins this season and an 0-4 league record coming in Dec. 8-9.
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