These teams had never met prior to last season, but both games of the series they played last New Year’s weekend in Oxford left fans hoping this would be a permanent matchup.
Miami scored three times in the third period to carve out a 5-3 win in the opener, and Niagara rallied to beat the RedHawks in the finale, scoring the decisive goal with 20 seconds left in regulation.
VFTG takes a look at the upcoming series:
WHO: Miami University RedHawks (5-10-1) at Niagara University Purple Eagles (6-10-1).
WHERE: Dwyer Arena (2,100), Lewiston, N.Y.
WHEN: Friday — 7 p.m.; Saturday — 5 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Tied, 1-1.
MIAMI RADIO: Saturday — WKBV-AM (1490), Richmond, Ind.
STREAMING: Flohockey.com ($).
NOTES: The college hockey season is nearly three months old, and Niagara is hosting just its second home series.
The Purple Eagles played 12 of their first 17 games away from Dwyer Arena and haven’t taken advantage of their few in-town contests, going 2-2-1 in their own building.
Niagara is averaging just 2.41 goals, and the Purple Eagles have been held to just seven tallies in their last five games (1.40).
Of its 41 goals to this point, four forwards are tied for the team lead with five apiece — Carter Randklev, Jay Ahearn, Luke Mylymok and Tyler Wallace.
With 12 points each, Randklev and Ahearn are knotted atop the team’s points leaderboard.
Leading Niagara in assists and defenseman points (11) is Alex Murray, who transferred from Miami after last season.
Murray recorded three points in 25 games over two campaigns with the RedHawks.
Noah Carlin, Josef Mysak and David Posma are also solid defenders on the NU blueline.
Freshman Jarrett Fiske and America International transfer Ryan Oullette have split time in net and boast nearly identical numbers.
Fiske is 5-4 with a 2.68 goals-against average and a save percent of .900. Ouellette has been a hard-luck loser at 1-6-1 but has a better save percentage of .904 and a comporable 2.75 GAA.
Four games under .500 heading its final series of 2023 has to be considered a disappointment for Niagara, considering last season head coach Jason Lammers led NU to its first winning record since 2012-13.
Of course we’d be remiss to write a series preview and not mention that Albin Nilsson scored the game-winner in the final seconds of Game 2 last New Year’s Eve when these teams met.
Nilsson transferred to Miami last off-season but has missed the entire first half of the season with a knee injury and is not expected to play this weekend.
In Game 1, since-departed Brian Silver netted the game-winner for Miami with 8:18 left in the third period, putting the RedHawks ahead, 4-3. Matthew Barbolini added an empty netter.
In the finale, Miami rallied from three down in the first period (with Joey Cassetti scoring with two seconds left in that frame) and tied the score at four on an Artur Turansky goal, but Nilsson upstaged the crowd with his late GWG.
Both teams are coming off a three-week layoff. Niagara has dropped three straight and the RedHawks have one win in their last 11 (1-8-2).
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