BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Miami never trailed in Anthony Noreen’s coaching debut, but the RedHawks began the 2024-25 season with a tie.
Miami took the lead three different times, but Ferris State responded with a tying goal on each occasion as the teams skated to a 3-3 stalemate at Ewigleben Ice Arena on Friday.
No coach has won his first game behind the RedHawks’ bench since Steve Cady in MU’s first varsity game in 1978.
Unfortunately for Miami (0-0-1), it extended its winless streak to 17 games — the second-longest skid in team history and one short of the RedHawks’ all-time record.
RECAP: Miami took the lead late in the first period, as Conner Hutchison whipped a wrister from the top of the left faceoff circle that beat Ferris State goalie Noah West far post with 2.2 seconds left in the opening frame.
Ferris State (0-0-1) tied it just 24 seconds into the second period when Holden Doell took a pass at the offensive blue line, skated in alone and beat Miami goalie Bruno Bruveris.
Blake Mesenburg slammed home a loose puck at the right side of the net off a feed from Matt Choupani to put RedHawks back on top, 2-1 with 3:09 left in the middle stanza.
The Bulldogs tied it for the second time on a Cole Burtch shorthanded breakaway with 11:39 left in the final frame.
Miami took its third lead just 91 seconds later on the power play, with Christophe Fillion tipping home a cross-crease feed by Colby Ambrosio.
But Ferris State evened the score as Caiden Gault skated past the defense and beat Bruveris with 8:24 left in regulation.
Bruveris stopped nine shots in the extra session to preserve the tie.
STATS: What a debut for Hutchison.
The senior Sacred Heart transfer finished with a goal and two assists in his Miami debut, and his three points were the second-highest single-game total of his career (he went 0-4-4 vs. Mercyhurst two seasons ago).
Ambrosio ended the night with two assists in his first game with the RedHawks after recording 66 points in 138 games with Boston College.
Transfers Fillion and Choupani also picked up their first Miami points, with Fillion scoring and Choupani picking up a helper.
Mesenburg’s goal was the sixth of his career, and Johnny Waldron earned an assist, giving him exactly one point in all three of his career games vs. Ferris State as well as one point in each of his season debuts (he missed the first four games of his freshman season but scored at Canisius his inaugural game of 2022-23).
— Noreen joins Enrico Blasi and George Gwozdecky as coaches that tied in their first game behind the Miami bench.
ANALYSIS: Apologies for addressing what has become The Streak in the first few paragraphs, but it would fall under the remiss category if we buried the lede/lead.
That said, this effort on Night 1 of the Noreen era should’ve made his team proud.
Everyone busted it from opening faceoff to final whistle.
There were definitely mistakes, but it’s early October and many of these players have never skated with each other, and no one has played a varsity game in nearly seven months.
We’re going to cut this short because of the late start time and the turnaround tomorrow, but while the ultimate outcome isn’t what Miami Nation would’ve liked, the effort was definitely there and if sustained that should lead to wins.
— Overall, Miami was very good in the first period (better than the shots indicated), sloppy early in the second (after the goal FSU went on a 2-on-1), much better as that period evolved, a bit undisciplined in the third but still competitive and then were outplayed in overtime with Bruveris and luck keeping the score knotted at three.
— Granted it’s just one game, but Ambrosio is a talent Miami hasn’t seen the likes of since possibly Jack Roslovic. He was the best skater for either team, can stickhandle, can pass, can defend, all at a high level.
— Freshman Michael Quinn was effective and showed a ton of promise in limited minutes. Casper Nassen was the only other freshman to dress, and the Boston Bruins pick was a bit raw but is definitely promising.
— Frankie Carogioiello hadn’t played in nearly a year due to injury and nearly had to retire, but was a beast on the penalty kill and appeared better than ever, as he made two outstanding defensive plays to squelch FSU scoring chances.
— Bruveris didn’t fare well on the breakaways he faced, but otherwise he was spectacular.
— Unfortunately, Waldron was the victim of an elbowing penalty in the second period and missed most of the game. Hopefully his injury isn’t significant.
The penalty was called a minor, Miami challenged that it was indeed a hit to the head, the RedHawks lost the challenge and their timeout and Waldron played one shift after that and was done for the night.
STANDINGS: Miami entered play without a win in its last 16 games and Ferris State was winless in its final nine games of 2023-24.
Both teams saw their winless streaks extended.
LINEUP CHANGES: It’s the first game of the season, so the lineup obviously hasn’t changed, but Ambrosio, Choupani, Fillion and Hutchison made their first appearances for Miami, as did freshmen Nassen and Quinn.
FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s obviously just one game and it didn’t end up in the win column, but there was a lot to like from this group.
It was definitely a solid start from a team that has a fanbase hemorrhaging scar tissue.
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