One of Miami’s best efforts of 2023-24 came against North Dakota in Oxford.
The RedHawks led by two goals heading into the third period, but the Riese Gaber and Jackson Blake-led Fighting Hawks proved too strong, erasing their deficit in the final 20 minutes and winning in overtime despite Miami’s 60-plus minute fifth-gear battle.
North Dakota has lost just 8 of 43 meetings against the RedHawks, but Miami has played spoiler to UND multiple times in recent years, and the Fighting Hawks are banged up.
VFG takes a look at the upcoming series:
WHO: No. 16 North Dakota Fighting Hawks (7-7-1) at Miami RedHawks (3-11-2).
WHERE: Cady Arena (3,049), Oxford, Ohio.
WHEN: Friday and Saturday — 7:05 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: North Dakota leads, 31-8-4.
VIDEO STREAMING: NCHC.tv ($).
NORTH DAKOTA RADIO: KQHT-FM (96.1), Grand Forks, N.D.
MIAMI RADIO: Friday — WKBV-AM (1450), Richmond, Ind.; Saturday — WMOH-AM (1450), Hamilton, Ohio. Greg Waddell (PxP) and Drew Davis (color).
NOTES: If a roller coaster ride can be used to describe an inconsistency string, November was the Steel Vengeance of months for North Dakota.
The Fighting Hawks were swept, then swept themselves, got swept again, earned a sweep again and finished with an 0-1-1 weekend in a home-and-home set with Bemidji State.
Thus North Dakota enters this weekend at .500.
UND is allowing 2.80 goals per game, in the middle of the NCAA pack.
In net, graduate senior and Northeastern and Arizona State transfer T.J. Semptimphelter has logged over two-third of UND’s minutes in net and boasts a 2.69 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
In five appearances, sophomore Hobie Hedquist has a 2.22 GAA and a save percentage of .907.
Playing in front of the goalies, sophomore Jake Livanavage leads the team — three clear of the field — with 11 assists and is tied for tops on the Fighting Hawks with 12 points.
But other than Livanavage, only Abram Wiebe has been a significant points threat this far, going 2-6-8. Caleb MacDonald has two goals and two assists but was banged up last weekend.
Ben Zmolek and Columbus fourth-round pick Andrew Strathmann have been limited to nine games combined this season, but Strathmann did return last weekend.
Up front, freshman and Blackhawks first-round pick Sacha Boisvert leads the team with six goals — three on the power play — and is tied with Livanavage for the team lead in points (12).
Fifth-year senior Louis Jamernik has been the model of consistency and is 4-5-9, tied with Philadelphia selection Owen McLaughlin for second on the team in points.
Jayden Perron, a Carolina third-rounder, is 3-5-8 to start his sophomore campaign, and Jake Schmaltz (Washington) also has eight points to open his senior season.
Jackson Kunz (Vancouver) has five goals.
Cameron Berg (NY Islanders) went 4-4-8 in seven games but has not played since Nov. 9. He netted 20 goals for North Dakota last season.
The Fighting Hawks are deadly on the power play — their 27.9 percent clip is sixth-best in the NCAA — but their penalty killing is ranked 43rd (78.0 percent).
Miami has lost eight straight games and has been outscored, 23-3 in its last four.
The RedHawks’ last home win against UND was Nov. 11, 2018. Miami is 0-7-1 against North Dakota in Oxford since.
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