OXFORD, Ohio — Six minutes in, it looked like this might be the night Miami finally earned its first win in nearly three months.
But in a 75-second window late in the first period, Omaha dashed those hopes, scoring two its four consecutive goals en route to a 4-1 win over the RedHawks at Cady Arena.
Miami’s losing streak has reached 13 games, tied for the second-longest skid in program history, and the RedHawks have dropped 18 straight NCHC contests.
These teams wrap up their weekend and season series at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday.
RECAP: Miami took the lead at the 6:13 mark of the first period when a Michael Quinn wrist shot from the blue line deflected off teammate Casper Nassen’s skate in the slot and slid just inside the far post.
But Omaha tied it with 4:42 left in the opening frame on the power play, as Griffin Ludtke sent a cross-ice pass through the high slot, which Charlie Lurie corralled and whipped past Miami goalie Bruno Bruveris.
Just 1:15 later, the Mavericks’ Joe Gramer threw a puck at the net from the end boards that caromed off Bruveris’ pads and kicked out to a wide-open Liam Watkins, who buried a shot top shelf from the right faceoff dot to give UNO the lead.
It remained a 2-1 game until Omaha’s Harrison Israels intercepted a pass at the offensive blue line, skated into the shot and rifled a shot home with 1:07 left in the second period.
With 11:13 remaining in regulation, the Mavericks’ Dylan Gratton picked off a clearing attempt, skated into the corner and ricocheted a puck off Bruveris’ back to seal it.
STATS: Nassen scored for the second straight game, tying him with Matt Choupani for the team lead with five.
Amazingly, it was just the third time this season a RedHawk scored in consecutive contests this season — Blake Mesenburg did it to open the season at Ferris State and Johnny Waldron scored in both ends of the North Dakota series last month.
Quinn picked up the primary assist, giving him four points in four games.
Max Dukovac, playing in his first game since Nov. 15 due to a lower-body injury, earned the secondary helper.
— Miami outshot UNO, 26-21, the first time the RedHawks have bested a team in SOG in 10 games.
But…
— Yeah, the losing streak. Miami’s is now at 13, tied for the second-most consecutive games in program history with a six-week stint in the fall of 1983.
The RedHawks’ all-time record is 16 straight losses in 1990-91.
— Miami has allowed four or more goals in six straight games, averaging 5.20 goals against in that span. Not coincidentally, MU’s penalty kill is 56.0 percent in those tilts.
— Opponents have also scored in eight straight periods vs. the RedHawks.
ANALYIS: Not a ton of new information.
Miami played hard. In terms of level of play, this game would rank in the top five this season overall.
But once again, the margin for error for the RedHawks, who are outmanned every night, is extremely thin, and the better team won.
— The second period was pivotal. Trailing by one after 20 minutes, Miami controlled the puck for much of the frame and had the majority of the scoring chances (official shots for the period were 9-7 Miami), but Omaha survived the RedHawks’ surge and notched a goal before intermission to take all of the momentum as well as a two-goal lead into the locker room.
“For us, you feel like you’re right there, and honestly right there throughout,” Noreen said in the postgame presser. “You’ve just got to find a way to break through”.
More on his postgame comments in the forwards’ grades portion.
— Miami’s sustained puck possession was possibly its best of the Noreen era.
The RedHawks held the puck in the offensive zone for 30-plus seconds at least five times in the second period (but unfortunately not during their stagnant power play). Puck possession has been one of Noreen’s key emphasis points.
— Miami’s effort the final few minutes — with a 4-1 deficit seeming like 91-7 in football terms for this team — was exceptional.
Choupani and Quinn teamed up for a 2-on-0 with 2:30 left, but UNO all-world goalie Simon Latkoczy made a spectacular glove save.
And the RedHawks continued to attack the net in the final minute as if they were only down one. Very impressed.
— Defenseman Nick Donato took a defensive-zone faceoff to start a penalty kill and won the draw out of the zone.
— Still too many skaters trying to carry the puck 1-on-3 through NCHC defenders.
LINEUP CHANGES (and injury updates): Up front, Dukovac and Teodor Forssander replaced Artur Turansky and Tanyon Bajzer.
Donato dressed in place of Hampus Rydqvist at right defense.
Dukovac returned and appeared nearly 100 percent. He had missed two months after a knee-to-knee collision in November, and his return is definitely welcomed.
Ethan Dahlmeir was listed as the third goaltender on Miami’s line charts. He was injured against North Dakota on Dec. 6 (LBI) and has not played since.
D Michael Feenstra was hurt in the opener at Denver and did not return that weekend, but fortunately his injury supposedly isn’t serious.
Unfortunately, F William Hallen was walking around the rink in a boot and isn’t expected back anytime soon.
STANDINGS: Miami is now tied for 61st in the PairWise with Northern Michigan.
Only RIT and Mercyhurst are ranked lower in the all-important computer rankings system used to determine at large bids to the NCAA Tournament.
The RedHawks have one league point through 11 games, 12 clear of eighth-place Minn.-Duluth in the nine-team league.
GRADES
FORWARDS: D+. The only Miami goal was deflected in off Quinn’s stick. That said, it’s great to see Nassen starting to score again — he’s a 6-feet-4 freshman with huge upside. Dukovac was buzzing early and earned an assist. After the game, Noreen heaped praise on John Emmons, who was one of the RedHawks’ top forwards. This corps had numerous opportunities but couldn’t finish. Latkoczy had a lot to do with that. Noreen also called out the tripping penalty by Colby Ambrosio, which resulted in an UNO goal.
DEFENSEMEN: D+. Quinn seems much more confident than he did even a few games, and he’s starting to rack up the points. But typically-reliable Spencer Cox turned the puck over twice and got caught flat-footed in the slot. Rihards Simanovics appeared off his game, turning the puck over multiple times.
GOALTENDING: C. Bruveris absolutely robbed UNO on a one-time chance at the side of the net in the second period, the latest in a long set of highlight-reel saves he’s made this season. All of the first three UNO goals were heat-seeking missiles from in close, but he probably would’ve liked the fourth one back, which banked in off his pads from behind the net. Bruveris finished 17-for-21.
FINAL THOUGHTS: There’s really nothing groundbreaking to add after this result that wasn’t covered above or hasn’t been discussed at length the past 3 1/2 months.
Good effort, hard work until the final horn. Not enough to win, of course, but again, individual improvement is evident, which hasn’t necessarily been the case in previous seasons.
Quinn and Emmons are two of the latest examples of players making noticeable strides, the latest to take steps forward as Miami looks to rejoin the land of the competitive in Division I hockey.
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