OXFORD, Ohio — For the first time since 1999, Miami will not participate in the postseason.
The RedHawks were swept by No. 6 Denver, 5-2 at Cady Arena on Saturday, clinching last place in the NCHC with a league record of 0-20 and just two conference points.
Miami extended its losing streak to 22 games and has not won a game since Oct. 26 vs. upstart Lindenwood.
“I think without a doubt there’s frustration and there’s want for more, and want to have success, but I’d bet if you came to practice on Monday and you watched how hard these guys go and the work they put in, you would never guess that it’s a team on a losing streak, and we don’t talk about it,” Miami coach Anthony Noreen said. “We need to get better.”
Arizona State became the NCHC’s ninth member this season, and only eight teams qualify for the conference tournament.
Miami heads to Duluth for its final road series of 2024-25 next weekend before returning home to wrap up its season against Western Michigan.
RECAP: Carter King and Kieran Cebrian scored in the first period to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead, and Miami had a goal waved off because the whistle had sounded before the RedHawks’ Raimonds Vitolins swatted a loose puck into the net.
Miami (3-25-2) cut the deficit to one 5:33 into the middle frame on a Hampus Rydqvist wraparound on a 4-on-4.
Denver (23-8-1) made it 3-1 with 1:27 left in the period on a Zeev Buium blast from the high slot that found the corner of the net.
Forty-seven seconds later, the RedHawks’ Conner Hutchison fired a bad-angle shot that snuck through the pads of DU goalie Freddie Halyk, again making it a one-goal game.
But Jake Fisher scored for the Pioneers to give them a 4-2 lead with 9:30 remaining, and Aidan Thompson sealed it with an empty netter in the closing minutes.
STATS: It was the second goal of the season for both defenseman scorers Rydqvist and Hutchison.
Rydqvist’s other goal this season came against RPI on Nov. 1, and Hutchison scored in his RedHawks’ debut opening night at Ferris State.
It was the 14th marker of Rydqvist’s career, and Hutchinson’s ninth.
Johnny Waldron picked up an assist, extending his points streak to three games (0-4-4), and blueliner Michael Quinn picked up a helper for the second straight contest.
Vitolins earned an assist for his first point since Jan. 10 at, of all teams, Denver. Blake Mesenburg also recorded a point, the junior’s seventh of the season, more than he had his first two seasons combined.
— That’s 18 straight periods with a goal allowed for Miami. Denver finishes the season with exactly two goals in nine of its 12 periods vs. the RedHawks.
— Miami has scored 10 goals in its last seven games, and only three have come from forwards. Vitolins has one, Colby Ambrosio the other two.
Defensemen have potted the other seven (Dylan Moulton 3, Hutchison, Rydqvist, Rihards Simanovics and Spencer Cox one apiece).
ANALYSIS: The last 40 minutes were some of the best hockey Miami has played this season.
The RedHawks defended the almost undefendable defending national champions extremely well (how about that for a tongue twister?), got some key saves and stayed out of the penalty box.
They were also able to cycle in the offensive zone at a decent clip, something this team has not been able to do regularly enough.
Obviously it didn’t work out on the scoreboard against one of the best teams in Division I, but Miami’s effort Saturday becomes the standard rather than the exception, the wins will come, even against quality teams like DU.
— On the Vitolins no-goal: Denver was leading, 1-0 midway through the first period. Miami fired a shot from the left wing that was stopped by Halyk, but the puck squirted through his pads and was punched in by Vitolins.
The goal was waved off. Coach Anthony Noreen wasn’t happy (his reaction at the six-minute mark of his postgame presser is must-see tee vee) and had this to say about the call after the game:
“They changed that rule this summer, where they can call that a goal,” Noreen said. “We felt like that was a continuation, we felt like that puck hit the goalie, fell behind, would up in the back of the net. The explanation there was that, hey, he thought the goalie had full possession, he blew the whistle, then it came loose, then it went behind (him), so he felt it wouldn’t fall under that (rule). And I give him credit for being honest and just saying I kind of screwed that (up)…it’s my fault, and refs are human too.”
Noreen was also upset with the officials at the end of the second period over the clock continuing to run after the Hutchison goal, which most fans, players and even officials didn’t see enter the net.
“No one knew the puck was in the net, so the clock was running down for — about six seconds ran off the clock, so we just asked them if they could put time back on the clock, or maybe check with the score clock,” Noreen said. “They didn’t want to do that.”
LINEUP CHANGES: Just two: One up front and one on defense.
Max Dukovac was back in the lineup after missing the last two games, and he was quite effective. Frankie Carogioiello was scratched for just the second time this season.
On defense, Zane Demsey replaced Michael Feenstra in a swap of Dubuque graduates. Feenstra had played in three straight games, and Demsey sat for the sixth time in 2024-25 on Friday.
Freshman Ethan Dahlmeir was in net for the third straight game.
Teodor Forssander initially played on the top line but was limited to 3:08 TOI and did not take a shift after the first period. It’s unclear if he was injured during the game.
STANDINGS: Miami clinched last place in the NCHC.
The RedHawks are 0-20 in the conference with just two points for advancing to overtime. Eighth-place St. Cloud State has 18 points, and both teams have four games remaining this season.
So Miami trails SCSU by 16 points and only 12 points are available in four games.
With the addition of Arizona State this season, the ninth NCHC team, the league ultimately decided that the last-place team would not qualify for the conference tournament.
The last time Miami did not qualify for the postseason was in 1999, when the CCHA only took the top eight out of 11. The RedHawks finished ninth in the league.
The RedHawks are still tied for 62nd out of 64 in the PairWise, but now they are even with Northern Michigan, which is 5-26-1.
Mercyhurst remains dead last.
GRADES
FORWARDS: C. No goals from this corps and three assists, but this was still a solid effort by this group. Once again, the standout in terms of effort was John Emmons, whose unrelenting forechecking led to much of the sustained offensive zone time Miami enjoyed.
Noreen talked about Emmons:
“He’s the type of story that you love in coaching,” Noreen said. “And this is no knock on him, but (he) was way down our depth chart to start the season. Didn’t play many games, didn’t get many reps, didn’t get many opportunities. I talked before about pushing through hard things and no matter what comes your way, having the right reaction, and that’s a kid that kept showing up, did everything we asked, keeps his mouth shut and just works and grinds. No surprise, he’s found himself moving up, and up, and up our lineup, and more and more and more minutes. Good for that kid, it’s a pretty cool story, where that kid came from and the type of student-athlete that he is, he’s the type of guy that makes you love coaching, I can tell you that.”
DEFENSEMEN: C+. Tough call here because a couple of Denver goals may have been on missed assignments by this corps, but the Pioneers are also special in terms of pinpointing shots. Hutchison played one of his best games of the season, not even counting the goal. Moulton has seemed to find another level down the final stretch of his NCAA career. It’s still unclear why Demsey has been buried on the depth chart, as he was solid as usual in his own end in limited ice time.
GOALTENDING: C. King’s goal was his 16th of the season. Thompson netted No. 17. Buium is arguably the best player in college hockey who may rival Cale Makar in terms of best points-producing NHL defenseman in two years. Dahlmeir got beaten by NHL-caliber guys and didn’t allow a soft goal. He also made several key saves to keep Miami in the game. Quality effort against a brutally-good team.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The final two weeks are a 2025-26 audition.
For the seniors, it’s an audition for the pros.
Everyone with NCAA eligibility must make the case they should remain on the team this fall.
Players already planning on a D-1 career elsewhere next season need to prove to future suitors they haven’t mailed it in despite their current team’s unprecidented four-month losing streak.
The standings may not ultimately matter for Miami the next two weeks, but there’s a ton on the line for the 29 players currently donning the ‘M’ on the front of their sweaters.
“We’re going to play until the end and we’re going to coach these guys as though we are right in the mix until the very last day of the season,” Noreen said. “Then we’re going assess everything and we’re going to move from there, but we are going to give this thing the best possible push we have the last two weeks.”
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