OXFORD, Ohio — Last season, Miami finished with seven NCHC points and one conference win, all-time low-water marks in the 12-year-old league.
But the RedHawks ended 2024-25 with an 0-23-1 NCHC record and just four points after falling to No. 4 Western Michigan, 5-2 at Cady Arena on Saturday.
After starting the season 3-3-2, Miami was winless in its final 26 games (0-25-1), its worst-ever record in program history, both in winning percentage (.132) and victories (3).
RECAP: Miami (3-28-3) took the lead 2:58 into the game on the power play when Casper Nassen fired a one-time pass through the slot to Max Dukovac, who buried it short side from the right faceoff dot.
Western Michigan (26-7-1) answered with 5:34 left in the opening frame on the man advantage, as Grant Slukynsky hammered a one-timer from the top of the right faceoff circle past Miami goalie Brett Miller.
Three minutes into the second period, Miami’s Raimonds Vitolins hit the post on a breakaway, but the rink lighting crew thought it was a goal and dimmed the lights. Meanwhile, Vitolins retrieved the puck and dropped a pass to Matt Choupani, who buried a shot from the slot, but it was waved off because the lights had been dimmed.
Six minutes later, Slukynsky found the net again when he whipped a shot past Miller from the top of the left faceoff circle, giving WMU a 2-1 lead.
Zach Nehring scored two minutes later to extend the Broncos’ lead, and Ty Henricks netted a goal with 29 seconds left in the middle stanza to make it 4-1.
Then Cam Knuble pushed the WMU lead to four with 7:50 left in regulation.
Miami capped the scoring 46 seconds later, as Johnny Waldron fed Choupani at the left side of the net, and Choupani poked the puck through the pads of goalie Hampton Slukynsky.
STATS: Dukovac finished the season with three goals in the final four games, giving him five on the season and tying him for sixth in scoring with 10 points despite missing nine games due to injury.
Choupani tied for second on the RedHawks in goals (6) and ended the season third in points (16).
Waldron notched his team-leading 16th assist and Colby Ambrosio recorded No. 13, as the pair tied for the RedHawks’ points lead with 20 apiece.
Nassen earned his fourth assist and 10th point with his feed to Dukovac on the first goal, and Zane Demsey tallied his second helper of the season and the 10th career point for the shut-down defenseman.
— The RedHawks were 2-for-5 on the power play this weekend and 6 of 7 on penalty kills for a net plus-1. Western Michigan did score on a 4-on-4 Saturday.
— Miami finished dead last in the NCAA in shots per game at 22.1, almost two SOG clear of Alaska-Anchorage, against whom the RedHawks earned two of their three victories this season.
— MU was outscored, 10-1 in the second period for the weekend.
ANALYSIS: We’ve been at Senior Night for two decades, and this one felt more emotional than most.
Long-time starters teared up when discussing their careers earlier this week.
Fifth-year Pod Squad member Hampus Rydqvist became visibly emotional as he headed into the tunnel for the last time and was ultimately met with a hug by fellow countryman William Hallen.
The last two Miami players on the ice after team handshakes and stick-taps were one-year graduate seniors Ambrosio and Choupani, who stood hunched over on the ice, leaning over the Miami bench for several moments after everyone else had departed for their respective locker rooms.
“This school has meant the world to me, especially this team and this program — I’m grateful for my time here,” captain Ryan Sullivan said. “Everything about what we’ve gone through this year has been tough, but I think the lesson that I can carry the rest of my life, and these guys can too… things are easy when they go well but you can test your character every day when (they’re) not.”
True to form, Sullivan blocked a team-best five shots, including one in the closing moments with the outcome already decided. Sullivan already was playing with two fingers taped together on his shooting hand and never missed a game this season.
— Lightgate was a pivotal moment, as Miami would’ve taken a 2-1 lead at that point in the second period had the goal been allowed. Instead, Western Michigan ran off the next three and took a 4-1 edge into the locker room after 40 minutes.
— John Emmons deserves much of the credit for the first Miami goal, as he worked as he drew a penalty while working at his typical 200 percent level, and Dukovac scored on the ensuing power play.
Plenty more to discuss in the upcoming days, weeks and months.
LINEUP CHANGES: Just Miller starting in net over Bruno Bruveris.
STANDINGS: Miami finished 3-28-3 and 0-23-1 in the NCHC with just four league points, 19 clear of the conference field.
The RedHawks remain tied with Northern Michigan for 62nd out of 64 in the PairWise rankings ahead of only Mercyhurst.
GRADES
FORWARDS: C+. Great effort for this group and nice goals by Dukovac — who has been one of the best Miami forwards the past couple of weeks — and Choupani, who was denied a second goal because of the lighting malfunction. Still, just 10 shots for 12 forwards and Dukovac and Frankie Carogioiello finished with more than one SOG, ending the night with two apiece. As mentioned above, a team-best five blocked shots for Sullivan, a stat typically dominated by…
DEFENSEMEN: C. Definitely a couple of costly breakdowns but a quality game overall by the blueline corps against a ridiculously deep Broncos team. Demsey picked up an assist and Rydqvist notched four blocks in the collegiate finale.
GOALTENDING: C. Miller probably would’ve liked two goals against back, but he made some key saves as well. As someone who entered the season ad Miami’s third goalie, Miller was invaluable to the RedHawks in his final season, complementing MU’s two young goalies and acting as a stabilizing entity when on occasion both Bruveris and freshman Ethan Dahlmeir were seemingly overwhelmed by the constant pelting of Grade-A scoring chances.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Paraphrasing here (and editing out an expletive or two), but a Miami parent said before the game that in a couple of years when this team has reversed its losing trajectory, no one is going to remember what the RedHawks’ record was in 2024-25.
It was definitely worse than we could’ve imagined, especially after the four-game unbeaten streak to start the season, but ultimately what matters is how the program responds in 2025-26 and beyond.
Despite the abysmal record, it truly felt like Miami hockey was in a truly better place the past couple of weeks than it was before Christmas break.
“I like the buy-in more from everyone,” Sullivan said. “We’re playing a hard brand of hockey that is culture-based, and everyone has bought into each other. Granted the record doesn’t show it, but I’m proud of the effort we’re laying out for each other, and that’s what’s going to build for this program moving forward.”
View From the Glass 