Miami’s projected starter entering last season was never granted eligibility, so Matteo Drobac seized the No. 1 job and started 35 of the RedHawks’ 36 games, posting a 2.69 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
Following a monster rookie season in Oxford, Drobac should be the favorite to again lead Miami in minutes between the pipes.
“Obviously it was a unique situation with Shika’s eligibility stuff,” Drobac said. “Luckily it kind of worked out last year, got some opportunity to play and showcase myself, so hopefully I can keep building on that this year and prove my play from last year as well.”
But MU brought in Calgary draftee Yegor Yegorov to challenge for ice time between the pipes after a strong season in Russia.
VFG takes a look at the RedHawks’ goalies in Part IV of its four-part preview series.
Links to the other three parts: Overview | Forwards | Defensemen
WHO’S BACK: Jrs. (1): Matteo Drobac; Sophs. (1): Benji Motew.
WHO’S GONE: Matis Langevin.
WHO’S NEW: Yegor Yegorov.
ANALYSIS: One of the RedHawks’ biggest questions entering 2026-27 is how they will divvy up ice time in net.
Drobac will likely and deservedly have the upper hand to start the season after winning 17 games in his Miami rookie season, tied for eighth-most in team history. And he seemed to get better as the season progressed, despite the RedHawks’ gauntlet NCHC schedule.
“Matteo was on most nights our best player last year,” Miami coach Anthony Noreen said. “There were times when we needed him to be. The biggest compliment I can give him is I felt like he gave us a chance every time he stepped foot into the net.”
Yegorov, a 2023 sixth-round Calgary draft pick, finished with a .918 save percentage with Moscow-based Spartak of the MHL last season.
At 6-feet, three-inches, Yegorov is super athletic and has adapted well to North America in his short time here.
Sophomore Benji Motew, who will likely start the season third on Miami’s goalie depth chart, has taken “unbelievable strides” this summer, according to Noreen. He did not play a minute last season despite the RedHawks being short a goalie until Christmas.
Drobac played one collegiate season at the University of Western Ontario prior to joining the RedHawks, and he was impressed he was the professionalism and the positional competitiveness at the Division I level.
“The way everything is handled and the way we’re treated here is (exceptional),” Drobac said. “Every day, you’re competing with the guys around you and you try to focus on getting better, so I think it’s really good in a competitive environment to be pushed by the people around you. I think the competitiveness and the professionalism at Miami is beneficial for all of the players.”
