OXFORD, Ohio — In 115 USHL games, shutdown defenseman Cal Huston scored just three goals.
The freshman netted his second of the season in just his sixth collegiate game, an overtime winner as Miami edged Alaska-Anchorage, 3-2 at Cady Arena on Saturday.
The RedHawks completed the series sweep and extended their winning streak to five games. They open conference play next weekend against St. Thomas as they wrap up their four-game homestand.
RECAP: After a scoreless first period, Miami (5-1) jumped ahead 5:20 into the middle stanza when Shaun McEwen whipped a wrister from the high slot that caromed off a body to teammate Layne Loomer, who one-timed it just inside the near crossbar from the right faceoff circle.
The RedHawks extended their lead 1:59 later, as Matous Kucharcik stole a puck along the half wall and batted it ahead to Matteo Giampa for a backhanded pass to a streaking Kocha Delic, who shoveled it top shelf from the top of the crease.
But with 4:36 left in that frame, Alaska-Anchorage’s J.P. Steele carried the puck through the neutral zone, creating a 2-on-1, and he ripped a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle over the shoulder of Miami goalie Matteo Drobac, far post to cut the deficit to one.
The Seawolves (1-7) tied the score on a 4-on-4 less than three minutes later, as Karter McNarland went in for a breakaway and beat Drobac five hole.
Neither team could break the tie in the third period, but just 20 seconds into overtime, Miami’s David Deputy stole the puck in the corner and centered a pass to Cal Huston, who fired it past goalie Joey Rocha, high to the stick side to win it.
STATS: Loomer’s goal was his first Division I point.
Huston has four points in six games, leading all RedHawks defensemen, and Delic netted his third goal of the season, second on the team only to Deputy.
Kucharcik picked up an assist, extending his points streak to five games. That’s the longest run by a Miami skater since Delic and Doug Grimes had streaks of nine and six games, respectively, ended on Nov. 15 of last season.
Deputy’s assist on the game winner was his seventh point of the season despite his missing the opening weekend.
Giampa picked up a helper for his eighth point. He and Deputy are tied for the team lead.
McEwen’s assist was his second of the season and his second in as many games.
Bradley Walker also notched a helper, his first of 2026-27 and his second point of the campaign.
— Drobac earned his fourth win, stopping 21 of 23 shots. His save percentage is .932.
— Miami has not allowed a power play goal in four games, killing off all 13 man-advantage opportunities in that span.
— UAA scored twice in the second period, just the second time this season the RedHawks have allowed multiple goals in a frame.
— Miami failed to generate 30 shots for the first time this season, finishing with 29, and its plus-6 shot differential was its worst of the early season.
ANALYSIS: Alaska-Anchorage played very well, but the Seawolves are in the 50s in NPI, and this wasn’t the best effort by Miami.
The RedHawks turned the puck over way too often, iced the puck way too often and allowed several odd-man chances, which is how UAA scored both of its goals.
League play begins next week, and Miami will definitely need to carry more Friday, less Saturday into its NCHC slate.
— Miami didn’t play with a ton of energy in the first period and was outshot, 10-9, and after a great first half of the second period, seemed to fall asleep in the latter portion of that frame, allowing two goals on odd-man chances and surviving a bizarre complete breakdown in the closing minutes, as the RedHawks seemed out of sorts in their own end.
Miami was so-so in the early stages of the third period but was better late, and obviously scored 20 seconds into OT.
— Loomer played his best game of the season, scoring his first NCAA goal and engaging in the offensive zone more than in previous contests. He also earned PK time and thrived in that role. He was a top-5 USHL points producer last season and has an extremely high ceiling.
— Random observations: Delic seemed to have the puck most of the night and center Austin Baker defended really well.
— David Helledy was pulled from the second power play QB role mid-game in favor of Ryder Thompson. Miami’s power play was 0-for-4 on Saturday and nothing out of six for the weekend.
LINEUP CHANGES: Just one: Chuck Blanchard dressed as the 13th forward, replacing defenseman Jack Hamilton.
STANDINGS: After the conclusion of all Saturday games, Miami was 20th in the all-important NPI rankings, which determine at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament.
FINAL THOUGHTS: It wasn’t pretty, it feels like a disappointing performance to some degree, but Miami found a way to win.
And in previous seasons, that probably wouldn’t have been the case.
That’s the difference between where this program is now and where it was when the current coaching regime started.
The RedHawks will need to up their game to win consistently in the NCHC, no doubt, but at least on an underwhelming night they were able to pull out the W and will ride a five-game winning streak into conference play.
