Miami did not allow an even-strength goal in its series finale vs. No. 6 Minn.-Duluth.
But the Bulldogs scored twice on special teams: Once on the power play and again shorthanded en route to a 2-1 win over the RedHawks at AMSOIL Arena, as they salvaged a weekend split.
Layne Loomer netted the lone Miami goal.
The RedHawks host Omaha next weekend.
RECAP: Zam Plante put Minn.-Duluth (7-3-2) on top early with a laser from the right faceoff dot with 5:23 left in the first period.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to two when Ty Hanson slammed home a shorthanded 2-on-1 feed from the slot 1:51 into the middle frame.
Miami (7-3) cut the deficit to one with 7:59 remaining in the stanza. Ryder Thompson fired a shot wide of the net, and the rebound caromed off the end boards to Loomer, who was able to bat the puck off UMD goalie Carl Axelsson in from a bad angle along the goal line.
Neither team scored in the third period, and the RedHawks were held to two shots on goal in the final 20 minutes.
STATS: Loomer’s goal was his second of the season, and his the first of his career both on the road and in conference.
Thompson and Ryan Smith both picked up assists. Coincidentally, it’s the second point of the season for both, with each also earning one helper apiece in Game 2 at Northern Michigan.
— After a hot start on the power play, Miami is just 2-for-21 (9.5 percent) in its last five games. The RedHawks have converted 2 of 15 chances (13.3 percent) in NCHC play.
ANALYSIS: The expectation was that Minn.-Duluth would throw the proverbial kitchen sink at the RedHawks the first 10 minutes, but Miami was easily the better team for the first half of the opening period and fired the first seven shots of the game.
MU was assessed a questionable penalty along the boards, and the Bulldogs capitalized. That turned the momentum somewhat, but Miami still played well overall after that goal.
The shorthanded goal that made it 2-0 didn’t deflate the RedHawks, and they battled to cut the deficit to one and kept the energy up through the third period, although Minn.-Duluth shut down the MU offense, holding the RedHawks to two SOG in the final 20 minutes.
Very well played game by Miami. Very well played game by a sixth-ranked Minn.-Duluth team.
— Both goalies were outstanding all weekend. Miami netminder Matteo Drobac made several radical saves and finished 26 of 28 (.929) on the night and .927 for the series. Axelsson was 41-for-45 (.909) and also stopped several Grade-A chances each night.
— Don’t usually talk about officiating, but it seemed very inconsistent both nights. Both teams ended up with five chances on Saturday, so it didn’t favor either team, although the UMD power play goal was scored after a questionable penalty assessed for a hit along the boards.
LINEUP CHANGES: Just one: Defenseman Branko Vukas, who was injured in Friday’s game was out of the lineup, replaced by 13th forward John Emmons.
STANDINGS: Miami is 21st in the NPI after the conclusion of all Saturday NCAA games.
The RedHawks are tied with Duluth for second in the NCHC with six points. Denver, which is 3-0 in the league, is first with nine points.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Of course Miami didn’t look at the series finale this way, but the RedHawks were playing with house money.
And overall they played a fantastic game on Saturday. Miami lost to the sixth-best team in Division I on the road in front of a huge crowd by one a night after beating it on its home ice.
This was the RedHawks’ first NCHC road series of 2026-27, and they earned three points against one of the NCAA’s elite teams in one of the most hostile rinks in college hockey.
Of course it would’ve been sweet to earn points in this game, but overall this weekend was a huge win for this program.
