Miami University handed the Colorado College men’s hockey team two shutout losses last weekend, blanking the Tigers 3-0 on Friday night and 4-0 on Saturday. It was a major reversal for the teams as the Tigers had swept Miami in the teams’ earlier matchups this year, winning 2-1 and 3-2 in two home games at the Broadmoor World Arena back in December.
On Friday, power plays for both teams worked against the Tigers and despite outshooting Miami, a rarity for the Tigers this season, nothing connected for the Tigers. The Tigers outshot the Redhawks 31-26 throughout the contest but they were unable to convert on two five-minute major penalties in the second and third periods. Miami amassed 30 penalty minutes throughout the game. Miami chipped away at the Tigers, adding one point per period.
Senior forward Cody Bradley had a chance early in the first period when he fired a shot which beat Miami goaltender Jay Williams but rang off the pipe. Another bid by Bradley would find iron later in the third period as well. Bradley finished with a team high of five shots on goal for the game.
Later in the period, Miami’s Keifer Sherwood beat freshman goalie Jacob Nehama on a one-timer half a minute into a Miami power play after freshman defenseman Nate Kwiecinski was called for roughing. Miami extended their lead halfway through the second period with a shorthanded goal during a five-minute major power play for the Tigers. CC wasn’t even able to register a shot on goal during the extended man advantage.
The Tiger’s power play was shut down consistently by Miami’s penalty kill, the second best in the nation.
“It’s tough when you don’t get a shot on goal during a five-man advantage and they get a goal,” said Head Coach Mike Haviland. “They have one of the best penalty kills in the country and we didn’t take our game up a level. We have to bear down and score some goals.”
Miami goalie Jay Williams made big stops against junior forward Luc Gerdes and senior forward Hunter Fejes on two breakaway attempts during the third period. Williams made 31 saves while shutting down the Tigers.
Despite the shutout and some injuries, CC came back the next night ready to fight. The Tigers put up a strong defense for two solid periods on Saturday, but Miami broke through and scored three goals in the final frame. Junior goalie Tyler Marble put up a season high 40 saves, starting for Nehama who had played the previous seven games.
“Tyler played really well tonight,” Haviland said. “We took an offensive zone penalty and they capitalized.”
Most of Miami’s offensive production came in the final half of the third period. Miami was held scoreless by the Tigers for nearly half the game in total. Marble’s counterpart at the other end of the ice, Jay Williams, recorded 24 saves for his second shutout of the weekend.
The Redhawks’ first goal came after 33 minutes of scoreless play with a wrist shot from the right point by Taylor Richart at the 13:04 mark of the second period. Kevin Morris gave Miami a 2-0 lead halfway through the third period on a power play goal after Bradley was whistled for interference. Morris’ one-timer from the slot came right as Bradley’s penalty expired.
Sherwood netted his second goal of the series less than a minute and a half later, and Anthony Louis scored an empty-netter to raise Miami’s lead to 4-0 as time ran out.
With this pair of losses, the Tigers’ record falls to 6-24-1 (4-16-1 NCHC). CC takes on St. Cloud State Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Broadmoor World Arena for their final two games of the regular season. Last time the Tigers played St. Cloud was a mixed bag, one narrow loss of 1-2 and a comeback victory of 5-2.